The ultimate luxury in a sunny region like the French Riviera is having a swimming pool of your own. To enjoy your garden and cool off during the heat of summer: what a pleasure!
Landscaping a pool: the essentials
To succeed in the landscaping of your pool, there are a few basic rules to follow.
1. Plan a beach area
A pool is made for swimming, but also for enjoying its coolness while lounging at the water's edge. Think about creating a flat area large enough for sun loungers, your beach towels, garden furniture or a convivial dining corner for summer dinners by the pool: a relaxation space close to your pool area.
2. Lay a uniform surface all around the pool
Beyond the pool surround, the edges of your pool must be pleasing to both the eye and the touch. When you are in the water, you should be able to rest against the rim comfortably.
You might, for instance, install coping stones in natural or synthetic stone, chosen to suit the style of your house. For comfort and everyday use, consider the softness of the materials, but also the non-slip quality of the poolside surrounds.
3. Favour quality materials suited to the setting
Around your pool, as much as on the sunbathing area, the choice of flooring is far from trivial. You often walk on it barefoot, and may even sit or lie down on it to relax. So beware of materials that turn scorching after a full day in the sun, of slippery surfaces, or of splinters that might prick your feet. The ideal? Natural materials such as wood or stone.
- Wood — you can create a cosy space by laying a wooden floor and deck to serve as a poolside beach. Choose a species suited to outdoor use, whose treatment — or the wood itself, such as an exotic hardwood — allows it to withstand water without splintering. Little risk here of a floor that is too hot or glaring, or of slipping, provided you maintain it properly.
- Stone (or reconstituted stone) — here too, the design can be matched to your garden décor. Black stones bring a touch of modern elegance, but they absorb heat: walking on them barefoot becomes unpleasant. Stones that are too pale, conversely, reflect the light and may dazzle you. It is up to you to find the right balance according to your taste.
- Sand — it is tempting to lay a bed of sand beside the pool for a “beach” more real than life itself. Beware: the sand and fine gravel will end up in the water. That adds to the upkeep and means buying new bags regularly. Instead, why not lay some handsome pebbles, heavier and less easily scattered?
4. Make room for greenery
Trees, shrubs, colourful plants… Add life to the edges of your bathing area. It can also help you conceal safety features, such as the fence around the pool, with pretty climbing plants.
Which plants should you absolutely avoid around your pool?
Plants and greenery that shed their leaves or flowers
The reasons for turning away from beautiful flowering shrubs or trees that shed their leaves — or their needles! — are simple: without significant daily upkeep, your poolside and your pool will soon be covered in leaves. Enjoy your swim without having to wade through floating leaves, and walk barefoot without fear of a prickle underfoot.
Melliferous plants — those that attract insects
Favouring biodiversity is all well and good — but further down the garden. Around the pool, avoid attracting insects, all the more so if you are allergic to them!
And just like the leaves of trees, you won't want to skim a net across it several times a day to remove the insects that have come for a swim.
Cacti and other prickly plants
This category could rank among the plants to favour, for their appearance and their ease of upkeep. A word of caution, however: with a little too much rough-and-tumble, a child could quickly get hurt. If you do decide to plant them, be sure to place them behind a barrier — even a planted one — to avoid any needless risk.
When you design your garden, you must think long-term. Will your small shrub be a towering tree in ten years’ time? If so, might it not end up shading your pool?
The right plants to enhance the surroundings of your pool
Succulents — The hardiness of succulents is second to none! These fleshy plants tolerate full sun perfectly, need very little care and watering, and come in a wide variety of styles. Everything you need to grace the surrounds of your pool with the greatest ease.
Ornamental grasses — These wonderfully light plants cope very well with wind, lack of water and strong sunshine. They bring height alongside your succulents and offer a more airy look that dances in the wind.
Evergreen trees and plants — An olive tree, for instance, will be perfectly suited to the surroundings of your swimming pool. Take care not to plant it too close, so as not to cast too much shade as it grows, nor to let its roots damage the foundations of your pool. The simplest solution is then to plant it in a large pot.
A few ideas for plants to set around your pool: aloe vera, hardy palms, Japanese maple, agave, orange tree, olive tree, banana tree, bamboo…
Plants in pots or in the ground?
It is a fair question: one might think that, in a garden, every plant can be grown in open ground. Not so! Pots — terracotta or any other material, large or small — bring a further decorative touch to your outdoor space and let you care for your plants more effectively while keeping their spread in check.
For trees and plants sensitive to the cold, such as orange trees, growing them in pots lets you bring them indoors for the winter. You now have all the keys to a beautiful garden and to a successful landscaping scheme around your pool.
Round off your reading with an article from Perspective magazine, issue 43, by Brigitte Dematteis: “The art of perspective in the garden”.
You are now ready to design your poolside for an outdoor space that suits your taste and is easy to maintain. And for tailored advice, do not hesitate to call on your landscape designer.
Back to the journal