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The right plants can help transform your pool and spa into an oasis – a beautifully hidden sanctuary from the hustle and bustle. Whether your tastes run to bursts of brilliant color, cool-looking foliage in a variety of green hues, formal, sculpted forms, or stunning night-blooming plants, there’s a garden for you. Plants can provide a living backdrop to the hours of fun and relaxation you get from your pool and spa. And they make privacy prettier. An impressive landscaping project doesn’t necessarily have to involve a tremendous amount of work, either. With careful planning and planting, you can create a garden to complement your pool and spa, your home and your lifestyle.

Have a master plan and make sure it reflects your style and that of your home. Be sure to take into account sunny and shady areas and put the right plants in the right spots. Plant in zones and put plants that like water – ferns and hostas – in an area together. Drought-tolerant plants should go elsewhere. Leaf litter is another consideration you will want to make, and whether or not putting that type of plant is better off womewhere else, such as in a planter. Evergreen plants would take care of some of that. If you love plants like crape myrtles, plant them away from your water; otherwise, spent petals will keep you busy. If you want to add bright spots of lawn, plan this space first before adding the planting beds. A bold-shaped lawn can act as a stage for the rest of the garden. Consider using a mowing border of stone or bricks or poured concrete to give the lawn a definite edge and make maintenance easier.

Think about lighting when planning your pool garden. Downlights give a moonlight effect at night, but you should use light sparingly to highlight areas, but be sure to mark hazard areas. If you plan your garden to include perennials and evergreen shrubs and trees, you’ll always have something of interest in place. Plus, you’ll be able to fill in seasonally with other plants. Depending upon where you live and how often you use your pool and spa, this can keep your garden looking fresh and new all year long.

A fence is necessary when it comes to pool and spa safety. Transform a security fence into a scenic surround; put your plants to work and let them create a picturesque and private scenery. Native evergreens such as bayberry offer a fast-growing and fragrant way to hide a fence. Hollies and Japanese anise, with its fragrant leaves, are good choice. Rambling rose bushes are a pretty and fast growing hedge rose. Evergreen vines such as honeysuckle, ivy and creeping fig are good choices for using around fences. Choose low-maintenance plants that multiply and come back each year.

When planting, try to visualize your garden in all seasons. Some trees and shrubs have beautiful silhouettes without their leaves. Consider using combination benches and planter boxes. They are quick, easy and a relatively inexpensive way to add color and can be changed for the different seasons.

The choices are endless. And the beauty that comes from your plants will be enjoyed by all.

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