What about some ornamental grasses (lots of different sizes and colors). I would not plant a tree or a larger shrub around it as you eventually will be blocking the sun from the area.

As Yardvaark commented on the other thread in the landscape design forum, a foot of growing width isn't enough for much of anything; only small perennials will work and they won't soften the look of the pool much, or perhaps annual vines such as black-eyed Susan vine/Thunbergia or one of the shorter vining beans on a wire mesh fence that is only 3' high. If you want to use shrubs, I would add two feet of bed so that you have a total of three feet at the very least, with 3-4 added feet being better. Without that, no shrubs are realistic for that spot. My suggestions below will only work if you make the bed deeper than it currently is.

You want to choose plants that are shorter than or only very slightly taller than the height of the pool sides to minimize the amount of debris (old flowers, dropped leaves, etc.) that falls into the pool.

"Obviously winter [interest] will be lacking, since we're in Central, NJ"

If this is an area where you are viewing it in the winter (such as out windows) you may want to include evergreens, whether broad-leafed plants such as rhododendrons, or smaller conifers such as Chamaecyparis/false cypress or one of the lower-growing (but not groundcover) junipers. You could also add some of the smaller red-twigged dogwoods, which will be green in summer, will may have nice fall foliage if you choose one which is known for nice fall color, and will have red winter twigs.

If you don't care about the winter view, you could add:

shorter forsythia - be sure to check height on a site such as a botanic garden, not just the plant tag

shorter spirea - also be sure to check height as they vary from 1 1/2' to over 6'. Some have gold foliage.

Bobo Hydrangea paniculata - blooms July, August, and into September.

Blue mist shrub/Caryopteris clandonensis have lovely blue flowers in September, and during the rest of the growing season the foliage is either gold or a bluish-grayish green, depending on the variety.

Miscanthus, Dinner-Plate Hibiscus (hibiscus moscheutos), Rose of Sharon (hibiscus syriacus), Yucca, Banana, Canna Lilies, and dwarf palms are nice plants to have around a pool area.

I don't think you are going to grow many palms or bananas in New Jersey...

Maybe needle palms. They're hardy to about zone 6b, I believe.