Home » Misc » Landscaping around pool area

Landscaping around pool area


Landscaping Ideas for Pool Areas

By

Lisa Hallett Taylor

Lisa Hallett Taylor

Lisa Hallett Taylor is an expert in architecture and landscape design who has written more than 1,000 articles about pool, patio, garden, and home improvement over 12 years. She has a bachelor's degree in Environmental Design and is certified in fine and decorative arts appraisal.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 02/08/22

Reviewed by

Kathleen Miller

Reviewed by Kathleen Miller

Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and Horticulturist who shares her knowledge of sustainable living, organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens, a working sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column. She has over 30 years of experience in gardening and sustainable farming.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board

Jeremy Samuelson / Image Bank / Getty Images

Now that you have a pool, turn it into a luxurious oasis by surrounding it with luscious plants. But, you'll want to carefully choose the plants that will go near a swimming pool or hot tub. Something that is attractive at 2 feet tall can grow quickly and drop leaves and debris into your pool in just a couple of years. Research the best plants, shrubs, trees, and ornamentals that will survive and even thrive when planted close to a pool full of splashing chlorinated or saltwater. Whether you are choosing plants for privacy or ornamentation, there are three main considerations when choosing plantings for your pool area:

Here are 16 plant selections for landscaping your pool that will bring color, texture, and scent to your backyard.

Pool landscaping ideas: The best materials to use in and around a backyard pool

(Image credit: Breegan Jane)

Good pool landscaping ideas need careful thought, planning and preparation. 

But worry not. We break down all you need to know about the different types of pool landscaping, from pool landscaping with rocks to pool ideas for privacy and shade.

The materials used – from paving, aggregates and decking, to decorative edging and the hard materials employed for in-ground pools – add texture and character to a backyard pool garden, marking out the structure and leading the eye through to the swimming pool and beyond.

The best time to undertake a pool landscape redesign is in winter, when the backyard is dormant. But the summer months are the time to analyze the ways in which you use the space and to understand what you need from your future design. 

These backyard ideas will help you find the best ways to landscape around a pool and explain what you need to consider before you begin.

Pool landscaping ideas

From putting greens to privacy, these landscaping ideas add major value (and fun) to your pool area.

1. Plant on an island

(Image credit: Brittany Farinas, House of One / Lifestyle Production Group)

Your pool landscaping ideas don't have to be relegated to the sides of the pool. For an original idea that evokes a tropical resort, bring the vegetation into the pool by stationing it on an island structure right in the middle of water, like at this Florida home by Brittany Farinas of House of One Interiors . Want to go full paradise vibes? Use palms.  

2. Use lighting to enhance the landscape

(Image credit: Designer: The Fox Group Photographer: Lindsay Salazar)

Lighting is the perfect complement to pool landscaping. It can emphasize certain features (try uplighting shrubs and trees) and enhance the overall ambience of a newly landscaped space.

String lights are a pool lighting idea that's more about form than function, but the ambience a set of bistro lights will add to your pool area is second to none. 

If you're lucky enough to have a pool house, use it as an anchor point for your string lights, and stretch them above the length of the pool, like The Fox Group did, above. No pool house? Try filling the bottom of whisky barrel planters with cement, then inserting a wooden post to create a semi-permanent anchor point for lights. Don't forget to finish off the planters with soil and your favorite annuals. 

3. Use planters to add personal style

(Image credit: Thomas Guy Interiors / Haylei Smith)

Both your planters and the plants you put in them are a chance to add your personal style to your pool patio ideas.

'We like to include banana leaf trees and orchids to add a touch of nature, and high-design planters can be a creative way to show off one’s own personal style,' says Lance Thomas of Louisiana-based Thomas Guy Interiors . Above, Thomas chose organic planters and unstructured ferns to complement the contemporary, minimalist pool design. 

