How to Landscape Around Your Pool

Creating a picturesque poolside begins by incorporating native plants, weather-resistant materials, and extra features to enhance the ambiance. With the right approach, your Florida pool area can become the envy of the neighborhood. If you're ready to dive into your next landscaping project, here’s how to make your backyard swimming pool a breathtaking retreat that reflects both your style and the vibrant spirit of Florida living.

Hardscape Features

Even if your outdoor area is very plant-focused, a pool deck or patio is an essential feature of poolside landscaping. A hardscaping barrier is safe to walk on and will help to keep your pool clean and free of grass clippings or mulch.

Appealing, functional backyard pool deck materials

Pool owners need to consider the safety features as well as the appearance of surfacing in their outdoor living space. Remember that people will be climbing in and out of that beautiful pool with bare feet.

The ideal pool surround should be comfortable on bare feet, even on a hot day. Choose a material or a coating that doesn't absorb too much heat. Ensuring that your surfacing material is grippy, to avoid slipping beside the pool, is an important safety consideration.

Concrete is a popular choice for pool landscaping. In terms of shape and color, it is versatile enough to be part of any dream pool landscape. Texture can be added for grip. Concrete can be covered with a clear coating to help keep it cool even in Florida's hot sun.

Pavers or tiles are another popular option for pool decks. Lots of pool owners choose them for their aesthetic appeal. Be sure to select an anti-slip option.

Artificial turf can also look good right by the pool. It requires minimum upkeep and helps to keep grass clippings and dirt out of your pool water.

Screens and Enclosures

Lots of pool owners choose to build a pool cage, or screen room, around their pool. Not everybody likes the way they look, but pool screens are a common choice in pool landscaping because they do such a good job of keeping out pesky bugs like mosquitos and even other pests such as lizards, snakes and frogs. Pool screens also exclude much of the debris that might otherwise fall from trees into your beautiful pool.

Larger plants, such as dwarf date palms, bamboo or even fruit trees can provide a range of textures and colors and look great beside the pool cage. Inside the enclosure, you'll want to look for pool cage-friendly plants. Many container plants are suitable for growing inside a pool screen. House plants that tolerate partial shade work well.

Seating Areas

Extend your deck to create a seating area beside the pool. Placing seating inside your pool enclosure allows those who don't want to swim to enjoy the beautiful poolside landscape you have created. Lounge chairs with plenty of shade encourage relaxing. Or, set up an outdoor kitchen and enjoy al fresco dining beside the pool.

Selecting Pool-Friendly Plants

When choosing pool landscaping plants, many homeowners like to go for low-maintenance options to keep the outdoor space looking beautiful all the time. Native Florida plants can enhance your landscape design with vibrant colors and lush foliage while also providing benefits to the local ecosystem.

When selecting poolside plants, you may want to consider factors such as shade, privacy and, if you have a saltwater pool, salt tolerance. Here are some of our top plant picks for poolside landscaping:

Trees

Trees - especially palm trees - really give a tropical vibe. They also do a great job providing dappled shade and privacy. Palm trees are popular around pools because of their minimal leaf drop, reducing the need to skim debris from your beautiful pool.

Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses add beauty and soft texture to your outdoor space; some, such as muhly grass, even offer color variety. Many ornamental grasses are easy to maintain. They are an excellent choice for poolside landscapes, creating a natural barrier for privacy.

Check out our article on ornamental grasses for more information.

Privacy Screens

Many pool owners are looking for a screen enclosure during the swimming season. While this could be a wall or a fence, it's also possible to use a variety of plants to provide a privacy screen for swimming that enhances the natural beauty of your outdoor space.

A trellis or fence covered in a climbing plant is a great way to add vibrant colors and gorgeous scents to your landscape while also increasing privacy. Bougainvillea, Carolina jessamine and coral honeysuckle are popular choices for Florida backyards.

Bamboo is a quick-growing option. Its tall clumps look striking and add a lot of visual interest to your landscape design. Alphonse Karr bamboo is a good choice for privacy screens.

Salt-Tolerant Plants

If you have a saltwater swimming pool, you may be interested in salt-tolerant plants that can cope with a little splashing. These native Florida flowers will add vibrant color and lush greenery to your poolside landscape:

• Beach sunflower (helianthus debilis) is a cheerful perennial with bright yellow blooms. It looks great in mass plantings or spilling from a container.
• Firewheel (gaillardia pulchella), also known as Indian blanket, is a striking annual with a bold color combination. The center of each flower is bright red and the tips of the petals are yellow.
• Beach verbena (glandularia maritima) is a low-growing perennial with delicate, pink or lavender flowers. It spreads quickly, and so is a good choice for ground cover; it also looks lovely in mass plantings or containers.

Container Gardens

Container plants can be a great choice in pool landscaping. It's possible to place them within the pool enclosure to add bright colors and lush foliage to the area. If they receive one too many splashes, or don't get enough sun inside the screen room, it's easy to move container plants to a different location. Container planting also allows homeowners in Central Florida to grow tropical plants to add to the poolside vibes, as they can be moved indoors during cooler winter weather.

Designing and Installing a Pool Landscape

Designing a new landscape for your outdoor space can be a lot of fun. However, if you find the task daunting, or want help choosing suitable plants for the specific conditions in your own backyard, don't worry! The landscaping experts at LawnMore Gainesville are on hand to help transform your pool landscaping ideas into a vibrant reality. Get in touch with our friendly, local experts for a quote today.