Top Ideas for Incorporating Lush Greenery Around Your Pool

You have the innovative pool design, the cozy lounging spaces, and the cool, sparkling water, but it takes landscaping to complete your backyard oasis. No matter the size of your backyard pool, the right plants and other landscaping elements can take your pool to the next level. However, custom pool designs deserve thoughtful landscaping.

Finding plants that can thrive in a poolside environment is only the beginning. To make custom pool designs truly shine, it’s essential to incorporate greenery that can emphasize a design theme, improve function, and even make maintenance easier.

What to Consider When Bringing Your Swimming Pool Landscaping Ideas to Life

Before implementing your pool landscaping ideas, it’s important to understand how your pool and the surrounding landscaping interact. A swimming pool changes the microclimate in any yard. This is because reflective water increases the amount of sunlight plants receive and can change humidity and heat levels. With that in mind, take a closer look at some of the factors to consider when making a landscape plan.

Wind

Strong winds affect your pool and the plants around it. Too much wind can cause extra water evaporation, which not only depletes the pool but also increases humidity levels in the immediate area.

A windbreak of trees and tall shrubs helps protect against strong winds. It also creates more privacy, minimizes water loss from evaporation, and safeguards less hardy plants.

Heat Reflection

It’s not just the glass-like surface of the water that reflects heat. The tiles, concrete, decking, and other materials used around the swimming pool also absorb, retain, and reflect heat into the immediate atmosphere.

Plants that thrive in a different area of the yard may not do as well when planted close to a swimming pool because of the additional heat exposure.

Humidity Levels

Tampa is already a humid area, which can be great for growing tropical plants. A backyard pool may increase humidity, a fact that must be considered when selecting landscaping plants. Ferns, palms, and other moisture-loving plants are ideal for most residential swimming pools in the Tampa area.

Sunlight

Florida is known for its sunshine, but neighboring trees, nearby buildings, and the way your home is situated can all affect how much light your yard actually gets. The reflective surface of a swimming pool can help brighten a dark corner of your yard, but choosing plants that can thrive in your light conditions is still important.

How Adding Lush Greenery Increases the Functionality of Your Backyard Space

Landscaping can not only make your backyard pool more attractive but also more functional, from creating zones to hiding light fixtures.

Use Zones to Create a Cozy Area

Outdoor living is more popular than ever, and to embrace the trend, you need more than a swimming pool. Consider dividing your backyard space into “zones” to create more private spaces for lounge areas, pathways, and dining spaces.

Outdoor kitchens are a versatile option, and landscaping is the key to turning one large open yard into several more private and usable areas.

Use Potting Containers for Low-Maintenance Gardens

If there’s not a lot of available growing space around your pool, use potting containers to incorporate color, height, and texture into your pool landscape. Most plants can be successfully grown in potting containers with no digging required.

Create Privacy With Planting Greenery

Does the neighbor’s balcony overlook your backyard pool? Maybe you live in a new development without mature trees to prevent passersby from peeking into your backyard. In either scenario, adding plants and greenery can help you increase the privacy in your yard while also adding to its natural beauty.

Hide Lighting Fixtures

Lighting is essential for making your pool area safe and usable in the evening. Landscape plants can attractively conceal safety lights and create charming light features that further enhance your backyard.

Balancing Lanscaping Elements with Your Custom Pool Designs

Swimming pools require a lot of hard surfaces. For safety’s sake, a pool should be surrounded by slip-resistant decking. Special pool features like scuppers and bubblers may increase the amount of hardscaping around the pool.

But all this tile and concrete can leave your backyard looking cold and uninviting — and that’s where landscaping comes in. Colorful flowers, swaying ornamental grasses, and lush greenery work together to soften the hard materials and create a more welcoming atmosphere.

Place plants around the hard edges of pathways to soften the lines. Keep in mind that the planets closest to the pool or pathways should be touchable. Avoid cactus, prickly plants, or plants that are too delicate to survive the occasional child running off the path.

When hard materials and plants are used together, the result is a beautiful balance that can make your pool look like the oasis you were hoping for.

Landscape Maintenance

No one wants to spend hours removing leaves from the pool or trimming landscape plants to keep them neat. When you select the right plants and provide them with basic care, you won’t have to dedicate too much time to maintenance. Keep these basics in mind for lush poolside landscapes:

• Prune overgrown branches and dead foliage to prevent debris from clogging pool filters
• Provide proper irrigation, such as a drip system, that won’t create runoff into the pool
• Select plants that can thrive in your conditions
• Mulch to retain moisture and lower maintenance needs
• Monitor pool chemicals and avoid over-spraying while cleaning the pool
• Fertilize plants regularly with a balanced fertilizer
• Keep landscaping tidy and remove debris regularly
• Control pests with natural products that won’t compromise water safety

These tips will not only help minimize landscaping maintenance and costs, but they can also help you create a relaxing and beautiful pool atmosphere for the whole family to enjoy.

Discuss Custom Pool Design with Tampa Bay Pools

Landscaping fulfills many important functions for your backyard swimming pool. The right plants can increase privacy, create cozy zones for lounging or cooking, and provide a convenient way to hide lighting or other necessary fixtures.

Contact Tampa Bay Pools today to learn more about designing your custom residential swimming pool.