4. Include a putting green

(Image credit: Breegan Jane)

Your pool landscaping ideas can offer more than just beauty and a bit of shade. Add recreation to the list by installing a putting green adjacent to your pool patio, like interior designer Breegan Jane did at her client's Southern California home, where the goal of the outdoor space was to 'surprise and delight.'

5.  Use landscaping for privacy

(Image credit: Brittany Farinas, House of One Interiors / Lifestyle Production Group)

Looking for a pool fence idea that adds privacy and beauty? Your landscaping can do the job if you plant high trees or bushy shrubs around the perimeter of your pool or property, a la this Florida property.  

Another idea we love from this photo? The cabana. When you're brainstorming your landscaping and pool area ideas, don't forget to include a shady spot to retreat to when you're tired of sunbathing. 

6. Invest in LED lighting around a pool

(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton )

When considering pool landscaping, smart pool lighting ideas certainly have their part to play. A well-planned lighting scheme can do wonders for your backyard pool and shouldn't be an afterthought.

'For small cascades and fountains, direct underwater spotlights onto the plinth of flowing water, or run a color-changing LED strip along the rill from which the water emerges,' suggests Sally Storey, lighting director at John Cullen. 

An impressive backyard pool is hugely enhanced when illuminated at night. Underwater lights can be halogen, LED or fiber optic, but they must be encased in waterproof, IP-rated fixtures. 

Alternatively, solar garden lighting ideas, such as bulbs hidden in between evergreens or in containers create a soft glow.

7. Pick the perfect pool deck landscaping

(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton Photography)

Poolside deck ideas provide versatile and cost-effective ways to extend your living area into the outdoors. What's more, decking creates the perfect focal point for a low-maintenance yard, and is cheaper and easier to use than paving.

At its best, a sturdy, water-resistant timber deck is a handsome, hard-wearing pool area idea that complements most backyard pool settings.

But decks don’t only look good: other advantages include being relatively lightweight in comparison to stone, quick and easy to install and forgiving. Plus, timber can be cut to size to fit perfectly round awkward corners – perfect if you don't have a rectangular pool.

8. Add shade and privacy with ivy

(Image credit: Future / Armelle Habib)

In an ideal world our pool areas would be private sanctuaries where we could swim, entertain and relax away from prying eyes.  

Yet, for many pool owners, the reality is quite different. Spending time outdoors can be like living in a goldfish bowl because there is nothing to screen their backyard pool from neighboring windows. 

Smart garden shade ideas are great if you want to shield your pool area from the neighborhood and create shady coverage at the same time. A good place to start is with your pool fence or property boundary.

If you have an existing fence or trellis, plant ivy near the base to create a living privacy wall. No fence? Plant a deciduous hedge, or trail ivy up a wall using a trellis.

9. Landscape with rocks, trees and overgrown grasses

(Image credit: Future / © Roy Westwood)

If you are not one for a traditional pool area, then consider a more natural landscape for your outdoor swim. 

Today’s natural pools – or swimming ponds as they are often known – are welcomed into the border garden, whether in a formal setting of lawns, surrounded by flowers and grasses, or even made to look like a natural garden pond.  

For a rugged appearance, take inspiration from creative rock garden ideas and lay down plenty of misshapen rocks, pebbles and limestone. The main highlight of a rock garden is the quiet, zen-like aesthetic they add to your backyard. 

10. Highlight a rectangular pool with flower beds and borders

(Image credit: Future / Alistair Nicholls)

Whether you like raised garden bed ideas or you prefer planting straight into the ground, flower beds can make exceptional dividers for a garden path around a backyard pool. 

This is especially the case when you bring tall, architectural plants into the mix. This smart garden path idea is a beautiful way to establish the boundary of a walkway and to zone off your pool area from the rest of the garden. 

What's more, it will continue to offer color and structure throughout the seasons, even when the pool is not in use.

