Pool Landscaping Ideas: 15 Ways to Transform Your Pool Area

A swimming pool is a significant investment, but it is the landscaping around the pool that truly defines the experience. The right pool landscaping transforms a basic swimming pool into a resort-style paradise, a family-friendly activity hub, or a sleek entertaining space — depending on your vision and lifestyle.

These 15 pool landscaping ideas are designed for Adelaide's Mediterranean climate, where pool season stretches from October through April and the right plantings and structures make the most of our long, warm days. Browse our full pool landscaping ideas gallery for more visual inspiration.

Poolside Planting Ideas

1. Tropical Resort Planting

Create a holiday-at-home atmosphere with lush tropical and subtropical plants around your pool. Frangipani, Bird of Paradise, Bangalow Palms, and Giant Bird of Paradise thrive in sheltered Adelaide pool areas. Underplant with Liriope and Clivia for ground-level interest. Avoid plants that drop excessive leaves into the pool.

2. Mediterranean Pool Garden

Adelaide's climate is perfect for Mediterranean poolside plantings. Olive trees, Italian Cypress, lavender borders, rosemary hedges, and ornamental grasses create a sophisticated European resort feel. These plants are drought-tolerant and handle the reflected heat from pool surrounds.

3. Native Poolside Garden

Australian native plants offer low-maintenance poolside beauty. Choose clean, non-shedding species like Lomandra, Dianella, and dwarf forms of Westringia and Callistemon. Native grasses like Poa and Themeda add movement and texture. Visit our pool landscaping design page for professional planting plans.

4. Succulent Pool Border

Mass plantings of succulents along pool edges create a striking, water-wise border. Agave, Echeveria, Senecio, and ground-covering succulents handle the reflected heat and dry conditions near pools beautifully. Virtually no maintenance is required beyond occasional tidying.

5. Ornamental Grass Drifts

Sweeping drifts of ornamental grasses (Miscanthus, Pennisetum, or native Lomandra) create soft, flowing movement around the pool. Their fine texture contrasts beautifully with the flat water surface and hard pool surrounds.

Pool Surround and Paving Ideas

6. Natural Stone Pool Surround

Natural stone (sandstone, travertine, or limestone) creates a premium pool surround with excellent non-slip properties. In Adelaide, travertine is particularly popular for pool surrounds because it stays cool underfoot even in hot sun. Costs range from $120 to $250 per square metre installed.

7. Concrete Paver Pool Deck

Quality concrete pavers in light colours provide an affordable, attractive pool surround. Choose pavers rated for pool surrounds (non-slip, salt-resistant). Budget $80–$150 per square metre installed. Lighter colours reflect heat and stay cooler underfoot — essential in Adelaide's summers.

8. Timber Pool Deck

A timber deck extending over or adjacent to the pool creates a resort-style look. Merbau, spotted gum, and composite decking are popular choices. Ensure all timber is rated for pool surrounds and treated to handle chlorinated splash water. Budget $300–$550 per square metre installed.

Structural Pool Landscaping Ideas

9. Pool Cabana

A cabana provides shade, shelter, and a dedicated poolside entertaining or relaxation zone. Options range from simple shade sails ($1,000–$3,000) to fully enclosed cabanas with kitchenette, ceiling fan, and day bed ($15,000–$40,000). A cabana dramatically increases the usability and enjoyment of your pool area.

10. Poolside Retaining Wall

On sloping Adelaide blocks, retaining walls create flat areas for pool surrounds and separate the pool zone from the rest of the garden. Concrete sleeper or rendered block walls are most popular for pool areas. Add built-in seating, planter boxes, or water features to the wall for added functionality.

11. Outdoor Shower

An outdoor shower near the pool is both practical (rinsing before and after swimming) and adds a resort-style touch. Freestanding or wall-mounted options are available, with installation costs from $800 to $3,000 depending on plumbing requirements.

