Pools are a wonderful addition to your home for a space to escape from the summer heat in your backyard. Although installing your pool is just the first step. When thinking of adding one to your home, it’s important to consider the various landscaping ideas for around your pool.
Proper landscaping adds to the aesthetic of the new addition and it’s important for protecting your pool as well. With water getting continually splashed, you run the risk of mud puddles taking over your backyard or worse, erosion.
There are plenty of options for what to put around your pool from simple mulching to sandy boardwalks. Either way, whatever you choose will all come down to your personal preference and budget.
Landscaping Ideas for Around Your Pool
When considering landscaping ideas for around your pool, it’s important to keep in mind the pool’s siding. With soft-sided options, be careful about putting anything too close that could potentially pierce a hole in your new pool.
It’s also recommended to consider whether you’ll be leaving your pool year-round or taking it down for the cold months. If you’re planning to dismantle your pool each year, lean toward landscaping ideas that work for your backyard even without the pool.
Cover the Area with Mulch
Mulch is an ideal swimming pool landscaping idea that is lightweight and easy to do yourself. It also will soak up any splashes to avoid the buildup of stagnant water. Depending on what type of mulch you use, some kinds of rubber mulch may get hot in the summer. In that case, adding stepping stones on top will help to protect bare feet on a sunny day.
Unfortunately though with heavy rains, mulch tends to disperse across the yard. You can protect this from happening by building a simple plastic or concrete barrier to hold in the material.
Lay Pea Gravel
Pea gravel is a landscaping material that is light and easy to work with. It’s soft for bare feet to step on but still sturdy enough to protect your pool’s exterior. Laying a bed of pea gravel is a great idea for those who will be putting up their pool during the winter. The gravel pad can easily be transformed into an area for an outdoor table or a fire pit instead.
Since pea gravel is so small, this does open up the opportunity for weeds to sprout up through the gravel. Continue reading for our recommendations for weed maintenance around the pool later in this post.
Spread River Rock
When thinking of what to put around your pool, you want something that’ll be sturdy enough to withstand the elements. River rock requires practically no preparation and is a beautiful, unique landscaping idea for around your pool.
If you are worried about protecting your pool from the rock, add a Gorilla liner up against the siding to act as a safeguard.
Create a Sand Barrier
For the full beach effect, sand is a fun option for surrounding your swimming pool. For those worried about protecting their soft-sided pool, it’s one of the cheapest and safest options. Though sand can also be easily dispersed so it’s recommended to create a barrier to keep the material in place. You can find a simple concrete border at your local hardware store to install before adding in the sand.
If you do landscape with sand, have a way to keep the sand out of your pool too. Building a big clean walkway with stepping stones helps to deter the sand buildup. Also, a small kiddie pool at the entrance gives pool goers a spot to rinse their feet off before entering.
Weed Maintenance Around Your Pool
When landscaping around your pool, weeds can be a pesky nuisance to deal with. Some natural options for dealing with them are by spraying the plants with vinegar or pouring salt on the leaves.
Another alternative for weed control is to dig them out and then use landscaping fabric with a layer of rocks. This method takes a bit more time but is helpful for long term care and weed maintenance.
When you are thinking of adding a pool to your backyard, there are many things to consider. One of the most important is what to put around your pool. This not only makes it look nicer but also protects both the pool and your backyard.
These landscaping ideas for around your pool are just a few simple suggestions that you can try when installing one of the best new additions to your home.
