How to Maximise Your Recreation With Pool Landscaping

Having access to a pool in your own backyard is a wonderful asset, particularly in the warmer months when having a cool down opportunity just steps away can be absolutely crucial. At-home pool facilities can be expensive to build and maintain, so it makes sense to plan ahead to get the most out of your investment.

One way you can get the maximum use out of your pool is to beautify the surrounding area. Investing in swimming pool landscaping ensures that you have a lovely place to get away from the stress of everyday life—even more, it allows you to enjoy the aesthetics of your swimming pool space even when you lack the time for a swim.

What is swimming pool landscaping?

Landscaping itself is defined as “the process of making a yard or other piece of land more attractive by altering the existing design”. In other words, decorating your yard in essentially any way can count as landscaping.

Like landscaping the rest of your yard, pool landscaping can be flexible to match your own wishes, needs, and of course, your budget. There are two main types of landscaping, known as hardscaping and softscaping. Hardscaping involves adding man-made features to your backyard, while softscaping deals with the addition and grooming of plants. These two types of landscaping serve different purposes.

Hardscaping in backyard design

Hardscaping can completely transform your backyard or swimming pool space. For example, the addition of a patio creates the perfect scene for a backyard barbecue with family and friends, a spot for a morning time coffee with the perfect view, or simply a great place to change out of wet clothes when leaving your pool free of wet spots. Likewise, paths, walkways, and stairs can be added throughout your backyard to help you achieve that perfect getaway in the comfort of your own property. Hardscaping is a great investment for your backyard or pool area because it will stay there for years to come without the added stress of regular maintenance.

Softscaping in backyard design

While hardscape generally involves hard concrete elements of landscaping, softscape involves the horticultural aspects of your backyard. The addition of flowers, trees, shrubs, and more creates a pristine garden atmosphere around your backyard or pool area, so you’ll never want for something beautiful to look at. By carefully choosing the plants that you include in your landscape, you can create a tropical atmosphere around your pool so that you constantly feel as though you are floating in paradise.

While softscape is a gorgeous addition to your backyard and pool area, there are a few things to be aware of before investing in horticulture. Softscape can require far more work on the owner’s part. Weeding, mowing, trimming, and watering are just a few activities that accompany having a lush garden, so be aware that you may be looking at hours of work maintaining your scenic view, or the possibility of having to pay someone to do it for you. Nevertheless, if funds and time are not an issue, having softscape in your yard will create a breathtaking view, and if that’s something that sounds good to you, it may be worth the investment.

Why should you consider pool landscaping?

Pool landscaping is a worthwhile investment to help you get as much use and enjoyment out of your pool as possible. There benefits of pool landscaping are virtually limitless. If you’re looking for pool and backyard ideas and wondering whether pool landscaping might be the right answer, here are just a few ways in which your backyard is likely to benefit.

1. Atmosphere

A major benefit of landscaping is beautification. Beautifying your yard will help you to create an atmosphere that makes you want to spend time outside. This atmosphere can be tailored to your wishes, whether you want to feel as though you are swimming in a tropical oasis or strolling through a traditional garden setting. Beautifying your backyard will help create this atmosphere so you can enjoy every single moment you spend in your backyard or pool area.

2. Shade

Another benefit of landscaping that may not be considered as frequently is shade. Under the hot Melbourne sun, a swimming pool is basically an essential if you are to enjoy the warmer months. Sometimes, though, even the cool water is not enough to make spending the afternoon outside bearable. Adding trees to your backyard can help to create shaded areas near your pool so that a cool, refreshing area is always within reach. Creating shady areas helps you get the most out of you swimming pool investment because you’re far more likely to use your pool all summer long if you can occasionally duck out of the sun.

3. Privacy

One of the biggest benefits of pool landscaping and landscaping around your backyard in general is the added privacy that comes with the addition of structures and foliage. For many pool owners, one of the most important reasons to have a pool is that you do not ever have to share it with neighbours if you don’t choose to. The pool is for you and your invited guests, and you can enjoy privacy as you float through the water in your own private space. However, if you live in a neighbourhood in which homes are close to one another (as many Australians do), any dreams of having privacy in the pool can easily be swept out the window. Adding landscaping can help to remedy this. Whether you plant trees to act as a tall fence between you and your neighbours’ windows, or add a hardscape cover to eliminate any overlooks, landscaping helps to preserve your privacy so that you can relax without having to worry about prying eyes.

