Thankfully the new styles of above ground pools look nice. Gone are the days when you didn’t have much choice – Blue, Blue or blue….in the past above ground pools were in a word – ugly. Today more and more people are installing above ground pools as they are more affordable than in ground style swimming pools – this means *anyone* can have a fully functioning pool in their own back yard!

In the past above ground pools were considered an eye-sore in your yard, just sitting there on the ground, today, this is where landscaping your garden properly around an above ground pool turns it into a feature of your yard. A large pool sitting there in the middle of your yard can look awful, but add some pretty landscaping and you go from drab to fab.

Add some shrubs, small trees, walkways, mulch or stones, a nice deck or border – with the right landscaping your pool can look amazing!

Landscaping works and looks best when done in a somewhat symmetrical way and with some careful planning.

● Give your pool a border – the bottom of your above ground pool should be maintained on the outside – all the way around, so you can start by creating a border of some kind 20cm away from the bottom track. There are so many borders you can use here from timber to stone, concrete or even plastic. Then add some mulch or rocks/stones for decoration, not only does it look good it will make for better drainage around the pool. Consider too where the pools pump or equipment is, if you can see it from the house you can also landscape around it with a border, mulch or rocks and even a small shrub to hide it. Don’t plant anything too close to the equipment as you will need access to everything.

● Add a walkway – it doesn’t matter how close – or far away – your pool is from the house a walkway is a great way to keep not only the pool cleaner – but your house as well. People walking back and forth over dirt and grass can make a much bigger mess than you’d think. Adding a nice landscaped walkway also adds to the overall look of your pool. There is so much you can do here – stepping stones, patio stones etc. and you can finish off by bordering the pathway using timber, rocks and mulch or even a few shrubs planted along the way. Your walkway will look perfect when matched in well with the pool border.

● Adding some trees – having trees or shrubs that are taller than, or as tall as the above ground pool adds dimension, and plants are fine if you don’t plant them too close to the pool, as, over time their roots will find their way under your pool. It’s not a huge deal but after a few years you may feel the roots under the pool liner.