Most homeowners planning a new pool spend months thinking about the pool itself.

Shotcrete, Gunite, or fiberglass? Big tanning ledge or extra swim space? Water features or keep it simple?

Those are important decisions. But when you’re planning a pool and landscaping project in St. Louis, the pool is only part of the backyard.

The landscaping, hardscaping, lighting, drainage, and other finishing touches are what connect the pool to your home and turn the project into a complete outdoor living space.

Because even the most beautiful pool can look a little unfinished sitting in the middle of what suddenly feels like… a very expensive patch of dirt.

Landscaping Is What Makes a Pool Feel Finished

Great pool landscaping does more than make the backyard look pretty. It can completely change how the space functions and feels.

The right landscape design can:

• Create privacy around the pool

• Add shade and comfort

• Improve drainage

• Soften hard concrete edges

• Guide traffic flow around the pool

• Connect the pool to patios and other outdoor living areas

• Make the entire backyard feel intentional

It’s the difference between “we installed a pool” and “we created an outdoor living space.”

And that’s an important distinction.

At Meramec Pools & Outdoors, we believe the best backyard projects consider the entire space, not just the pool.

Why Pool Landscaping Should Be Planned Before Construction

 

A lot of homeowners initially treat landscaping as something they’ll figure out after the pool is finished.

Then construction wraps up and they look outside.

Beautiful new pool. Gorgeous pool deck. Brand-new patio furniture.

And then…

One lonely folding chair sitting next to bare dirt and construction-grade straw.

Suddenly, landscaping isn’t a future project. It’s something they wish had been part of the plan from the beginning.

That’s why we encourage homeowners to start thinking about landscaping around their pool during the initial design process.

The landscaping may not be installed until later in the project, but planning for it early can make a big difference.

 

Designing Your Pool and Landscaping Together

 

One of the biggest advantages of working with a company that looks at the entire backyard is that all of the individual pieces can be planned to work together.

That includes your pool, pool decking, hardscaping, landscaping, drainage, lighting, fire features, and outdoor living areas.

Planning these elements upfront helps:

• Create a more cohesive overall design

• Address grading and drainage requirements early

• Determine where pathways and gathering areas should go

• Plan for privacy and shade

• Coordinate landscaping with pool decking and hardscaping

• Establish a more realistic overall project budget

• Incorporate eligible improvements into the project’s financing plan

That last point can be especially important.

When landscaping and other outdoor improvements are considered from the beginning, homeowners can make decisions based on the cost of the complete backyard project, rather than finishing the pool and discovering there is still another major project waiting for them.

Pool Landscaping Ideas That Work With Your Budget

 

Creating a beautiful backyard doesn’t necessarily mean turning your property into a luxury resort that requires its own full-time groundskeeper.

Some of the best outdoor spaces come from thoughtful design rather than simply spending more money.

Depending on the property and budget, landscaping around a new pool might include:

• Simple, well-placed greenery

• Privacy plantings

• New sod

• Mulch and landscape beds

• Strategic outdoor lighting

• Clean edging

• Decorative stone

• Functional pathways

• Stepping stones

• Retaining walls

• Hardscape features

The goal isn’t to add something everywhere.

It’s to put the right things in the right places.

A thoughtfully designed landscape can make even a relatively simple pool project feel significantly more finished.

 

Landscaping, Hardscaping and Outdoor Living Work Better Together

 

The pool might be the centerpiece of the backyard, but it’s rarely the only place where people spend their time.

Think about how you’ll actually use the space.

Where will people sit?

Where will you put the grill?

How will someone get from the house to the pool?

Where will you want shade during a hot St. Louis afternoon?

Would a fire pit or fire feature create another gathering area?

Do you need retaining walls because of the grade of the property?

Could a pavilion or covered outdoor living area make the backyard more useful throughout the year?

These decisions are easier to make when the pool, landscaping, hardscaping, and outdoor living areas are designed together.

Instead of adding one disconnected feature after another, the backyard begins to function as one complete space.

 

Pool Landscaping Designed for St. Louis Backyards

 

St. Louis homeowners also have some unique considerations when planning a pool and landscaping project.

Our changing seasons, heavy rain, mature trees, sloped properties, privacy concerns, available yard space, and soil conditions can all affect the design of a backyard.

Drainage and grading are particularly important.

Water needs somewhere to go, and installing a pool, decking, patios, retaining walls, and other hard surfaces changes how water moves across a property.

That’s why a complete backyard plan needs to consider much more than simply where the pool will fit.

At Meramec Pools & Outdoors, we work with homeowners throughout the St. Louis area to design outdoor spaces around both fiberglass pools and custom shotcrete pools.

By looking at the property as a whole, we can help determine how the pool, decking, landscaping, hardscaping, and outdoor living features can work together.

 

The Best Backyards Feel Natural

 

Here’s the funny thing about great landscape design:

When it’s done well, you might not notice every individual decision.

You just know the backyard feels right.

The shade is where you want it.

The lighting works.

There’s privacy where you need it.

The traffic flow makes sense.

The landscaping softens the hard surfaces.

And the pool feels connected to the home instead of looking like it landed in the backyard from outer space.

That’s intentional design working quietly in the background.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Pool Landscaping

 

Should landscaping be done before or after a pool is installed?

The actual landscaping is typically completed during the later stages of a pool project, but it should ideally be considered during the initial design process. Planning early allows grading, drainage, decking, pathways, planting areas, and other features to work together.

Can landscaping be included with a new pool project?

Yes. Meramec Pools & Outdoors can incorporate landscaping into the overall backyard plan so the pool and surrounding outdoor space are considered together instead of becoming separate projects.

What landscaping works best around a pool?

Every property is different, but popular options include low-maintenance greenery, privacy plantings, landscape beds, sod, outdoor lighting, defined pathways, and plants selected specifically for their location around the pool.

The best combination depends on the size of the property, desired level of maintenance, amount of sunlight, privacy needs, and overall backyard design.

How much should I budget for landscaping around a new pool?

There isn’t one number that works for every backyard. The size of the property and the amount of grading, sod, plantings, lighting, retaining walls, pathways, and hardscaping can significantly affect the cost.

Planning these features during the initial pool design makes it easier to establish a realistic budget for the entire backyard.

Does Meramec Pools & Outdoors offer financing?

Financing options are available for qualified projects.

Planning the pool, landscaping, hardscaping, and other outdoor improvements together can help homeowners consider the cost of the entire backyard transformation from the beginning.

 

Ready to Plan Your Pool and Landscaping Project?

Pools get most of the attention in a backyard, but landscaping is what brings the space to life… literally.

It affects how your backyard looks, how it functions, and how much you enjoy being outside once construction is complete.

Planning early also helps avoid the all-too-common “beautiful pool, naked yard” situation.

At Meramec Pools & Outdoors, we don’t just think about where the pool goes. We look at the entire backyard.

From fiberglass and shotcrete pools to landscaping, hardscaping, pool decking, fire features, and complete outdoor living spaces, our team can help bring the entire project together from the beginning.

Schedule a free at-home consultation and we’ll walk your property, talk through your ideas, discuss your budget, and help you plan a backyard that feels complete from day one.

Ready to get started?

Visit meramecpoolsandoutdoors.com or call 314-720-9999 to schedule your free consultation.