Having a pool installed? Don’t let your landscaping be an afterthought. Consulting a professional pool landscape team right from the start will ensure crucial steps are considered in creating the backyard oasis of your dreams. Professional pool landscaping will perfect the area around your pool and provide you with a space to enjoy all summer long. As you and your landscaper plan the outdoor space, consider these five things:
- Microclimate
- Maintenance
- Full size at maturity
- Roots
- Sun pattern
Microclimate
A microclimate is the climate of a very small or restricted area that differs from the climate of the larger surrounding area. The area around your pool can have its own microclimate impacted by the amount of shade, hardscaping, and chlorine or salt water from the pool.
The plants you choose to surround your pool need to withstand splashes from chemically treated water. They also need to be resilient against hotter than normal temperatures, as the patio will give off heat from the sun.
As a general rule of thumb, plants surrounding your pool need to be tough, standing up to heat and chemicals.
Maintenance
No matter what plants you choose, they will need to be maintained and cared for. If you plan on installing trees or shrubs that need to be pruned, make sure they’re easy to access by either yourself or your lawn care provider. If a particular area is hard to reach, consider plants that are low maintenance. You can also fill in the area with river rocks to provide contrast to the lawn in your backyard.
You should also consider if the trees you’re planting flower or drop their leaves. Depending on when the trees bloom, they can create a mess, requiring more time cleaning the pool than actually swimming in it. Trees that bloom in the spring or evergreens are great, low maintenance options.
Full Size at Maturity
When the plant is full grown, how big will it be? Some plants can be small when planted in a pot, but once in the ground they can grow to 2 or 3 times the size. A landscape designer will be able to space the plants out so when they’re mature they won’t go into the pool or overtake the patio.
Roots
Trees and plants don’t just grow up, they grow down. If a species has an aggressive root system, like a willow tree, it can actually damage the pool shell or liner. Keep trees at a distance and choose ones with small root systems. Crabapple, Dogwood, and Hornbeam trees all grow well in Upstate New York and have small root systems.
If you want the look without worrying about roots you can include potted plants around the pool.
Sun Pattern
The location of your house, big trees, and any surrounding houses can drastically change the sunlight levels from one side of the yard to the other. Plan for certain plants to be in one area of the yard or another depending on their sun requirements.
As we mentioned earlier, your pool area and outdoor space is its own microclimate. While a certain plant or tree you’ve had your eye on may do well in New York, it may not thrive in your pool landscaping. An assessment of your backyard will provide accurate information on what plants will work best for the space.
Grasshopper Gardens has the expertise you’re looking for to provide a final product that exceeds your expectations. Contact us today for an estimate and to begin work on your backyard oasis.