The pool which came with our house, has been a marital battle-ground. I'm generally against home swimming pools because they are too small for a proper swim yet large enough to hold and evaporate huge amounts of water in a dry country. Unconscionable! Over the last few years I've looked into turning it in to a rainwater tank (not as simple as you might think); a veggie patch (like Permaculturalist and Pool-slayer Sue Hartley) or a marron farm ("But I don't want to swim with marron!" "OK how about trout?" "No!!").
A few years ago, I innocently delivered a near fatal blow to wedded bliss. The crime was to buy an evaporation preventing poolcover. Major histrionics! It was made clear to me that viewing and dipping into a pool is one of the pillars upon which rests my beloved's well-being.
After three years of stalemate (new connotation accidental), the skimmer box caved in and so did I. We are fixing the pool and improving the lay-out because we eat and entertain there for half the year. The best thing is that we're enlarging existing garden beds and making a new one. I've got Tahitian lime, pomegranate, goji berry, kaffir lime and all manner of beautiful, edible, hardy plants ready to unleash from tight pots and two strong young men to do the heavy work. Am I an eco-sellout or a model of dispute resolution? How have you resolved eco-conflicts in your home?