11. Set up a seating area around the pool

(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton)

When considering pool patio ideas and other hard landscaping materials for a pool, your first priority will be to establish the functional spaces, from terraces and patios, to paths and borders around the swimming pool.  

The expanse of an area and its use will dictate which materials are most suitable.

For instance, a hard standing for a table and chairs needs to be flat and stable, and you might want to keep granular aggregates, such as gravel or bark, away from the pool so they are not carried into the water. 

12. Install a non-slip surface 

(Image credit: Future / Polly Eltes)

While a pebble-dashed floor isn't entirely non-slip, it is certainly a less slippery option in comparison to stone slabs, pavers and decking. 

Opt for an entirely smooth surface to avoid any nasty cuts on the feet and if your pool is indoors, be sure to include a professional drainage system. 

Proper drainage will ensure that the water in your in-ground pool remains clean and protects your surrounding yard, deck, patio, landscaping, and home from possible water damage, erosion, and debris. 

Plus, no one wants to be constantly mopping up water. 

13. Landscape around a pool with grass

(Image credit: Kimberley Harrison / Kathryn MacDonald)

Your lawn serves as a huge source of air conditioning for your garden and also releases oxygen and simultaneously captures dust, keeping you and your family healthy, so it's a perfect option for near a pool area.  

To reap the many benefits to the full, keep your lawn as healthy as possible and your lawn pays you back for all the work you put into it.  

What’s more, your lawn needs plenty of water to encourage the roots to grow deep into the ground, and the best way to achieve this is to water deep. Try to water heavily, on an infrequent basis. 

Plus, you’ll want to make sure the chlorine from the pool doesn’t sit on top for too long. 

14. Use concrete as a modern alternative to stone slabs

(Image credit: Future / Matthew Williams)

Lusting after a modern industrial landscape? Durable, easy to clean and heat-retaining, there’s a lot to love about concrete flooring in a modern backyard. 

Perfect for nailing the urban trend, it works best in contemporary spaces, but can also be mixed with plenty of greenery and colored foliage for a striking contrast.   

While the use of concrete has become commonplace, it was once seen as an inferior material in comparison to stone. But if we can forget about it as a cheap substitute we discover that it has its own intrinsic qualities, as interesting as natural materials and very much more versatile.  

Concrete is quite simply a blend of aggregates – sand and gravel or crushed stone – bonded together in a dense, stone-like mass by hardened cement. 

This material has made possible incredible structures and surfaces. It is the cement that gives concrete its dull-gray appearance, and so the secret with in-situ garden paving is to remove the cement from the surface before it sets. 

15. Mix materials around a pool

(Image credit: Belgard)

Large patio pavers have been gaining popularity in California in recent years, and it is easy to see why. 

If you're wondering how to make your garden feel more modern without embarking on an overly expensive redesign, then you should seriously consider employing oversized patio pavers for the landscaping around your pool. 

As far as backyard landscaping ideas go, large pavers are the opposite of discreet and that's exactly why we're seeing more of them in outdoor paving designs.  

Bold and immediately noticeable, oversized paving slabs create an instant indoor-outdoor effect, because they emit the luxury look of indoor tiles – just outdoors.

What is best to put around a pool?

(Image credit: Future / Jody Stewart)

Paving slabs are one of the most common garden materials for landscaping around a pool. Paving or pavers are readily available as individual blocks, in a wide range of shapes, colors and sizes that can be laid in several pattern configurations. You can also buy specialist kits, such as circles, for patios. 

Mostly made from pre-cast concrete or reconstituted stone, pavers can also be used for garden paths, terraces, steps and patios. They are also ideal for adding a large expanse in the same color/material. A matching path and patio area can be used to lead the eye through the garden or to an adjacent pool house. 

What's more, pavers are mostly affordable, readily available and fairly straightforward to lay. Small pavers can be teased into curves, tight corners and organic shapes, and there are a good selection of edgings and borders available to complete the look. 

