A west county city near the water
Maryland Heights is a newer city with an old lake at its edge. It incorporated in 1985 and counted 28,284 residents in 2020. Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park, St. Louis County’s first park and an early-1900s summer resort, sits on its western side with a 320-acre lake and the Dripping Springs waterfall. Westport Plaza, at Page Avenue and I-270, and the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre are the city’s best-known landmarks.
For homeowners with a backyard pool, the area around the deck is usually the first place turf makes sense.
Turf around pools
A pool deck is one of the best places to use turf. Grass at the coping edge stays wet, gets worn by bare feet and sheds clippings into the water. Turf drains splash through the backing and keeps a clean edge.
Two choices matter most here. First, infill: sand infill can travel into the pool on wet feet, so we usually recommend Malibu Flow 65, which needs none. Second, heat: NOAA normals put St. Louis at about 47 days a year at 90°F or hotter, and a deck faces full sun. A W-blade like Tropical Flow 62 is built to run cooler, and a rinse cools the surface for a while before a swim.
Paver inlays
The deck in our photo sets turf between pavers in a diamond pattern. Inlays like this need two things to look right: pavers set level and square before we start, and turf cut to each opening by hand. We secure every edge so corners don’t curl. Grids and stripes work the same way and suit driveways and patios too.
Lawn beyond the deck
Most pool yards also have a main lawn, and that’s often where grass gives up first. MU Extension notes tall fescue goes semi-dormant in summer heat and drought. Turf stays green through the pool season, needs no mowing near the fence, and won’t leave clippings for the skimmer.
Utilities
Missouri American Water lists Maryland Heights among the communities it serves, and MSD handles sewer service across most of St. Louis County. Taking a lawn off the sprinkler system cuts outdoor water use during the months the pool is already drawing makeup water.
