Luxury Outdoor Living Podcast

Ep 134 Garden and Landscape Hacks for Great Outdoor Spaces with Jay White and Morgan McBride

Mike and Trey Farley host Jay White, publisher of Texas Gardener Magazine, and Morgan, a longtime DFW landscaper now with Verde Growers, to answer homeowner questions about gardening and landscaping around pools. They stress planning for sunlight, drainage, and soil (often alkaline in North Texas), using soil tests, reading plant labels, and favoring local nurseries over big-box stores. Topics include soil prep differences for annual beds vs trees, backfilling trees with native soil, staking, container vs balled-and-burlapped trees, best planting season (fall), raised-bed vegetable gardening and crop rotation, chill hours for fruit trees, water efficiency and avoiding overwatering (drip on timers), fertilizing with balanced ratios and slow-release nitrogen, protecting trees during construction, common regional pests/diseases, privacy screens (hollies and junipers), invasive bamboo, and recommended perennials like roses and salvias.   Discover more: https://texasgardener.com/ [https://texasgardener.com/] https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/ https://www.instagram.com/farleydesigns/ https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/]   00:00 Podcast Welcome 01:12 Meet the Guests 03:20 Soil Prep Basics 05:02 Soil Tests Explained 08:37 Tilling and Living Soil 11:06 Skip Big Box Stores 15:12 Find Your Planting Zone 17:37 Gardens Near Pools 21:11 Crop Rotation 101 25:38 Best Time to Plant Trees 27:51 Container vs B&B Trees 33:02 Water Smart Gardening 40:19 Right Plant Right Place 43:01 Fruit Trees and Chill Hours 43:53 Chill Hours Basics 44:46 Early Bloom Plum Experiment 45:46 Avoid Big Box Fruit Trees 46:50 Plants and Memory Bonds 48:50 Best Shade Tree Picks 50:49 Privacy Screening Plants 53:32 Bamboo Planting and Removal 55:52 Favorite Perennials for Texas 59:33 Killing Poison Ivy 01:00:29 Garden Pets and Critters 01:02:08 Fertilizer Ratios Explained 01:08:38 Protect Trees During Construction 01:10:03 Texas Pests and Regulations 01:14:23 Synthetic Turf Pros and Cons 01:15:16 Texas Tomato Timing 01:16:27 Easy Starter Vegetables 01:18:28 Rapid Fire Favorites 01:22:49 Show Wrap and Mission

Ep 133 Delicious Water: Steve Kenny's AOP Recipe with Farley Pool Designs

Mike and Trey Farley of Farley Pool Designs interview Steve Kenny of SRK Pools in East Hampton, Long Island, who describes his path from a family pool service business started in 1985 to building high-performance “chlorine-free” pools. Kenny explains how decades of service experience led him to advanced water treatment using high-output ozone with UV to create advanced oxidation (hydroxyl radicals), paired with activated glass media filtration, CO2 pH control, and a Blue Sentinel controller to maintain very low chlorine (about 0.1–0.2 ppm) with minimal manual intervention and monthly service. He details side-stream ozone injection, contact tanks, ozone destruction and safety monitoring, and floor-return/skimmer hydraulics to reduce dead spots. The conversation covers pathogen control (e.g., crypto/giardia), equipment “bunkers,” freeze-thaw considerations, keeping pools open year-round, wellness trends like cold plunges, and Kenny’s water-inspired mosaic art.   Discover more: https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/ https://www.instagram.com/farleydesigns/ https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/]   00:00 Podcast Welcome 01:17 Meet Steve Kenny 02:26 From Culinary to Pools 04:46 Going Chlorine Free 07:42 AOP Hydroxyl Explained 09:08 Ozone System Sizing 11:53 Automation and Controls 14:32 Bunkers and Venting 17:39 Why Add UV 20:54 Glass Media Filtration 22:58 Hydraulics Skimmers Returns 25:13 Real World Results and Cost 30:26 Training Maintenance Teams 33:25 Delicious Water Philosophy 35:27 Proactive Water Care 36:10 Mindset Over Energy Costs 37:14 AOP Basics Ozone UV 38:09 Glass Media And No Minerals 40:21 Chlorine Sensitivity Explained 41:23 Building For Freeze Thaw 45:37 Plumbing Flow And Heating 46:55 Perimeter Overflow Artistry 47:44 Underwater Art And Tile 50:35 Designing For Lifestyle 51:51 System Capacity Dogs And Bugs 58:23 Wellness Cold Plunge Trends 01:01:37 Rapid Fire And Wrap Up 01:04:06 Show Mission Closing

Ep 132 Floatee: The Smart Tech Transforming Luxury Water Safety with Farley Pool Designs

On this episode of Luxury Outdoor Living Podcast, Mike Farley interviews Scarlett Hanson, owner of Floatee US, during Water Safety Month about Floatee, a France-made anti-drowning T-shirt for children that looks like an anti-UV swim shirt but automatically inflates into a life jacket when submerged, inflating in under three seconds, keeping the wearer on their back with airways out of the water via an asymmetrical design. It won a prestigious design award, has been used by over 50,000 people in Europe, and has generated parent testimonials after real pool incidents. The system uses a dissolving sensor and replaceable gas canister; the inflatable insert can be moved between shirt sizes and bright colors aid visibility. Sizes currently cover 10–25 kg, with 25–40 kg in development, plus adult manual/automatic versions. Scarlett shares pricing, certifications (ISO 12402), washing instructions, travel guidance for canisters, and plans for awareness, retail expansion, and trade-show demos, with info@floateeus.com [info@floatyus.com].   Discover more: https://www.floateeus.com/ https://floatee.co/en https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/ https://www.instagram.com/farleydesigns/ https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/]   00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 01:17 Water Safety Month Intro 01:59 Meet Scarlett and Floatee 02:21 How Floatee Works 05:04 Inside the Tech 08:23 Fit Sizes and Reuse 10:35 Travel and Layering Tips 12:23 Adult Versions Explained 14:46 Scarlett Safety Journey 20:26 Why Drowning Gets Overlooked 24:32 Real Life Saves and Pricing 27:35 Future Plans and Care 32:42 Rapid Fire Questions 34:23 Contact and Trade Shows 35:54 Final Wrap Up

