The swimming pool often becomes the focal point of the backyard, but it is just one part of the entire experience. The surrounding landscaping will dictate the way the space looks, how it is used, and the level of privacy. It also determines how the area deals with Florida's heat, rain, and humidity.
A beautiful pool landscape incorporates hardscaping, plants, drainage, lighting, water features, as well as outdoor living, without the individual features being treated as standalone projects. It also considers the evolution of the landscape and the amount of upkeep the property owner desires.
Thinking about getting a new pool or upgrading an old one, these pool landscaping ideas can help you determine what's going to be around your pool and how they will interact with each other.
Key Takeaways: Pool Landscaping Ideas
- Design landscaping projects before the pool is completed.
- Drainage, grading, and irrigation should be addressed prior to new plants and hardscaping.
- Select plants suitable for growing in Florida, for sun and shade, for their size when mature, and how to care for them.
- Enhance the usability of pool areas with hardscaping, privacy planting, lighting, and outdoor living elements.
- A variety of design styles can utilize Florida pools, ranging from tropical planting beds to modern and simple designs.
- Think about the look of the completed pool space and its long-term durability.
Pool Landscaping Design Process
Pool landscaping is often treated as a finishing project after the pool has already been designed. It can create unnecessary complications. The pool shell, deck, and plumbing along with other site elements, must be accommodated during drainage, irrigation, grading, planting, and hardscaping.
It makes installation more efficient and can prevent double work when planning these aspects simultaneously.
Start With the Site and Pool Plans
A landscape designer needs to understand the property before deciding what belongs around the pool. A property survey, site plans, and pool construction plans can help determine available space, as well as the relationship between the pool, home, existing landscaping, utilities and proposed improvements.
Existing electric, gas, irrigation, plumbing, and other lines should also be identified before excavation or major landscape work begins.
The design process at Earth Works includes a meeting at the client's house, determining their use, assessing site conditions, taking photographs, and creating a landscape design based on their priorities. Planting, drainage, irrigation, hardscaping, lighting, water features, and other landscaping elements can be integrated into the plan.
Coordinate Drainage Before Landscaping
Drainage deserves particular attention around a new pool. The installation of a pool and deck creates additional impervious surface, which alters rainwater movement on the site.
So be sure to plan for drainage before you plant your beds, turf, or other decorative items. Depending on the property, channel drains, French drains, swales, or other drainage systems may be the solution.
Roof runoff should also be considered. Downspouts may need to be connected to drainage systems so water is carried away from the house and pool deck rather than concentrated beside them.
Plan Irrigation and Grading
Irrigation systems may require capping, rerouting, or replacement during pool excavation and construction activities. Making these changes before the new landscaping is installed will avoid excess disruption later in the project.
Grading should follow drainage planning, creating the elevations needed for planting beds, turf, walkways, and other landscape features.
Complete Planting and Finishing Work
Major planting and finishing work is generally better completed after pool construction and heavy equipment movement are finished. Existing landscaping can be removed, new beds established, and plants, lighting, water features, and hardscaping installed once the construction phase is largely complete.
Coordinating work between the pool contractor and the landscape designer can also reduce duplicated labor and material costs. Drainage, irrigation, and grading may be easier to coordinate while the pool project is underway.
Earth Works' landscape design process typically takes approximately two to six weeks depending on project complexity and time of year. The company provides pool landscaping separately from pool contracting while maintaining working relationships with pool builders throughout Northeast Florida.
8 Pool Landscaping Ideas for Your Florida Property
Hardscaping & Paving Stones
A pool landscape is shaped by hardscaping. Pavers and other paving materials can create spaces for seating, dining, and entertaining. They can define the pool deck, connect the pool to the house, and make walkways.
The layout matters as much as the material. A large uninterrupted deck can give you a lot of functional decking space, but may make the backyard seem like one solid piece of hard decking. Planting beds, trees, and groundcover around seating areas can help break the flow from the pool to the rest of the property.
For smaller yards, paving can do even more. A pathway can be designed to run from the pool to the house and to divide the pool from a garden or a sitting area.
Because pool decks are exposed to water, sun, foot traffic, and cleaning, materials should be selected with those conditions in mind.
Additional Water Features
A second water feature can be used to establish another interest, or to tie in the pool with the rest of the landscape. A waterfall can create a visual connection between a raised landscape area and the pool. Movement and sound can be achieved from a fountain without taking up a lot of space. A koi pond can be a transitional zone between an active pool zone and a more tranquil garden area.
The size and placement are crucial. A large waterfall right next to a small pool can overwhelm the design. A smaller one further out of the foreground can add a second focal point to the backyard.
When considering a broader pool backyard design, water-feature installations are a natural choice, and Earth Works offers koi ponds, waterfalls, and bubbling fountains.
