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In the hot days of summer, one of the most popular ways to beat the heat is to take a dip in the pool, should you be lucky enough to have one. However, most people who own a pool aren’t only using the pool as an area to cool off and unwind , they also use it as the showpiece in their landscaping plans. To most, a yard with a pool grows into a retreat where one can escape the chaos of the day, and truly unwind. To others, it’s a spot used to entertain relatives and acquaintances. Either way, your yard is not going to be finished until the area near the swimming pool has been appropriately landscaped.
Things to Consider Prior to Preparing a Design Plan for Landscaping Close To a Swimming Pool
There are some factors to think about before devising a backyard landscape plan. These include, but aren’t limited to, climate, dimensions of the yard, existing landscape, privacy, beauty, accessibility, and most significant, your budget. Moreover, if you are landscaping around an existing swimming pool, you are going to be somewhat more limited in the number of possibilities that are available to you. For new pool set ups, the possibilities are almost limitless and limited by only budget and any building code restrictions that must be followed. If you have the budget for it, it is beneficial to hire a landscape designer. A local landscape designer should already be familiar with building code restrictions, material cost, and local climatic zone considerations.
Swimming Pool Coping and Deck
If you are designing your backyard landscape around an existing swimming pool, this will probably not be a concern as in ground pools are usually originally constructed with these components. For new set-ups, the selection of the coping and deck will perhaps be the most critical decision that needs to be reached. Swimming pool coping is the border or trim that is put in around the perimeter of the pool. There are essentially four kinds of coping to select from. Rolled edge coping usually consists of brick, pavers or concrete and is flat with a rolled up interior lip. Cantilevered coping is a contemporary form that lengthens the decking past the border of the pool and down the wall forming an L-shape which makes the decking seam thicker than it actually is. Bull-nosed coping is built from cast-concrete, stone, or cast-stone and is flush on top with a curved interior lip. Lastly, rough cut coping consists of flat stones that give the pool a more natural and coarser appearance. It is most commonly used in combination with rock waterfalls or other styles of rock configurations. The swimming pool deck is the region bordering the pool that is frequently constructed from concrete, wood, pavers, stone, or tile. Consider using natural stone coping and decking or concrete pavers that harmonize with the features on your house. Make safety a topmost priority and think through practicalities. Opt for a decking material and color that will not be too hot to walk on in the sun or too slick when damp. In addition, think about any future maintenance needs of the decking material. For example, wood decking will require being retreated every 5 to 7 years.
Water Features
There is no finer means to increase the serenity of your backyard utopia than by the addition of a classy water feature. Water features come in a tremendous range with the most prevalent being fountains and swimming pool waterfalls. Cascading rock waterfalls, waterfalls from adjoining spas, waterfalls from slides, and sheer waterfalls trickling from retaining walls offer a visually exciting display. Water sprays from vertical fountains and laminar jets are gaining in popularity also. The fastest growing style today in regard to swimming pool features is the inclusion of fiber-optic lights. Fiber-optic lighting is not only being put in the walls of the swimming pool, but is similarly being used to augment the water features mentioned previously. The majority lighting kits include a remote control and color wheel that allows the pool owner to vary the color of the lights.
Greenery and Flowerpots
No pool landscaping plan would be complete without adding flowers, bushes and trees. Planters vary from modest flower pots, hanging planters, planters built into the patio, retaining wall flower beds, flower beds installed into rock features, and the most popular, a flower bed that surrounds the entire, or sections of the patio. Visit your local garden center to find varieties of plants that are specialized to your planting zone. Factors include the extent of sunlight the plant will receive in respect to the area you propose to plant it, its distance from the swimming pool, and your backyard color scheme. Chlorine can be harmful to vegetation, so, if the pool utilizes chlorine, you will need to space the vegetation far enough away from the swimming pool so that they cannot be touched by splattering water. The root system of the plant is one more critical consideration if you intend on locating it near the swimming pool. Be sure not to plant trees with larger root structures too close to the swimming pool. Lastly, you’ll want to find out if the plant loses its flowers or leaves. If it does, you’ll either want to steer clear from using it, or put it at a distance from the swimming pool to ensure that the flowers and leaves do not wind up in the pool. Plant life, bushes and trees that lose their flowers or leaves not only need more maintenance, but may harm the pool pump or plug up the pools water system.
If all these alternatives look a bit overwhelming, you are not alone. The most beneficial advice is to view pictures of existing pool landscapes to find the design and preferences that you want. You can find them on websites that have pools, as well as in their industry publications and fliers. The most significant thing you ought to do is put together a thorough plan before starting your landscaping job. If you do that, you are certain to create a safe, low care, trouble-free pool landscape that will convert the yard into your own secluded heaven.
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