Ep 131 What Your Builder Won’t Tell You with Sean of Deck Remodelers and Farley Pool Designs

Mike and Trey Farley host the Luxury Outdoor Living Podcast and interview Sean of Deck Remodelers from Northern New Jersey about his background from an Irish carpentry family through construction and culinary school to specializing in high-end decks since 2007–08. Sean describes winning 70+ national design awards, focusing on team-building, and advising homeowners to start with an honest budget rather than bidding games, then vet contractors by details and materials (steel framing, premium PVC, fewer posts, better beams). He explains his in-house architects and exterior-focused interior designers, custom fabrication and board bending for curved decks and stairs, full-yard design/GC scope, VR walkthroughs, and standardized training via “Deck Remodelers University.” Topics include fire features and clearances, covered spaces, lighting and electric infrared heaters (Infotech), under-deck drainage (Haven Under Deck), code/climate considerations like frost depth, and common remodel failures from inadequate blocking. He also discusses NADRA’s education/community, his book and favorite book “Die With Zero,” and a road-trip ride to Niagara Falls.   Discover more: https://deckremodelers.com/ [https://deckremodelers.com/] https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/ https://www.instagram.com/farleydesigns/ https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/]   00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 01:17 Meet the Hosts and Guest 01:34 Spring Weather and Busy Season 02:01 Why the Name Deck Remodelers 02:24 Origin Story and Early Carpentry 05:35 From Culinary School to Construction 06:49 Deck Medic to High-End Decks 08:20 Awards and Building a Team 09:08 Homeowner Mistakes and Budget Talk 12:08 In-House Designers and Architects 13:46 Curved Decks and Board Bending 18:08 Fire Features and Material Safety 18:48 YouTube Experiments and 50 Cal Test 19:50 Full Backyard Design and GC Scope 20:38 Standardizing Quality with DRU 22:44 Service Area and Expansion Plans 25:05 Climate Loads and Louvered Roofs 27:04 Designing Transitions and Materials 28:56 Tough Home Styles and Review Boards 30:32 Writing the Book and Going Full Service 31:38 Grand Staircases and Glue-Lams 32:45 Heaters and Lighting Expertise 36:58 Frost Lines Steel Framing and Durability 40:02 Designing for Function and Furnishings 41:02 Making Under-Deck Space Usable 42:38 Waterproofing Done Right 43:38 Details That Add Value 46:15 Cover It For Comfort 47:46 Building Docks On Ice 50:17 Lifestyle Upgrade Mindset 51:39 Football Fan Banter 53:51 Master Planning Backyards 57:24 Gunite And Clay Engineering 01:01:20 Contractor True Crime 01:05:14 NADRA And Community 01:09:26 Fire Features Under Roofs 01:11:23 Rapid Fire Favorites 01:17:15 Wrap Up And Mission

Ep 130 Hidden Details of the Ultra Luxury Patio with Armen of Arto with Farley Pool Designs

Mike and Trey Farley introduce and interview Armen from Southern California’s Arto Brick, a family business founded in the 1960s by Armen’s father after emigrating from Egypt. Armen explains how the company began with handmade clay thin-brick veneer sold on a milk route, grew from installation into full-time manufacturing, and expanded staff significantly. He discusses working through family-business conflicts, Arto Brick’s “rustic elegance” look and how trends affect demand, and the value of handmade products and factory tours. Armen outlines current offerings—handcrafted concrete and low-absorption clay tiles for walls/floors indoors and outdoors, trims/coping, custom colors/shapes, and curated stone/porcelain—plus installation and maintenance issues like sealing, expansion joints, and hot-weather setting, with notes on saltwater pool impacts. He also shares favorites (movie Patton, books Gates of Fire and How the Mighty Fall) and travel interests.   Discover more: https://www.arto.com/ https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/ https://www.instagram.com/farleydesigns/ https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/]   00:00 Podcast Welcome 01:17 Meet Armen Arto Brick 02:01 Immigrant Origin Story 03:39 Thin Brick Innovation 06:06 Scaling the Family Business 07:58 Working With Family 10:37 Celebrity Client Tales 12:02 Trends Rustic Elegance 14:53 Handmade Factory Advantage 19:06 What Arto Brick Makes 22:48 How Customers Discover It 27:14 Pool Coping Throwback 30:05 How Tiles Are Made 31:12 Molding and Packing Tiles 31:54 Concrete vs Clay Process 33:12 Low Absorption Benefits 34:48 Indoor Outdoor Transitions 35:42 Freeze Thaw and Waterproofing 37:04 Saltwater Pool Material Choices 39:54 Common Install Mistakes 41:31 Expansion Joints and Movement 42:37 Sealing and Cleaning Tips 43:36 Patina Expectations and Trends 45:41 Ceiling Install Stories 48:44 New Art Tazo Brick Line 50:47 Growing in California 52:43 Legacy and Customer Value 54:52 Rapid Fire Favorites 57:16 Travel Plans and Wrap Up 58:30 Podcast Mission Statement