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A backyard pool can be an exciting new addition to your home – it officially makes your place the “fun house” on the block, and friends and neighbors near and far will be knocking on your door to spend hours lounging poolside. However, if you have unsightly landscaping surrounding your pool’s perimeter, you may find yourself more than a little bit embarrassed when swimmers start calling.
Luckily, if you follow a few simple landscaping tips, the result will be a nice, clean-looking pool area you can be proud of – which means you will be able to keep your “fun house” status for many summers to come.
Trim the Trees
If while planning, your pool landscaping starts with a blank canvas of earth, remember to steer clear of trees. The overhang from the branches blocks sunlight when they mature. In addition, leaves, pollen, flowers, and other annoyances will repeatedly fall into the pool and cause you to spend endless afternoons on your tiptoes with a skimmer.
If you must plant trees, pick species such as forsythia or maple – these will lose leaves at one time in the fall and make for much easier cleanup.
If you already have existing trees in your yard, keep the leaves and limbs trimmed back as much as possible without damaging the tree in the process. This way, you can enjoy the shade of the tree without being bothered by low-hanging limbs during your swim. This also keeps the area safe and clean for children and guests.
Low-Maintenance Plants and Shrubs
While planning your poolside landscape, opt for plants that require as little upkeep as possible. At your local nursery, ask about shrubs that don’t need constant pruning to remain visually appealing. It’s also important to select a plant or shrub that will not grow out of control, so choose foliage with a modest rate of growth.
If your pool area has access to loads of sunlight, choose plants and flowers that respond well to sunlight. This will brighten up your yard. Don’t pick delicate flowers that are unable to stand up to roughhousing in the pool.
Distance from the Pool Area
Although some species of plants, shrubs, and flowers are harder than others, you should still strive to keep your backyard landscaping a safe distance from potentially harmful pool water. Repeat exposure to the chlorinated water could eventually kill off your plants. Many people choose to install a concrete walkway around the perimeter of the entire pool area to protect plants against splashing.
Simple solutions for backyard landscaping around pools will keep your yard vibrant and welcoming for friends and neighbors for years to come. The key to landscaping around a pool is to make the pool itself the focal point – the landscaping should be inviting enough to make people want to jump in!
