If you have a pool, it’s safe to say that it’s pretty much the main attraction in your backyard–but that doesn’t have to mean that you can’t spruce it up with some amazing landscaping, too. In fact, poolside landscaping can transform your pool from a summertime convenience to a focal point of your property where countless hours are spent hosting, relaxing, and entertaining. The good news: the possibilities for poolside landscaping are pretty much endless. Whether you want you pool to be party central or a haven that feels like it was transported from halfway across the world, it’s entirely doable with the right touches. Today, we’re going over just a few of our favorite poolside landscaping features. Keep in mind that most of these can be combined (or added onto ideas that aren’t even listed here) in order to create the exact atmosphere you want in your pool area. Let’s take a closer look!
Full Pavers
This includes:
Full pavers are straightforward, easy to customize, and a solid foundation for any future changes to your property. We recommend choosing a material that’s long-lasting, versatile in color, and as slip-resistant as possible.
Hedges
Flower Beds
Flower beds are another fantastic way to breathe new life into your poolside spaces, making them feel much more connected to nature without sacrificing a lot of time or money. You can go with in-ground flower beds that blend seamlessly into your lawn, or you can opt to install raised beds over your pavers or grass in order to make installation as simple as possible. If you do go with flower beds, be sure to pick long-lasting, tropical blooms that thrive in warm, humid weather so that you don’t have to worry about whether or not your flowers will make it through the difficult Florida summer.
Paver Pathways
Pavers don’t have to be the name of the game for your entire poolside area; in fact, they can make a huge statement if used as accent pieces. Some homeowners opt to surround their pool with pavers, but install grass outside of the pool’s immediate vicinity, then create pathways with those same pavers. Other homeowners opt for artificial grass, as it’s much lower maintenance, and accent it with beautiful square pavers that lead directly to the poolside. If you want your pool to feel more like a natural pond or stream than a man-made structure, incorporating paver accents into your spaces is a great compromise between practicality and organic design.
Lush, Tropical Plants
If there’s one thing that absolutely thrives in Florida’s notorious humidity, it’s a tropical plant (or even a yard full of them). If relaxation is what you’re after, what’s better than turning your pool area into a tropical oasis? From palm trees to bamboo, yucca plants, banana trees, birds of paradise, and hibiscus plants (to name just a few), there are so many gorgeous options for making your poolside space feel as relaxing and serene as possible while keeping Florida’s demanding climate in mind.
Waterfalls and Fountains
Who says that your pool has to be the only body of water on your property? In fact, you can make your pool feel more integrated into your landscaping design by surrounding it with other water structures, including fountains, bird baths, and waterfalls. These water structures can really elevate your space and make a statement about your personal style–especially when they’re combined with other elements, like tropical plants or paver accents.
Location-inspired Design
Florida has so much to offer, from gorgeous beaches to amazing year-round weather. You can choose to pay homage to the sunshine state by decorating your poolside area with native plants, classic Florida-inspired colors (you can never go wrong with salmon and turquoise), or even art-deco inspired decor.
With that said, you can also use your poolside as an opportunity to be transported into a different location. Maybe, with marble pavers and ornate water fountains, your pool area can emulate Tuscany–or well-placed touches of bamboo and architectural structures might evoke a serene East Asian landscape. If you’d like to feel like vacation is only a backyard away, definitely consider making your poolside landscaping choices based on a much-loved international destination.
Tiered Terrace
Speaking of making a statement in your poolside landscaping: nothing can transport you more easily into a “vacation” state of mind (or transform the overall look and feel of your property) than a tiered terrace full of gorgeous plants (and maybe even a waterfall). If you’re not crazy about the views from your pool area (maybe they go into a neighbor’s backyard or an unsightly fence), strategically blocking it with a well-designed tier of pavers, plants, and structures is a fantastic way to make the best of your space and give yourself a view to remember.