Pool Fencing and Privacy

12. Glass Pool Fencing with Garden Backdrop

Frameless or semi-frameless glass fencing meets safety requirements while maintaining visual openness. Plant a lush garden behind the glass for a beautiful backdrop visible from the pool. This combination is the most popular pool fencing approach in Adelaide. Be sure to check our pool fencing regulations guide for SA compliance requirements.

13. Living Privacy Screen

Instead of a solid fence, create privacy around your pool with dense hedging or screening plants. Photinia, Murraya, or Viburnum create effective evergreen screens. For faster results, bamboo (clumping varieties only — avoid running bamboo) provides rapid screening. Combine with compliant pool fencing.

Lighting and Atmosphere

14. Underwater and Surround Lighting

LED pool lights in colour-changing or warm white transform your pool into a stunning nighttime feature. Combine with garden uplighting, path lights along pool edges, and subtle downlighting from overhead structures for a complete evening ambience. LED lighting packages start from $2,000 installed.

15. Fire and Water Combination

Fire features near the pool create dramatic contrast and warmth for evening swimming. Fire bowls on pool coping, a fire pit adjacent to the pool, or gas fire columns flanking the pool entry elevate the poolside experience. Gas fire features start from $1,500 installed.

Plants to Avoid Near Pools

Some plants cause ongoing problems near swimming pools and should be avoided:

• Deciduous trees: Heavy leaf fall clogs filters and creates ongoing maintenance
• Fruit trees: Falling fruit attracts wasps and creates mess on pool surrounds
• Plants with invasive roots: Avoid trees with aggressive root systems that could damage pool structures
• Spiny or thorny plants: Not safe near barefoot areas
• Plants that attract bees: Lavender is lovely but perhaps not right next to the pool edge

Adelaide-Specific Pool Landscaping Tips

• Orientation: Position entertaining areas on the north side of the pool to capture winter sun and shade from summer afternoon sun
• Wind protection: Adelaide's summer sea breezes can be strong. Include windbreaks on the south and west sides of the pool area
• Salt resistance: If you have a saltwater pool, choose plants and paving materials that tolerate salt splash
• Water-wise plantings: Pool-area plants should be drought-tolerant, as reflected heat increases water stress

Pool Landscaping Costs in Adelaide

Pool landscaping is typically budgeted as a separate item from the pool itself. Here are typical Adelaide costs for pool-area landscaping:

Basic Pool Landscaping ($5,000–$10,000)

• Garden beds around the pool fence line with mulch and drought-tolerant plantings
• Basic paving or concrete for the pool surround (if not included with pool installation)
• Simple screening plants for privacy

Mid-Range Pool Landscaping ($10,000–$25,000)

• Quality paving in natural stone or premium concrete pavers
• Comprehensive garden beds with feature plantings
• Garden lighting around the pool area
• Shade structure (sail or small pergola)
• Outdoor shower

Premium Pool Landscaping ($25,000–$60,000+)

• Full resort-style landscape design and construction
• Natural stone or porcelain paving throughout
• Pool cabana with kitchenette
• Comprehensive LED lighting package
• Water features integrated with the pool
• Fire features
• Lush, established plantings

The landscaping around your pool often costs as much as the pool itself, but it is the landscaping that creates the overall experience. A beautifully landscaped pool feels like a private resort; the same pool without landscaping feels like a hole in the ground with water in it.

Timing Your Pool Landscaping

In Adelaide, the ideal timing for pool landscaping is autumn (March–May) for several reasons:

• Plants establish their root systems through the mild winter before facing their first Adelaide summer
• Paving and hardscaping can be completed in comfortable working conditions
• The pool area is ready and mature-looking by the time pool season begins in October
• Landscapers often have better availability outside the peak spring season

Transform Your Pool Area

Your pool deserves landscaping that matches its investment. Professional pool landscaping creates a cohesive, beautiful outdoor environment that you will enjoy for years to come.

Explore our backyard ideas guide for more outdoor inspiration, or get matched with qualified Adelaide pool landscaping specialists who can design and build your perfect poolside paradise.