Pool Landscaping and Surrounding Design

Material options

• Natural stone (bluestone, travertine, sandstone) — warm, textured, premium. Slip resistance varies — ask for honed or bush-hammered finishes for wet areas.
• Concrete pavers — versatile, cost-effective, available in a wide range of finishes. Can be poured-in-place or precast.
• Timber decking — visually warm, works well with architectural pool edges. Requires ongoing maintenance and must be suitable for wet environments (treated hardwood, composite, or tropical timber).
• Rendered or tiled coping — integrates with the pool wall finish. Can create a seamless, monolithic look.

Colour and texture

The coping and paving colour sets the tone for the entire pool area. Lighter tones reflect heat and light, creating a brighter feel. Darker tones absorb heat and create a more grounded, architectural look. The relationship between paving, coping, pool interior, and house materials matters — test samples together in natural light before committing.

Practical considerations

• Slip resistance — all pool surround surfaces should have appropriate slip ratings for wet areas (typically P3 or P4 classification in Australia)
• Drainage — paving should fall away from the pool edge to prevent contaminated water draining back into the pool
• Heat — light-coloured stone and concrete stay cooler underfoot in direct sun. Dark surfaces can become uncomfortable in Australian summers.
• Maintenance — natural stone may require sealing. Some pavers show salt staining. Consider long-term upkeep alongside initial appearance.

Design principles

Planting softens the hard edges of a pool area and connects it to the wider garden. But poolside planting needs to be considered — salt spray, chlorine splash, reflected heat, root systems, leaf drop, and soil moisture all affect what will thrive.

Plant selection guidelines

• Avoid high-drop plants directly adjacent to the pool — heavy leaf drop clogs filters and affects water quality
• Salt-tolerant species are useful near saltwater pools — many Australian natives (lomandra, carex, westringia, banksia) handle salt exposure well
• Root systems — avoid plants with aggressive root systems near pool structures, plumbing, or retaining walls
• Low-allergen choices are considerate for people using the pool regularly
• Scale and proportion — low, textural planting near the pool edge; taller screening or canopy trees set back

Australian planting ideas

• Grasses and strappy-leaf plants (lomandra, dianella, carex) — textural, low maintenance, handle reflected heat
• Coastal natives (westringia, correia, acacia) — salt-tolerant, Australian character
• Screening plants (murraya, viburnum, lilly pilly) — privacy and boundary softening
• Canopy trees (established away from the pool) — shade, scale, and a sense of enclosure

Most pool areas benefit from some form of screening — from neighbours, from the street, or from less attractive parts of the site.

Options include:

• Timber slat screens — architectural, provide filtered light and airflow
• Masonry or rendered walls — solid, permanent, can incorporate niche details or water features
• Planted screens — softer, evolving, but take time to establish
• Blade walls or metal screens — contemporary, can be backlit for evening atmosphere

Shade is essential in the Australian climate. Options range from permanent structures to flexible solutions:

• Pergola or pavilion — provides defined shade, can incorporate outdoor kitchen or seating
• Shade sail — affordable, flexible, can be removed or replaced
• Mature tree canopy — the most natural shade, but requires planning for root systems and leaf drop
• Building overhang — existing eaves or a new roof extension can shade part of the pool area

The pool area is an outdoor room. Furniture, lighting, storage, and amenities all contribute to how the space is used:

• Seating — poolside lounges, built-in seating, day beds, or dining
• Outdoor shower — practical and architectural
• Storage — equipment storage, pool toy storage, or concealed bins
• Lighting — underwater, path, and feature lighting extend the pool area into the evening

The most considered pool areas share a few traits:

• The pool interior, coping, paving, and house materials share a coherent palette
• Planting is planned, not filler
• Screening and shade are designed, not improvised
• The pool and the outdoor room are treated as one space, not two adjacent ones