Ideas

17+ Brilliant Pool Landscaping Ideas for Your Home

Transforming your backyard pool into a private oasis is easier than you think when you choose the right plants and hardscaping. Grab your gardening gloves and let's dig into some simple ways to make your pool area look amazing.

1. Soften Edges with Grasses

Tall ornamental grasses growing along a concrete pool deck — Plant grasses to soften hard concrete edges.

Plant ornamental grasses around your pool deck to soften the hard concrete edges. They grow fast and add a beautiful sweeping motion whenever the wind blows.

You want to pick varieties that won't drop debris right into the water.

These low-maintenance options are perfect for a clean pool area:

Zebra grass
Fountain grass
Blue oat grass

2. Create a River Rock Border

A clean border of smooth river rocks separating a green lawn from a swimming pool — Use river rock to stop grass clippings.

A three-foot border of river rock between your lawn and the pool deck stops grass clippings from blowing into the water. You can create this clean barrier using a mix of these simple materials:

Smooth river stones
Heavy-duty landscape fabric
Metal edging

3. Bring in Potted Palms

Large potted palm trees sitting on the corners of a backyard pool deck — Potted palms create instant tropical resort vibes.

Tropical resort vibes happen instantly when you bring in large potted palms.

Grouping oversized planters at the corners of your pool draws the eye up and creates natural privacy. You can easily move them indoors or into a greenhouse when the weather turns cold. Just make sure the pots have drainage holes to handle splashing water.

4. Build a Solid Privacy Fence

A tall black wooden fence serving as a backdrop for a swimming pool — A black privacy fence makes green leaves pop.

A six-foot wooden privacy fence gives you a solid backdrop for climbing vines and hanging planters. Painting it black makes the green leaves pop and visually pushes the boundary back to make your yard feel bigger. It completely transforms the space from a basic backyard into a secluded retreat.

Plus, it keeps the neighbor's dog from watching you swim.

5. Layer Broadleaf Plants

Lush elephant ear plants growing densely behind wooden pool loungers — Layer broadleaf plants for a jungle atmosphere.

A lush, jungle-like atmosphere comes to life when you layer broadleaf plants behind your loungers. Mixing different shades of green with elephant ears and hostas creates incredible texture without needing colorful flowers. The dense foliage also acts as a natural sound barrier against street noise.

Just be sure to plant them far enough back to avoid root damage to the pool shell.

6. Plant Creeping Ground Covers

Creeping thyme growing thickly right up to the edge of pool coping — Use creeping ground covers instead of messy mulch.

Use creeping ground covers instead of mulch near the pool edge to keep your water pristine. Mulch easily washes or blows into the pool, clogging your filters and creating a massive headache. Planting creeping thyme or sweet alyssum fills those bare dirt gaps quickly while smelling amazing when you step on it. They thrive in the full sun that most pool areas get.

7. Add Raised Planter Boxes

Cedar planter boxes filled with trailing plants built into a pool retaining wall — Raised planter boxes break up massive concrete spaces.

Adding a twelve-inch raised planter box along a retaining wall breaks up a massive expanse of concrete. It brings the greenery closer to eye level when you are floating in the water. Building it out of weather-resistant cedar ensures it holds up to regular splashing and wet swimsuits. Fill these boxes with trailing plants that spill over the edges to soften the hard lines. Try these spillers for maximum impact:

Creeping Jenny
Sweet potato vine
Trailing lobelia

8. Line Up Structural Shrubs

A perfectly straight row of trimmed boxwood shrubs against a white wall near a pool — Repeat structural plants for a modern aesthetic.

A modern, minimalist aesthetic relies on repeating the same structural plants in a straight line. Planting a row of identical boxwood shrubs against a white rendered wall looks incredibly clean and high-end. You only need to trim them twice a year to maintain that crisp, architectural shape. This symmetrical approach makes even a tiny plunge pool feel like a luxury hotel amenity.

9. Rely on Drought-Tolerant Succulents

Large agave plants growing in a rock bed next to a stamped concrete pool deck — Succulents thrive in the intense pool deck heat.

Relying on drought-tolerant succulents works perfectly because they thrive in the intense heat radiating off a pool deck. Agaves and aloe vera store their own water, meaning you will rarely need to drag a hose around the slippery patio. Their sculptural shapes look fantastic against modern tile or stamped concrete.

