A beautiful pool can elevate a backyard. But a backyard pool is only as good as its surrounding landscape design. An unkept landscape can be both an eyesore and a nuisance for your backyard adventures.
Fortunately, a clean, low-maintenance landscape that’s easy on the eyes can enhance the overall aesthetic and functionality of your outdoor pool. So, what are some of the best low-maintenance pool landscaping design features and ideas?
If you’re looking for the answer to this question, you’ve come to the right place. From outdoor structures to custom-built fiberglass pools, our construction and landscaping team will highlight some of the cleanest features and designs that you can install near your pool to help transform the aesthetic of your backyard without expensive investments and long hours of maintenance.
We’ll discuss:
- Our seven favorite low-maintenance pool landscaping design features built for durability and ease
- Tips on pool and home care
- Who to turn to if you need help or support
Our preferred low-maintenance pool landscaping design ideas
| 1. Tidy up your current yard 2. Low-maintenance plants (like ornamental grasses, evergreen trees and shrubs, and potted plants) 3. Adding gravel to enhance the stonework around your backyard (like paving stones, stone pathways, and texture-rich rock gardens) 4. Install a pool shed near your pool 5. Build an outdoor shower 6. Consider fire features 7. Install living fences for added privacy |
1. Tidy up your current yard
While this first suggestion is less luxurious, it’s worth noting. If your yard is unkempt, all you may need is a bit of tidying to improve the aesthetics of your backyard.
A few ways to tidy up a backyard pool area include:
- Keeping your yard and garden beds trimmed.
- Weeding the area around the pool
- Discarding dead plants that have overstayed their welcome in your outdoor space
Sometimes, a little tidying up is all that’s needed. But if you’ve already tidied up, you may want to try the below-mentioned options.
2. Low maintenance plants
Low-maintenance pool landscapes thrive when plants and flora are used to help highlight pools at the center of the space. When selecting plants to place near your pool, we recommend considering the following factors:
- The types of plant species you’d like
- Where the plant species are located
- Whether the plants will need frequent trimmings
- Whether the plants will affect how often you need to clean your pool
Examples of low-maintenance plants include:
- Ornamental grasses: These plants thrive in soil conditions, are drought-tolerant, and need very little attention once they’re established. Northwind Switchgrass, Little Bluestem, and Feather Reed Grass are just a few samples of ornamental grasses. With the right breeze, these grasses can create a relaxing and calming atmosphere for swimmers.
- Evergreen trees and shrubs: These plants provide greenery throughout the year. No seasonal replanting needed. They’re ideal for creating privacy and sound barriers between different sections of your backyard and pool. They produce less debris than other types of trees. Overall, evergreen trees require less maintenance, can shade seating areas, and improve comfort during hot summer months.
- Potted plants: Potted plants can be arranged as needed. Whether in a downward diagonal slope, line, or vertical wall, portable potted plants reduce water requirements and ensure plants thrive. Professional landscapers can help choose plant varieties and arrange pots in a way that complements the overall design of the pool. Think: luxurious design without extra maintenance or care needed.
3. Paving stones, stone pathways, and texture-rich rock additions
Another way to reduce maintenance costs is through rock-based additions. Available in different colors and patterns, paving stones can be used to match the color and design of your pool and property.
To save money on irrigation for grass and other foliage, a durable and beautiful stone pathway using paving stones and texture-rich rocks can help homeowners:
- Save money on maintenance expenses like mowing, watering, and fertilizing grass.
- Guide their guests to specific areas in the backyard
- Improve the function and flow of the backyard’s activities
4. Pool shed
Speaking of pool activities, for individuals who want to keep the items in their backyard oasis organized and out of sight, a pool shed will do the trick. Pool sheds don’t require constant upkeep, but can keep items out of sight to help people avoid hazards.
Keep towels, sunscreen, and other pool essentials within reach, and keep pool toys, treatment chemicals, floats, and equipment in the shed to ensure they’re ready for any backyard adventure you have in mind.
5. Build an outdoor shower
Another thoughtful design choice that will keep you and your guests clean is an outdoor shower. They help homeowners and guests rinse off before entering a pool, thereby reducing dirt, sunscreen, and other contaminants from entering the pool water.
Whether you’re looking for sleek stainless steel, bamboo-style design, or stone-based designs, showers are low-maintenance. Best of all, they can ensure a more hygienic pool experience for you and your guests.
6. Consider fire features
Copper fire bowls and fireplaces: both add a sense of warmth to a pool. Whether you’re installing fire features around a gunite or a fiberglass pool, a fire feature can also add striking contrasts to your pool space.
Often constructed from brick or stone, these features don’t need much upkeep. What’s more, when built with precision and intention, they can enhance the overall design of the space.
7. Install living fences for added privacy
Planting visually appealing native plants around the border of your pool can help create a visually striking border that highlights your pool’s most iconic features. What’s more, plants require minimal effort, water, and fertilizer to create a relaxing atmosphere year-round.
By adding native plants to your property, you’re also supporting local wildlife and adding eco-friendly elements to your property. The plants can also help keep your pool and hardscape area cooler.
Best of all, native foliage thrives in the local climate and soil. So, minimal maintenance is needed to support the health of your pool.
Good Day tips for better pool landscaping design and maintenance
Fireplaces turn a pool into a four-season space. Cool nights, shoulder seasons, and post-sunset swims become comfortable, not decorative.
Together, fire and water can create contrast, depth, and a backyard that looks great and feels unforgettable. To learn more about how fire as an add-on can complement your pool landscape, check out this Instagram post.
Need a team that understands low-maintenance pool landscape designs?
If you live in the greater Middle Tennessee area, we have you covered. Our team of poolside landscapers has more than 20 years of experience creating one-of-a-kind luxury pools and backyard spaces that require little care.
Whether you’re looking for vibrant seasonal plant selections or practical and stylish functional features that create an inviting landscape, the Good Day Living team has you covered.
From our family to yours, we’re here to help you create a living space that feels like a good day, every day. To receive a complimentary quote on a new backyard pool or pool landscaping project, contact us today.
