Key Takeaways
- Use a combination of planters and tropical plants for an inviting and exotic poolside ambiance.
- Privacy can be enhanced through the strategic use of hedges and fences, which also contribute to the overall aesthetics.
- Incorporating features like pergolas and ample seating creates functional and relaxing poolside spaces.
Pool landscaping ideas don’t have to be expensive or difficult. A low-maintenance flower bed, a DIY accent wall, or some budget-friendly planters can transform a blah space into an inviting oasis. Dive in to see refreshing ideas for privacy, the use of color, and the creation of intimate spaces.
Go All-In with Planters
Nathan Schroder
A well-designed planter with cascading foliage and flowers is a simple and budget-friendly way to add a touch of flare. Follow the professional design advice of using a thriller, a filler, and a spiller. Keep flowers monochromatic for a simple palette, or add lots of color for a bolder style. For a polished look, choose a container material that complements your pool deck. Consider sunny or shady locations and match plant needs, including sun, soil, fertilizer, and water, to help them flourish.
Include Tropical Plants
Annie Schlechter
One of the easiest tropical pool landscaping ideas is to use a few palms, bird-of-paradise, caladiums, and other large-leaf plants in containers around your space. It’s a great way for people in more northern climates–where those plants can’t survive the winter–to get that island look around the pool. Remember to bring them in before the autumn frosts arrive. For larger plants, consider planters on wheels to make them easier to transport at the end of the season.
Grow Hedges for Privacy
Victoria Pearson
If you’re looking for pool landscaping ideas for privacy, a strategically placed hedge could be the answer. Broadleaf evergreens like boxwood are a traditional choice for creating a dense wall of greenery around an area. But lilacs, azaleas, rhododendrons, and holly also make great privacy hedges. Start with the area you’d most like to screen or block from view, like the street or a neighboring house. If your pool season is year-round, choose hedge plants that are evergreen in your climate.
Brighten Up with Plenty of Color
KINDRA CLINEFF
A bit of color breaks up ho-hum straight lines and brightens up your outdoor space. For example, the purple salvia and orange dahlias shown here make a dynamic pair with their season-long blooms. Have fun playing with the color palette. Choose a theme or contrast two colors for a bold statement. Other gorgeous flower color combinations include red and purple, blue and white, and yellow and pink—but in nature, all colors look beautiful together!
Show Off the View
KELLER KELLER
If you’re lucky enough to have a view from your pool, maximize it. Use landscaping like hedges, fencing, and trees to frame the view so it commands attention. Adjust shorter and taller plantings to draw the eye. Choose low-maintenance plants and let the view do all the work while you enjoy a relaxing swim.
Rock Out in the Garden
Ed Gohlich
Pool landscaping ideas that include rocks can create a more natural atmosphere around the water. For example, adding large rocks and boulders to a poolside garden bed in this highly stylized garden brings the feel of the mountains in the distance into this backyard, and the stacked stone pool surround adds more rocks to the design. Match the size of stones to the scale of the beds and other landscaping; small rocks in a large bed with tall plants will get lost.
Embrace Curvy Spaces
Tria Giovan
Break up a formal look by using natural-edge pavers like the ones bordering this backyard pool. The curving lines and random shapes soften the pool’s hard edges and blend well with the less regimented gardens to either side. Choose light colors to avoid hot stones under bare feet.
Create a Focal Point
Ed Gohlich
Large planters can become a focal point near pool entrances or seating areas. Fill tall containers with lush plantings near seating to create inviting spaces like this patio. These oversized planters are an inexpensive and easy way to bring color and interest to this outdoor space and work to create a secluded seating area for lounging. Adding shade from an umbrella over the chairs reinforces the message to sit and relax by the pool, while the sound of the fountain provides a soothing ambiance.
Enjoy Ornamental Grasses
Rob Cardillo
Free-flowing ornamental grasses are an excellent choice for lush yet low-maintenance pool landscaping. Here, they blend with an irregular pool edge to create a natural look. Plant them on the perimeter and allow them to arch over the water to enhance the effect. For more impact, choose taller grasses that will sway gently with a breeze. Varieties of ornamental grasses include blue fescue, switchgrass, and tufted hair grass.
