Desert Pool Landscaping

It may seem like an extravagance to have so much water in one place, but in reality, a properly maintained spa or pool uses significantly less water each season than watering a lawn of the same size. Watering the average home lawn requires 180 gallons per watering and some 90 percent of that water evaporates before it ever touches the grass. Maintaining such a large water feature in a desert climate takes some forethought, though.

Planning

Landscaping around a pool requires integrating a variety of elements -- plantings, fences and walls, decking and pavement, and lighting around the pool and decking. The ideal pool area design will flow with the architecture of your home and the rest of your landscape. Be aware of the patterns of straight lines and curves in your house and design the pool landscape as a natural extension of these. Continuity of color and texture also helps - keeping in mind the colors of the house and its surroundings, choose one color scheme and stay with it. If you’re still in the planning phase and looking for pool design ideas, don't wait until the pool is already installed to consult a landscaper -- talking with a landscape architect early in the process, while you can still change things, can save you from costly mistakes.

Hiring a landscaper

Given the variety of factors involved in designing a pool site, it's well worth at least consulting a landscaper who's familiar with pools and spas. Mistakes don't just look bad, they can cause costly damage to your property. Improper grading can lead storm water to run into your the pool or basement and trees planted too close to the pool can crack the pool as the tree's roots mature. Most importantly, safety is a major consideration near any pool or spa and flaws in the material or design of surfaces, protective fencing, or lighting can have tragic consequences.

Plants and Shading

Plantings soften the lines of swimming pool equipment, provide privacy, and help the pool area blend in with the rest of the landscape. For easy-maintenance, broad-leafed evergreens and ornamental grasses, which won’t drop leaves or needles into your pool, are among the best choices.

Water may keep you cool, but that doesn’t mean you’ll want to be swimming in the direct sun all the time. Desert-climate shade trees not only give you a way to get out of the heat, but they also add a feeling of lush coolness to the poolside. It’s best to avoid shading the whole pool, though, in order to prevent algae growth. The strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) and goldenrain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata) are two good choices for shade. When choosing trees for your pool landscape, consider the tree’s at maturity and plant trees far enough from the pool so that their roots won’t grow into the underground walls of your pool.

Fences

When small children will be in the yard, a fence is vital for safety reasons. Being able to lock up the entire pool area provides peace of mind. Even if neighborhood kids find their way into your pool area uninvited, you could be held responsible for any injuries that occur on the basis of negligence.

The right fence design can also provide privacy. A full privacy fence usually reaches six feet or higher, with boards arranged in an overlapping, shadow box, or tongue-and-groove design. Board-on-board fences like the shadow box design offer an advantage to homeowners in that they can show finished faces on both sides. Stockade and tongue-and-groove are popular constructions for full privacy. Basket weave and lattice fences are other options. These are made with strips of material, such as wood or wood-styled vinyl, woven or crisscrossed to create a pattern. This type of fences offers semi-privacy, allowing air and visual space between the boards, while blocking the area from full view. If the look of a fence is too stark for your taste, you can soften it by training vines such as the trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) over the fence, which will also provide more privacy.

Windbreaks and baffles

Desert landscapes are prone to strong winds that can be irritating or, in some cases, too cooling on wet skin. To redirect undesirable air currents, windbreaks and baffles can be installed near the pool. First, identify potentially troublesome wind currents near your pool by placing small flags where you want wind protection and observing their movements. Then decide on the most efficient location and height for the baffle. When placed directly beside the pool, a fence offers little protection. Temperatures are warmest at a distance equal to about twice the height of the fence, but drop rapidly at about the distance equal to fence height. Angling a baffle into the wind gives greatest protection close to the fence, but effective protection also extends to a distance more than twice fence height. A 45-degree baffle at the top of a fence eliminates the downward crash of wind. Air is movement is at a minimum in the pocket below the baffle and about 6 feet from the 6-foot-high fence. To break up, rather than block, wind flow, choose a fence with latticework of laths spaced 1/2 inch apart or screens of plants. Dense shrubbery can also do a good job of limiting or breaking up unpleasant wind currents.

Patios and decks

Quality paving and decking assures swimmers a safe, slip-resistant surface that's gentle on bare feet. Get tips on choosing pool deck and patio paving.

Pool lighting

Outdoor lighting is another important safety feature around the swimming pool. Both underwater lights and perimeter lights should be used. Traditionally, a single incandescent light is located at the deep end, 18 inches to 4 feet below the surface. While standard incandescent and halogen quartz pool lights (in both 120-volt and 12-volt models) will do the job, fiber optics offer a better choice. With fiber optic lights, there's no electricity near the water, servicing the light is easy because it’s accessible and not underwater, and a color wheel can be added to the remote light source for a little extra style. A decorative strip of fiber optic lighting can be use to frame the pool in light and also works well on steps.

Nicheless lights, which are attached directly to the pool walls, are also an option. If the pool has been designed with the deep end nearest the house, the glare from the underwater light created by waves and splashing is directed away from the house. But if the glare happens to be directed toward the house, though, you can install a dimmer.

Pool covers

If you heat your pool or spa, a well-fitted covers reduces heat loss and gives you energy savings of 50%-70%. Pool covers also reduce evaporation of both water and chlorine, which also saves you money. If you find cool nighttime temperatures leave your pool chilly in the mornings, consider using a solar pool cover, which will absorb the morning sun’s warmth faster than water could and transfers it to the water. If you have small children, be sure to choose a cover that will prevent them from being trapped underneath it.