Pool landscaping design and ideas

Landscaping and designing your pool area requires a lot of thought. There are a lot of things to consider like leaves and other debris that may fall into the pool, aggressive root systems that may cause damage to the structure of your pool, privacy, and, of course, it all has to be aesthetically pleasing.

PoolSense will take care of your pool water but how do you go about planning your pool area then? Consider the following before you start.

What are the best plants to put around your pool?

When choosing the right plants for your backyard pool area, the key is to find something that is low maintenance, won’t drop leaves in your pool, has a non-aggressive root system, and is tough enough to withstand being splashed with chlorinated water.

TIP: Stay away from plants that attract bees like Lavender, Blue Borage, Abelia (Bee Bush), Crocus, Lilac, Fox Gloves, Monarda, and Chives.

Here are our top 7 plants:

Banana Tree (Musa), they have a tropical look and provide great privacy.
Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae). They don’t shed and are strong enough to tolerate splashing.
Zebra Grass (Miscanthus Sinensis ‘Zebrinus’) is lush and easy to care for.
Agave, Aloe and Yucca are low maintenance and love full sun. As a bonus, the aloe flowers attract beautiful hummingbirds.
Small Palms and cycads are easy to care for and creates a tropical paradise look around your pool.
Succulents. For a modern look, try shed-free low maintenance succulents.
For something that provides a bit more shade, consider Wild Olive or Cape Ash trees.

Landscaping with rocks

You can cover a lot of ground with natural or artificial rock around your pool. Natural rock may sound appealing but there a lot of challenges to consider like hauling it into your backyard and having it look like it belongs there. Artificial rock is gaining popularity because it is much easier to work with and can be customized to the exact space you have available and made to look realistic. Artificial rock has improved so much in the last few years that is barely distinguishable from its real counterpart. You can easily and quite inexpensively create a cascade or waterfall feature with artificial rock or just build an interesting boundary around the side of your pool.

Pool Landscaping ideas for privacy

Privacy around your pool area is one of the biggest considerations for most people when designing your garden. There are a number of ways to create a beautiful private pool area without breaking the bank.

Here are our suggestions:

Hedges works like a charm and is fairly inexpensive. Have a look at the 10 best plants for hedging.
Fences, like bamboo, rolled fencing is low maintenance and easy to erect.
Trees provide a natural and self-sustaining barrier.
Pergolas can provide beautiful shade for seating around the pool while providing some privacy.
Retractable canopies and enclosures are also a great way to have privacy but keep some flexibility.
Sails are also quite inexpensive but keep in mind that they don’t last forever when exposed to the elements outside.
Trellis fencing and screens are a great way to turn your backyard into a secluded paradise.

Pool design ideas

Start by planning the layout of the area in detail, this step is invaluable as you are able to carefully plan your budget and create the overall best result that really ties your backyard together. Little touches of the right lighting can often make a big difference to the overall ambience of your poolside dream and they won’t break the bank. Here are some elements to consider when planning your perfect pool:

Add seating around your pool. This gives a relaxed, holiday-feel to your pool and somewhere for you to enjoy those delicious mojitos after a dip in the pool.
Go black. Dark bottom pools are very trendy right now, consider black, dark blue, or grey for a very modern look.
Build a rock waterfall or cascade for a natural rock pool effect.
Install ambient lighting. Don’t skip this one, a little goes a long way.
Install a wooden deck around your pool. Practical and elegant, a wooden deck around your pool is a surefire way to upscale your backyard.
Build a poolside fire pit. Who doesn’t love a fire pit?
Add a pool blubber. A blubber is essentially a small fountain in your pool and it is a great sound blocker for noisy streets or neighbours.
Add in-pool furniture, from barstools to side tables, in-pool furniture will turn your pool into your very own island resort.
Use transparent tempered glass wall fence. An upmarket alternative to a fence around your pool, tempered glass is classy and safe.
Add potted plants for easy maintenance and flexibility.

Now that’s a lot to think about, but before you grab your pencil to start planning, there’s one more thing you need to budget for. The water in your pool has to be sparkling blue and crystal clear all year round or you’ll end up with a green swamp rather than a peaceful, calming retreat in your backyard. To keep your pool in pristine condition plan for a smart pool sensor like the one from PoolSense. It measures the water quality 24/7 and sends the readings to an app on your smartphone. It could not be easier. The app will even tell you when you need to take action to prevent any problems.

Hopefully, we’ve given you lots of inspiration to turn your backyard into the sophisticated swimming pool sensation that you’ve been dreaming of. For more information on swimming pool maintenance visit our website.

PoolSense also available from

PoolSense will be available in more stores very soon and those links will be added to the list below.