Be aware that large pavers will need cutting. Tailor your design to limit the number of cuts at planning stage, and hire a slab and walling block splitter to ensure a neat job.

Jennifer is the Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens. Having worked in the interiors industry for a number of years, spanning many publications, she now hones her digital prowess on the 'best interiors website' in the world. Multi-skilled, Jennifer has worked in PR and marketing, and the occasional dabble in the social media, commercial and e-commerce space. Over the years, she has written about every area of the home, from compiling design houses from some of the best interior designers in the world to sourcing celebrity homes, reviewing appliances and even the odd news story or two.

With contributions from

Landscape design around the pool: photo ideas for arranging a recreation area with a pool in the garden and in the country house

Editorial: completion of construction. To spend time near the pool was pleasant, safe and comfortable, you need to pay attention to the landscape design of the surrounding area.

House + House Architects

Swimming pool cover
Whether you are planning to frolic in the water with your children, take a steady swim or engage in sports training, the pleasure of swimming can be spoiled by a slippery cold surface (tiles, for example) waiting for a swimmer at the exit of the pool. In addition, you must constantly monitor your every step so as not to slip and fall.

What criteria? Materials must be durable, non-slip and at the same time decorative. So, sand dries for a long time after rain, gravel gets very hot in the sun, and walking on it is not very comfortable.

1. Tiles Most often, paving slabs are used to decorate the area around the pool - they will complement the composition around the pool decoratively, since a huge number of patterns can be created from it. In addition, paving stones do not require special care.

Architectural studio Chado

2. Mosaic. Special collections with non-slip surfaces are available for swimming pools. Their only drawback is the limited color range (usually these are variations of blue)

Wettling Architects

3. Concrete casting. Such a side will not heat up even under the scorching sun. The second step is already comfortably done on soft grass. Such a decision can only be made at the time of laying the pool (not suitable for already functioning pools). And one more thing - it is unlikely that the concrete strip will be wider than 1 meter

DANIEL HUNTER AIA Hunter architecture ltd.

4. Natural stone - Pay attention to the rough surface of the plates (non-slip, this is important for covering around the pool). But it's quite expensive0005

Franck Minieri, Photographer

5. Pebbles or gravel - this option is recommended for partially shaded areas: the stone gets quite hot in the sun

Pauchard Paysages

6. Wooden decking 9001 device Most suitable for our climate wooden podium. A beautiful podium will help fit the pool into the landscape of the site, visually connect with the environment.

If you choose a board made of moisture-resistant and durable wood (teak or oak) and additionally treat the material with an antiseptic agent, the beach in the country house will take on a decorative look.

TaC studios, architects

The area around the outdoor pool can also be decorated with decking (terrace board) or modular (garden) parquet made of wood-polymer composite (WPC). Its only drawback is that the material is expensive, but it is extremely easy to install, very convenient to use and has a long service life.

Andrea Calo

Pool liner (when the bowl is up)
The bowl liner must be beautiful and visually spectacular, as it is the face of the pool. For these purposes, mosaic, ceramic tile or coping stone is used. Most often, preference is given to coping - an artificial decorative stone created specifically for facing the sides of the pool, so it is also called a side stone (look at the photo).

Lost West

The outer sides of the pool can be fitted with planed board sides covered with waterproof varnish. The advantage is that such a pool is very beautiful, original and organic. Outwardly attractive, it immediately arouses interest. At the same time, it fits perfectly into the buildings made of wood and looks very harmonious against the backdrop of nature. The second advantage is environmental friendliness, which is extremely valuable these days.

TimberTech

Spa instead of pool
Why not add a touch of luxury to your garden by installing a Jacuzzi pool amid lush greenery and enjoy all the benefits of hydrorelaxation and hydrotherapy without leaving your favorite garden. Jacuzzi models specially designed for the Russian climate perform flawlessly outdoors all year round.