Outdoor Fireplace or Fire Pit
The pool area does not have to be designed exclusively around swimming. A fire pit or outdoor fireplace can provide another destination for cooler days, evenings, and entertaining.
Don't set the fire feature next to the pool; build a designated area for gathering around it nearby. Paving can help define this space, and planting can separate it from the swimming area without making the backyard feel divided.
Seating, circulation, and the relationship of the fire feature to the house should also be considered in the surrounding landscape. Designing these components together is more effective than installing a fire pit just to fill in any space.
Privacy Hedges
Pools may feel exposed when they are visible from other yards, streets, or homes. Privacy landscaping for a pool can provide cover without a wall or fence closing off the backyard.
Hedges, shrubs, and carefully placed trees can screen out specific viewpoints without surrounding the pool area. The most suitable site depends upon what is being screened.
Plant selection also requires more thought than simply choosing the fastest-growing screen. Mature height and width, pruning requirements, sunlight, root behavior, and debris should all be considered. Heavy leaf or fruit drop immediately beside the pool can also increase cleaning requirements.
Lush Tropical Oasis Design
A lush tropical pool landscape can take advantage of Florida's climate and create a layered planting scheme around the swimming area.
Taller plants can be used as background screening, medium plants can create a planting bed, and low plants can help to break up pathways and hardscape. This is especially effective if privacy or closer integration between the pool and garden is the objective.
But just because a plant looks tropical doesn't mean it should be by the pool. Plants should be chosen based on site conditions in Northeast Florida, such as light, soil, drainage, mature size, and maintenance requirements.
Modern Desert Design
A modern desert-inspired landscape can provide a clean alternative to a densely planted Florida backyard. Here, "desert" is better understood as a design aesthetic rather than an attempt to recreate an arid landscape.
The look can rely on strong geometric lines, stone, gravel-style textures, sculptural plants, and restrained planting. That makes it a natural match for contemporary architecture and pools with simple shapes.
The important distinction is plant selection. A desert-inspired appearance does not mean using plants poorly suited to Jacksonville's climate. Instead, the visual characteristics can be adapted using plants and materials appropriate for local conditions.
Minimalist Design
Minimalist pool landscaping is based on restraint. There must be a clear purpose for each element.
A clean and structured yard can be achieved with a mix of paving, lawn, bedded plants, and a few specimen plants. Repeating materials or plant forms can also create a sense of cohesiveness in a smaller property.
The style may work for homeowners who prefer low-maintenance pool landscaping, especially if the landscaping avoids complex planting beds and hard-to-reach areas.
Minimalism still requires planning. With fewer elements, sightlines, proportions, transitions between materials, and mature plant sizes become more noticeable.
Asian Fusion Design
An Asian fusion pool landscape can combine water, stone, planting, pathways, and carefully controlled views to create a more tranquil setting.
The concept does not need to reproduce a traditional garden. A koi pond or small water feature may form a focal point, while a simple path, stones, and a well-proportioned mass of greenery may link the pool to a garden beyond.
This style is a great choice when a homeowner desires the pool to be tied into a larger landscape rather than sitting in the middle of an open lawn.
Earth Works has experience with water gardens and koi pond projects, including poolside water-feature installations, so an Asian-inspired design can build on the company's existing approach to integrating water and landscaping.
Designing Around the Pool, Not Just Beside It
The best approach to backyard pool landscaping is to think of the whole area and not pick individual features.
Think about how people enter the pool area, how wet feet will move, where chairs and tables will be placed, where privacy is needed, and how much sun various areas will receive. These questions affect everything from planting beds to walkways.
Drainage should remain part of that conversation. A beautiful pool deck will not perform well if rainwater repeatedly collects along its edge. Plants can also become difficult to maintain if they are installed where irrigation, pruning, or access is difficult.
Lighting can connect the landscape after dark while helping define paths, seating areas, planting beds, and selected architectural or water features.
For small pool landscaping ideas, every element needs to earn its place. A narrow planting bed might provide privacy, a pathway can connect multiple areas, and a compact water feature can create a focal point without consuming most of the yard.
Which Landscaping Ideas & Designs Catch Your Eye?
There is no single formula for landscaping around a swimming pool. One Jacksonville property may benefit from lush planting and privacy screening. Another one may call for clean paving, restrained planting, a fire pit, or a water feature that connects the pool to the surrounding garden.
The important part is developing these elements as one landscape plan. The pool should be complemented by drainage, irrigation, grading, hardscaping, planting, lighting, and outdoor living features, rather than having them added on their own.
Earth Works offers landscape design and installation services, hardscaping, drainage, landscape lighting, fire pits, water features, lawn services, and other outdoor services in Northeast Florida. A landscaping consultation can aid in determining concepts suitable for the property layout, current situation, maintenance requirements, and uses.
Ready to plan your pool landscape? Contact Earth Works to schedule a landscaping consultation and discuss your property, priorities, and design ideas.
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