4. Centring your pool

Because building a pool can be such a huge investment of time and money, it is incredibly important to make the most of it in every way possible. While having a pool is, of course, a great way to cool off and have fun in the sun, a well-designed pool can also be a gorgeous decoration for your yard. Adding landscaping to your yard can be a creative way to frame your pool so that the glistening blue water is surrounded by plants, gazebos, and other decorations of your choosing. This creates a central focal point for your backyard, substantially increasing the aesthetic and monetary value of your property.

What should I take into consideration before I invest in pool landscaping?

Before you start scheduling appointments with pool landscaping professionals, you should take time to consider a few things. We recommend mulling over your personal tastes and tolerance levels in the following areas before beginning your pool landscaping project.

1. Clarify your vision

It is important to have a clear vision in your mind of what you’re hoping to achieve with your landscaping. Choosing different hardscape or softscape options can completely change the atmosphere of your pool area, so you want to make sure that the landscaping you are choosing fits the vision in your head. This will help make sure your pool landscaping project comes together seamlessly in the end. If you are not completely sure what you’re looking for, that’s okay! Start by researching options so you know what’s available, then feel free to contact a landscaping professional or a property designer for assistance with figuring out how to bring your ideas together into one cohesive, achievable vision.

2. Consider maintenance levels

Some plants are more difficult to maintain than others, so it is important to consider what level of commitment you are willing to make when maintaining your yard. Do you have plenty of free time? Do you enjoy gardening? If not, do you have the funds available to hire someone else who can manage it all for you? If the answer to all of the above is no, then you will want to be sure that you are choosing low-maintenance plants. You may even consider looking into hardscape over softscape so that there is less maintenance required.

3. Qualities of your plants

Not all plants are created equal! Be sure to do your research to learn what you need to expect from certain horticultural elements. These are a few things you should consider looking out for.

Shedding: Plants that bear fruit or have flowers will make for gorgeous decorations in your yard, but they may create a mess and require more of a time commitment. Stray flowers, needles, or fruits may fall and land in your pool, meaning that the time you spend cleaning the water can skyrocket. Their beauty may still be worth it, but ensure that you are ready to invest time in cleaning or money for someone else to do it.

Needles: Some plants that go perfectly with a pool setting may come with prickly little needles that fall from their branches and litter your yard. This can be especially troublesome when these needles fall in or near the pool. When making decisions on landscaping, be sure to consider that plants with needles may interfere with your relaxing environment, so it may be wiser to take an alternate route.

Invasive Roots: The last thing you need is for the plants you choose in the hopes of creating a relaxing environment around your pool to end up causing damage. For this reason, it is important to consider that some plants and trees may have roots which extend out over time, and these roots can lead to damage to your pool. The roots might also cause damage to the pool’s plumbing and filtration systems. To help prevent this, steer clear of oak trees, elm trees, and ficus.

Durability: Investing in your landscape can be costly both in terms of finances and time, and while it is completely worth it for the effect you will create, you will want to make sure that your investment lasts. For this reason, it is important to choose plants which thrive well in the local climate. Choosing to incorporate native plants will help to make sure that you aren’t having to replant every year, saving you both time and money.

Size: When picking out the perfect plants, size is something you should keep in mind. After all, pool landscaping ideas for small backyards will vary drastically from the pool landscaping options that apply to a larger space. When considering the size of plants as they relate to your small backyard, you will want to take into consideration not just what the plant looks like in store, but also what the plant could potentially grow to be. Perhaps the plant fits the store’s smallest pot, but when brought to your poolside, it may fan out over the years and take up much more room than you bargained for. Before choosing plants, consider getting advice from a local gardener on what will work best in your yard.

Bees: While we love our local honey bees, you may not want to worry about potential stings while lounging around the poolside, particularly when children or allergies are part of the conversation. Be sure to do some research about whether the plants you are considering are likely to attract bees, and then decide whether those bees will cause an annoyance for you such that it would be better to steer clear of bee-attracting plants.

Is investing in pool landscaping worth it?

Landscaping your yard is an investment of time and money that absolutely pays off in the end. Landscaping allows you to turn your pool into a luxurious private oasis. One of the greatest things about landscaping is its flexibility—you do not have to spend your life’s savings on it, but can instead tailor your project to fit whatever budget you decide is appropriate. Landscaping your yard will help to bring your pool into the limelight and ensure that you can get maximum usage out of your space.

For more pool and backyard ideas, feel free to give us a call! We’d love to connect with you to figure out how to turn your backyard space into an area you’ll love and enjoy for years to come.