Personal Considerations in Pool Landscaping

Define what you want to use your garden or patio space for. Your space, furniture and design will be affected by whether you use it for reading, relaxing, playing or entertaining. If relaxation is your goal, consider soft flower colors and perhaps a hammock. If entertaining is your purpose, consider a built-in fireplace or fully equipped barbecue plus a large patio and a spacious lawn to better accommodate guests.

Environmental Considerations in Pool Landscaping

Personal taste is absolutely important and yard art will define a theme and tone around your pool. If you love the sounds of nature, consider wind chimes, bird baths or feeders. Ponds and fountains are also great for relaxing and soothing noise. Your pool landscaping design will depend on whether your backyard has any physical or architectural limitations. These include hills, irrigation or telephone poles. For slopes or hills, retaining walls or a raised deck may need to be part of the design. Environmental factors will also determine your backyard's look. A patio should also have wonderful view and be situated out of the wind. Placing a patio close to your house will be the most practical. Also, think where you receive sunlight and at what times. Sun exposure will determine plants, shrubs and awnings. If privacy is a concern, fencing, trellises, vines, ivy and hedges may need to be considered.

Pool Decks and Patios

The type of patio or pool deck that you choose on will probably affect certain landscaping elements. Patio and deck materials are crucial. Wood is the most common material used in decks. For pool patios, concrete, brick, cobblestone and marble can be used. A deck or patio should be non-slipping and cool to walk on as well as aesthetically enhancing. Wooden decks work well with wooden trellises or privacy screens and matching flower boxes. A concrete pool patio will better match stone fountains and concrete art.

Swimming Pool Decking

When thinking about landscape designs for pools, an important decision to make is what type of pool paving material to use. Paving around pools is a little different than other areas. You don't want to select swimming pool decking that will be hot on the feet. Bluestone, which I love, is known for this, so I rarely recommend it to be used. Some materials to consider that work well around pools are other natural stones, such as Idaho Quartz or Tennessee Crab Orchard, travertine pavers, concrete pavers, stamped concrete, and concrete pool decking.

Note: When excavating for the pool and/or changing the grade of the land, be careful of any large trees on the property. Raising or lowering the grade outside the drip line (diameter of branching) of the tree will cause the decline of the tree.

Pool Waterfalls

Landscape designs for pools often incorporate a waterfall. People love the look and sound of moving water! To get the most natural look, it is important that the waterfall is located at an existing higher elevation than your pool.

Here are some interesting design tips for Spas-pool-waterfalls designs.

Spas can be designed as part of the pool itself, or set apart in the pool paving. For spas (hot tubs) integrated with the swimming pool, a variety of different designs can be used. Spas can be designed either with or without a waterfall into the pool. They can be set at an elevation close to the pool paving height. The spa can be elevated to create a more dramatic waterfall. Spas may have steps leading up to it, so that the spa becomes part of a raised platform. If you have the space, you might want to use this space as a sitting area! Spas can also be a free standing hot tubs unit purchased from a spa company. All the mechanisms are in the unit itself.

Swimming Pool Fencing This element of your project should be thought about at the very beginning.

Shade Landscape designs for pools should incorporate some shade at the pool area. There are ways to do this which add to the beauty of the landscape. Here are some ways to create that shade.

Shade trees Designers often provide shade trees in an area of the property where shade from the tree will be cast on the pool paving area. Some of the trees They love to use are 'October Glory' Red Maple and Japanese Zelkova.

Pergola A pergola is a nice architectural element to have in a design and particularly at poolside. It is classic and elegant. It can be sized to accommodate dining furniture and lounges. If placed in the design artistically, it can become a dramatic focal point.

Pool Landscape Lighting Path lights around the pool will create lighting for night use. Up lights in nearby trees will add some lighting also. Torch lights are a great way to create lighting for areas where typical lighting does not seem to work. And torch lights create a wonderful ambiance! You want your swimming pool lighting to be functional, but also subtle.

Swimming Pool Furniture When creating landscape designs for pools and the pool paving, Designers always make sure the spaces will be large enough for the desired seating. They usually allow a minimum of 15' for a table and chairs and 10' for lounges. I try to make the area used for dining easily accessible to the kitchen. When designing and selecting places for lounges, They make sure to face them so that the best view is taken advantage of. For example, if there is a nice mountain view on the property, You could position the lounges for that viewing. Landscape designs for pools can make lounging and dining at this outdoor area all the more enjoyable by considering what people will be looking at.