AquaBluePools

Rue Group, Inc. / Kathryn Rue, Landscape Architect

Build an underwater stone partition between the swimming area and the hot tub. To give the overall ensemble a dynamic effect, build two small fountains into the wall: let one flow into the pool, and the other into the jacuzzi.

Use natural materials to create your spa area. This will harmoniously integrate the jacuzzi into the landscape. The pergola covered with greenery, the wood of the terrace, the natural stone of the retaining wall and the pool of the mini-pool in sand or graphite shade together form an idyllic backdrop for relaxation and relaxation. For more exotic, build a stone fountain in a secluded corner of the garden.

Plants around the pool
Before landscaping around the pool, decide what kind of landscape you prefer: tropical, natural, calm, etc. There are some practical considerations to keep in mind when planning and selecting plants.

Studio William Hefner

  • It is strictly forbidden to plant ornamental plants in the pool or on the shore, as the chlorine water will kill them, and the attractive pool will look like a pond, and the convenience of swimming is out of the question.
  • Must be container planted. In this case, the plants will not directly interact with water, and they can always be brought into the room (in bad weather or in winter), as well as swapped, changing the type of recreation area.
  • Do not plant lush vegetation around the pool as leaves and plant debris clog the water and the bottom and walls of the pool.
  • The most hardy species should be selected and, if possible, the beds should be placed above the water level. The most practical, as I noted above, are potted plants. Southern cordilina (Cordyline australis), Chinese rose (Hibiscus), glorious yucca (Yucca gloriosa) and oleander will do well in pots, juniper in boxes, and agapanthus in small wide clay bowls. Plants should be placed as far from the shore as possible. Using pots with a narrow top reduces the chance of soil getting into the water if the pot is accidentally dropped. It is best to grow plants with leathery leaves on the shore.

Harold Leidner Landscape Architects

Apex Landscapes & Pools

Falling Water Custom Pools, Inc.

Relaxation area by the water
After swimming and feeling the magic of water to the full, you will certainly want to sunbathe or drink a soft drink. Therefore, the main element of the country pool is the recreation area. It can be: a small gazebo, sun loungers, garden furniture under a beach umbrella and even a rocking chair. It is also recommended to equip a playground near the pool so that the children can relax next to you.

To create a functional beach in your country house, mount the pool lighting and recreation area lighting to be able to enjoy swimming and relaxing by the pool even at night.

A fireplace or an outdoor fireplace will look very impressive near the pool.

Terra Rubina

Bill Fry Construction - Wm. H. Fry Const. Co.

Outdoor shower
Garden shower has become an essential element of any suburban area. With it, it is easy to remain "civilized" even in a very "wild" dacha. More recently, a shower for a summer residence was identified exclusively with a modest, unsightly structure in the yard, built from building remains. Today in stores you can find a wide variety of ready-made summer showers for summer cottages. But the most interesting and cheaper thing is to create shower cabins in a “construction” design.

The place must be protected from the wind, because even at high air temperatures a draft can provoke a cold. If a container (water tank) is expected, the shower room should be located on the sunny side of the site. For a shower without a tank, proximity to a water source is important, for example, near the wall of the house.

Surround the structure with exotic flowers, trees and shrubs (or place them inside). Taking a shower in such a cabin is a real pleasure: one feels unity with nature; water procedures, fresh air and the beauty of forms give rise to harmony and contribute to the normalization of the psychological state.

It is absolutely not necessary to pack a shower cabin in the manner of an interior, plastic one - take a wooden changing cabin as a basis, which leaves the head of the person inside visible.

Wood always looks harmonious in the landscape. In addition, if the exterior decoration of the house is made of wood or imitates it, such an outdoor shower will fit perfectly into the design of the territory.

Dean Herald-Rolling Stone Landscapes

Garden bathroom
Hedonists can install a bathroom in the patio where hot water can be supplied. An open-air spa treatment with an infusion of herbs and flowers and fragrant rose petals from your own garden will give you a wonderful rest and rejuvenate at the end of the day. In addition to pleasant sensations, as a result of the appropriate procedure, you can get a huge dose of vitamin D and, of course, a powerful charge of positive emotions.