Take Cover Under a Pergola
Edmund Barr
An arbor or pergola can create a shady spot for seating, allowing adults to relax while being close to the pool to keep an eye on play. Locate it near enough to the water that guests in the seating area can still interact with those taking a cooling dip in the pool. Create an outdoor room by incorporating lighting, an outdoor rug, plenty of comfortable chairs, and a big sofa for midafternoon napping.
Relax Into Pool Landscaping Ideas
Bob Stefko
Freeform pool shapes are perfect for informal planting accents. To keep the look low-key, place plants in patches or scatter them randomly—avoid rows or matching flowers in every pot to enhance the unplanned aesthetic. Vary the height and choose varieties that flower at different times of the season, providing continuous color and interest.
Match Color Palettes
Ed Gohlich
Match the color palette of your pool with your landscaping for a cohesive look. Here, the white flowers echo the stucco on the house and the seating cushions. Annuals are available in almost any color and are a great way to bring the hues of your patio, furniture, and pool out into the surroundings. Set up an irrigation system with a drip line to keep them watered, saving time and hassle. They’ll look great all summer, and you can spend more time relaxing.
Let it Flow
Matthew Benson
A simple pool landscaping idea is to include plants with cascading stems to evoke the look of waterfalls. For example, the flowing foliage of sweet potato vines in this container softens the hard lines of the pool’s shape while adding a vibrant lime-green color to the space. The upright canna with it resembles a fountain, and its darker leaves make a pleasing contrast with the vine.
Group Plants for Impact
Rob Cardillo
When considering pool landscaping ideas, keep in mind that items grouped together draw more attention than they would when spread out. Chairs placed in proximity create a place to gather for conversation. Planters in clusters provide as much welcoming lushness as a garden bed. Both the seating and the containers are more impactful when placed closely than if they were scattered across the entire pool deck. The bright blue of the planters juxtaposes the bold orange on the overhang and the seating, while lime green adds even more brightness and echoes the foliage for a colorful, summery atmosphere.
Install a Living Fence
Bob Stefko
When you need pool landscaping ideas for privacy, a tall fence is hard to beat. But a fence can look drab and uninviting. Plant tall evergreen trees in front of the privacy fence for a more natural, welcoming look. A closely spaced evergreen hedge can be an excellent option if your local ordinances won’t allow a fence or wall.
Tuck in Trees
Jean Allsopp
Trees are an integral part of the landscape, but they can be a problem near a pool. Locate them far enough away that any leaves, cones, fruit, or seeds land safely out of the pool. Surrounding the trees with a natural mulched bed will keep the look clean and avoid constant sweeping or stains on the concrete.
DIY an Accent Wall
David Tsay
Adding a wood accent is a DIY pool landscaping idea that completely changes the look of this concrete block retaining wall. Rather than making the concrete look unappealing, the wood adds a dynamic contrast that takes it from drab to unique. The warm tones blend with the foliage to create a more natural and relaxing atmosphere. Remember to choose a finish rated for outdoor use. These horizontal boards flow with the long axis of the pool to create symmetry, which is repeated on the exterior tile finish that surrounds it.
Reflect the Surroundings
Winona Barton-Ballentine
Consider different times of day and multiple uses for your pool landscaping ideas. This private nook with a seat is the perfect spot to enjoy a peaceful outdoor breakfast. The colorful garden border is reflected on the surface when the pool is calm early in the day, enhancing the effect of being surrounded by flowers and greenery.
Skip the Lawn
John Bessler
Landscaping gravel is an excellent pool landscaping idea to keep the area around an in-ground or above-ground pool clean and grass clippings out of the pool. Opt for pebbles over crushed rock, and choose a light, neutral color that better hides messy materials like leaves and small sticks. A light color is also easier to walk on with bare feet.
Provide Plenty of Seating
Carmel Brantley
In a big backyard, minimal landscaping and ample seating areas are a low-maintenance way to fill the space around your pool. Arrange seating on opposite sides of the pool to take advantage of the sun (or shade) as the day progresses. Locate seating according to its most likely use—tables near the grill and loungers in the sun. When the season ends, put away patio furniture or cover it to prevent winter weather from damaging it.
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