I would do a combination of pavers around designated "planter/planted" landscape areas.

Avoid kinds of plants with small parts that will get sucked into the filtration system.

Plants in my pool yard include, golden cane palms, salvias, vincas, bromeliads, ixora, gazanias, rhoeo, cordylines, aloe and agaves.

I am not sure what would grow In your area. You should walk around your area and see what plants you like. Post photos on name that plant if you don't know what they are. But as Embothrium said avoid plants with small parts.

I don't have any problems with these plants and my pool.

pool.

I have read that you don’t want anything near the pool that would shed. Like leaves, flowers, seeds, branches, etc. If you go with evergreens, keep them far enough back to prevent needles from falling in the pool.

(Love your screen name. I assume axes are kept out of your reach? )

I would just sod around it, and maybe in the back corner something tall that would eventually help with privacy.

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Hi Doug. Thank you for the mock up. Very pretty. I see that you have hidden the filter with the fir trees. Is there any other way to hide it? Do you think the trees may shed into the pool? The tall shrubs offer a pleasing look, but maybe something shorter since the newly installed white fence offers privacy on that side. Their budget may be limited right now also, because the pool was just installed in July. Thank you so much Doug. I look forward to your ideas.

Screen to hide filter?

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Nice idea kulrn!

The fence is mounted at the base of a hill, making its effective height too low for privacy. You can see right into the neighbors' back yards. Isn't there a desire to overcome this?

Hi Yardvaark (9A)

Thank you for your comment.

The fence is 6' high. Here is another view of the yard. The first photo (above) was taken from the deck overlooking the pool. The corner area where the white fence does not continue could definitely use more privacy along with hiding the filter.

The area in front of the pool right now is not being taken into consideration for the time being and budget issues. Right now the concern is the area between the fence and the pool. Of course it would be great to see a design of the entire yard and work on incorporating everything, but it cannot be done all at once. The pool and the fence were purchased this summer.

I appreciate any advice you may consider for this issue.

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Based on the additional photo, I would NOT want to look at the neighbor's looming house if this was my pool. The fence might be six feet tall, but it is slightly downhill giving it an effective shorter height. Then, the house behind is perched well over the top of the fence. I would want some skinny, tall (at least 12' height) shrubs -- limbed up in the tree form (so as not to consume too much yard space) -- along the fence, so as to hide the neighbor's house. ... something like the arborvitaes such as the farther beyond neighbors in your first picture have. The spacing would depend on how much screening you wished to impose. Then, adding a durable groundcover of some sort in the leftover space should take care of the bulk of the problem.

One sizes and implements plants according to the budget.

Thank you Yardvaark. This makes sense.

The arborvitae on the left look like the site has a severe deer problem. Young or other conifers that do not have attractive bark, any other conical evergreen trees of similar general character (such as hollies) are not attractive stripped of their lower branches.

Deer are constantly in the area. Sometimes in the back yard and sometimes in the front yard. Definitely prominent in this neighborhood. Please explain more in detail...are you suggesting hollies?

Lizzie Borden, Embothrium is commenting that he doesn't like my limbed up trees, or at least the way I draw them. I guess he doesn't realize they are only a general idea, not a specific, literal representation. One must decide if one wishes to allow lower foliage to remain. I wouldn't because it begins to consume a large amount of the yard space and in a skinny strip of land, lower foliage soon overwhelms the space. The view is already screened at the lower level by the fence. There is not really any need to screen the fence with shrubbery, but breaking up its long expanse with arrays of tree trunks adds interest. Since the suggestion is not about any specific "tree," I don't know get the remark about bark. We don't even know what the bark would be, or what it would look like. I happen to think all well tended tree trunks are attractive, though. No, I'm not suggesting hollies or any specific plant, I'm suggesting a general form and size and hoping you'll explore what the possibilities for it are that work in your area with your conditions (deer, sun, moisture, soil, etc. ... more than I can know about.) Also, you can explore the plant finish possibilities (flowering, foliage, bark, etc.) until you find what appeals to you.

Hi Lizzie

up with insomnia and thought I would check in to see how you are doing and came across this dilemma for your daughters pool...found this pool landscape thought it was so nice...the pool is actually in Manmouth County NJ....I love the simple layering of grasses..they look so pretty because they sway with the breeze..easy to grow...I like to keep it simple around a pool....no evergreens they attack bugs and nothing that drops leaves! We have a pool and it is best to keep it simple...