LANDSCAPING AROUND AN ABOVE GROUND POOL

Hi there!  Today I wanted to share all of the deets on one of my favorite spots to hang out in the urban jungle.  What would a tropical paradise be without a little watering hole anways (that's Texan slang for a place to get wet and cool off when it's hotter than hell)?

I knew I had to have a little place to be in the water to actually be able to enjoy being in the garden in the summer.  I toyed around with lots of different shapes and sizes, and even looked into the oh so trendy stock tank pool idea before I eventually settled upon this Bestway above ground pool.  I purchased the pool and filter off of Amazon.  It is around 160x85 inches and 32 inches deep.  Just big enough for a couple of people to float around in. The pump is an Intex pump.   It is basically where I have wasted the majority of the summer.



Although I would love to build an inground pool some day, we had just fixed an expensive plumbing leak under our house (older houses are the best, right?!) that left a huge muddy spot in this part of the yard with no vegetation.  An above ground pool seemed like the perfect solution to cover up the mess.

 If you have ever visited Texas in the summer then you will probably agree that an above ground pool beats no pool at all.  If you haven't visited Texas in the summer, I'm not sure I'd recommend it.

Despite their redneck reputation, I think that above ground pools can actually blend into a space and maaaayyybe be even attractive with the right landscaping.





The trick is really making it not stick out like a sore thumb with a bright blue bandage on it.  I added reed fencing from my local Home Depot along the edge and secured it with twine.  This helps camouflage the blue vinyl walls.  It also goes along with the tropical vibes of the garden.

I intentionally left a space between the deck and the pool to plant a bed of Elephant Ears.  I wanted to have some green softening the lines and further camouflaging the pool walls from the deck.

Potted Banana Plants and Bird of Paradise in Large Planters line the pool. The pots are simple white matching planters.  I like to group things in threes.  These bananas are doing so good that I threw one that was barely growing in the ground into a nursery pot to hang here for awhile.  The two big bananas are Musa Double Mahoi, variation of the Dwarf Cavendish, that produces two racks of bananas instead of just one.  They will have to be taken in the winter to the sunroom, along with the White Bird of Paradise and it's pot mate, a little Bougainvilliea I purchased for $1.

The table is one that I already had.  It is the perfect height to use as a pool deck to perch under the umbrella on.  The World Market chairs have been around for years and have obviously been a few different colors.  Probably time for a touch up!

Stepping down from the deck to the pool area, I added a wooden boardwalk that I repurposed from a pallet and some inexpensive 12x12 concrete square pavers.

I used gravel along the edge to add in a little extra texture and a row of Mondo Grass between the boardwalk and the pool ladder.

I didn't realise how much I needed a little spot to cool off.  I could sit here all day and just stare at my plants.  As a matter of fact, I think I will do just that!




I think that this is one of my best Amazon purchases ever!   Not exaggerating a bit about it.  Water and plants are nourishment for the soul!

XOXO
EVE