Just keep the spiky varieties away from the main walkways to save your bare legs.

10. Install Dramatic Uplighting

Palm trees illuminated from below by LED lights next to a glowing night pool — LED uplights completely change the nighttime pool vibe.

Installing three LED uplights under your favorite palm trees completely changes the nighttime vibe.

The light catches the fronds and casts amazing shadows across the water surface. It extends the hours you can actually use your pool while adding an essential layer of safety to the dark corners of your yard.

11. Stick to Evergreen Shrubs

Lush green juniper bushes surrounding a clean, debris-free swimming pool — Evergreen shrubs save you hours of pool skimming.

Dropped flower petals turn into a slimy mess inside a pool skimmer.

Sticking to evergreen shrubs instead of flowering deciduous trees saves you hours of skimming and vacuuming. Plants like juniper or yew keep their foliage year-round and refuse to make a mess of your water. You get all the lush green color without the weekend maintenance chores.

12. Incorporate Citrus Trees

Terracotta pots holding small lemon trees on a sunny pool patio — Citrus trees in terracotta pots add Mediterranean charm.

A cozy, Mediterranean courtyard feel emerges when you incorporate terracotta pots and citrus trees. The warm orange clay contrasts beautifully against cool blue pool water.

You can cluster them near the seating area to enjoy the fragrant blossoms.

These dwarf fruit trees do incredibly well in containers:

Meyer lemon
Key lime
Calamondin orange

13. Leave a Clear Walkway

A wide, clear stone walkway separating lush garden beds from the pool water — Leave a wide walkway clear of landscaping plants.

Leaving a four-foot walkway clear of plants ensures nobody accidentally trips into the landscaping while walking wet around the pool. You can easily define this safe zone using low-profile border edging and slip-resistant paving stones.

14. Build a Natural Waterfall

A natural stone waterfall feature with small ferns tucked into the rock crevices — A stone waterfall masks annoying pool pump noise.

Build a natural stone waterfall feature to mask the annoying hum of your pool pump. The sound of trickling water instantly makes the entire backyard feel more relaxing.

Tuck some moisture-loving plants into the rock crevices to make it look like it has always been there.

These hardy plants love the constant humidity near a water feature:

Japanese painted ferns
Blue star creeper
Dwarf papyrus

15. Install a Shady Pergola

A wooden pergola covered in climbing vines shading a pool lounge area — A wooden pergola gives climbing vines a home.

Install a wooden pergola over your lounging deck to give your climbing vines a place to thrive. The dappled shade protects you from the harsh afternoon sun while adding vertical interest to a flat yard. Training jasmine up the posts means your entire pool area will smell incredible by mid-summer.

String some cafe lights through the rafters for instant evening ambiance.

16. Replace Thirsty Lawn

Drought-tolerant ground covers and gravel pathways replacing a traditional lawn near a pool — Replace your lawn with drought-tolerant native plants.

Replacing at least 50 percent of your thirsty lawn with drought-tolerant landscaping saves a massive amount on your water bill. It also keeps muddy footprints away from the pool edge.

You can fill the space with gravel pathways and hardy native plants.

Try these tough ground covers instead of traditional grass:

Silver carpet
Creeping rosemary
Blue fescue

17. Use Massive Boulder Accents

Large natural boulders partially buried into the ground at the edge of a pool — Massive boulders create a rugged, naturalistic oasis.

A rugged, naturalistic oasis takes shape when you use massive boulder accents around the pool edge. Burying the bottom third of the rocks makes them look like natural outcroppings rather than stones simply dropped on the grass. You can tuck colorful sedums right up against the base to soften the heavy stone.

The kids will definitely use them as jumping platforms, so make sure they are stable.

18. Add Raised Garden Beds

Wooden raised garden beds filled with bright flowers sitting on a gray pool deck — Raised garden beds add color to gray concrete.

Most pool decks look incredibly stark without a bit of color to break up the gray concrete. Adding a few raised garden beds filled with bright, heat-loving perennials completely shifts the focal point. The elevated beds keep the dirt contained and make weeding much easier on your back.

You can even cap the edges with smooth wood to create extra seating for pool parties.