Michael Glassman & Associates

The main thing is to create a relaxing atmosphere with low tables, chairs and couches near the bath; romance will add candles and crystal vases. Do not forget that nature and proximity to it play an important role in the design of this corner.

Platinum Poolcare

Get your sled ready in the summer
If you plan to use your pool during the cold season, it's time to think about pool heating systems in the summer so you can install them in the summer. Starting construction in the winter will be much more difficult.

Artel "Danila, Makar and Brothers"

YOUR TURN…
How do you improve the pool area on your own plot? Is there heating? What about outdoor showers? What unexpected discoveries did you make for yourself during the operation of the outdoor pool - share in the comments below the article!

Arrangement of the swimming pool - 70 photos of ideal design ideas

A warm house, a garden, a sauna and a swimming pool to it - the dream of any lover of a Russian bath. New technologies and materials have made swimming pools accessible to the general population. But the problem of arranging the pool requires a detailed phased study.

Types of outdoor pools

Stationary pools - a variant with digging a pit and installing a finished bowl.

The plastic shells are molded bowls that simply fit into the pit.

Above ground pools are easy to install and cost less.

Framed pools are assembled from base elements and then stretched into a plastic mold to fill with water.

Inflatable pools are the most affordable and simple.

Plastic pools are the most popular among all types of pools, they are environmentally friendly, durable, impact resistant, heat resistant, the bowl is sealed, beauty and variety of colors and shapes.

Whatever pool you choose, you can't avoid the main question - where to put the pool.

The choice of a place for a pool will determine its fate in the future as a place that pleases the eyes and souls of the owners. The plot of land for the pool is chosen horizontal, groundwater should be below the expected bottom, trees and bushes should not grow nearby.

It is possible to build a foundation pit on a slope, using the surrounding landscape in the subsequent design of the territory adjacent to the pool.

If it is decided not to install on a concrete platform, but to deepen the pool, then it is important to dig the pit correctly. The dimensions of the pit bowl should be 15 - 20 cm larger than the pool body.

A cement-sand screed of the bottom is made with a depth of 5 cm, the ratio of cement and sand is 1 to 3. The screed dries for three days, after which we proceed to the next stage.

The next step is pouring the formwork. A reinforcing wire frame is placed in the bowl, which is poured with a sand-cement mixture. After the formwork has dried, a 20 mm screed of the bottom of the pit should be made with the same solution as for the formwork.

The bowl is ready, but care must be taken to maintain the temperature of the water in the pool. Therefore, it is necessary to lay thermal insulation materials throughout the bowl.

The stage of pool insulation is important from the standpoint of maintaining the temperature regime of the pool, regardless of the ground temperature. It is always lower than air and heat loss in the pool without its insulation is inevitable.

Insulation can be carried out with foam plastic, which is quite cheap, or with any roll insulation. Insulation is attached to the pool bowl.

Pool bowl installation

First of all, you need to understand that there are many options for plastic pool bowls. But the work must begin after understanding which bowl of the pool we will equip.

Plastic pools are the most popular today. They have many advantages over the rest. Affordable prices with high quality, variations of shapes, sizes and colors of plastic satisfy almost any customer needs.

Having lowered the pool bowl into the pit, they begin to pour water into it and at the same time gradually pour the sand-cement mixture around the circle of the pool and tamp the sand-cement mixture into the gap between the bowl and the pit.

Pool maintenance

How to decorate the pool. It is necessary to ennoble the landscape by arranging the territory around the pool.

Landscape designers are able to develop many interesting options for decorating the pool due to ornamental plants, selecting materials for finishing the pool area surrounding the pool and recreation areas, and presenting the design of the pool in the photo.

Learn more