Base of the Pool

• Mulch, gravel, brick or stone provides a good base for your pool. Some towns offer mulch for free if you provide the shovel and container. Construction sites may give away or offer a good price on surplus bricks and stone. For larger rocks, ask someone you know who has a large lot in the country or check an area recently cleared for a ball field.
  
  

Rock Garden

• Use the items from your foraging above to make the base for a rock garden. First arrange large rocks and bricks, then fill in with small stones, mulch and plants. Pick plants that don't have roots that will spread underneath the pool.
  
  

Plants in Containers

• Look for items at garage sales and flea markets that will make good containers for plants of varying sizes: old wash tubs, milk cans, urns. Add some paint if you don't like the rusty metal look. Your town or county may have a program through which you can purchase low-cost seedling trees and shrubs. Ask a country landowner if you could dig up a few small saplings.
  
  

Decking Material

• Find someone who has removed a pool but still has the deck. Keep your eyes peeled as you drive around and offer to remove someone's lonely-looking freestanding deck. Check Freecycle.com (you have to join a local group, but it's free) or craigslist for free or cheap material.