A beautiful pool area starts with more than the pool itself. The surrounding garden, pathways and fencing all shape how the space looks, feels and works, whether you’re enjoying a quiet afternoon swim or a long poolside lunch with family and friends.
DIY pool landscaping can bring these elements together without tackling an entire backyard renovation at once. From tropical retreats to modern Mediterranean gardens, these six ideas offer practical inspiration for creating a poolside space that feels like your own private escape.
Before you start your DIY pool landscaping
Start by thinking about how you want to use your backyard. Do you need greater privacy around the pool, an inviting place to relax or a clearer connection between your swimming and entertaining areas?
Consider:
Your lifestyle: Allow room for everyday activities, from sun lounges to pathways between the pool and house.
Your budget: Include materials, tools, delivery, site preparation and any professional help.
Your maintenance preferences: Be realistic about how much gardening and upkeep you want to do.
Your home’s style: Choose colours, materials and planting that complement the architecture.
Your site: Consider sunlight, drainage, soil conditions and access before purchasing materials.
Pool safety and approvals: Check the requirements that apply to your property before changing fencing, ground levels or landscaping near a pool barrier.
Discover Brendan and Nichole’s DIY pool feature wall.
1. Install a DIY pool fence
A pool fence can do more than frame the water. It can create visual privacy, establish a backdrop for planting and help your outdoor area feel like an extension of your home.
For Sunshine Coast homeowners Brendan and Nichole, replacing an ageing timber fence was the starting point for a tropical backyard transformation. They chose SlimWall® Aluminium to create a private poolside retreat, then personalised the wall with a colourful mural inspired by their travels.
“We believe in the saying, ‘You should create a home you don’t need a vacation from.’”
Their project shows how fencing can become one of the defining features of your pool landscaping. For your own backyard, consider the mood you want to create. A soft neutral can complement coastal planting, while a darker finish creates contrast against greenery. A mural offers another way to introduce colour and personality.
DIY starting point: Choose your wall finish alongside your paving and planting palette, so the whole pool area feels connected.
Explore Eden’s modern coastal pool area.
2. Lay ready-made concrete stepping stones
Stepping stones introduce both structure and personality to pool landscaping. They can guide people through the garden, connect outdoor zones and help protect lawn or planting from foot traffic. Ready-made concrete stepping stones are a practical option for homeowners who want to create a pathway without pouring individual stones themselves. Choose a shape that complements your backyard: rectangular pavers reinforce clean architectural lines, while round or irregular shapes introduce a softer feel. Remember, choose pavers suitable for the intended outdoor use, including wet barefoot traffic where relevant, and follow the supplier’s instructions for preparing a stable base.
At Eden and her husband’s Sydney home, rounded stepping stones provide a counterpoint to the streamlined SlimWall® fencing. The combination shows how curved details can soften a contemporary outdoor space.
As Eden explains:
“One of the things we love about the SlimWall is that the aesthetic matches our house perfectly and it fits into the space super seamlessly.”
DIY starting point: Map the route people naturally take between the house, pool gate and entertaining area, then use stepping stones to make that journey feel intentional.
Explore DIY privacy screen ideas.
3. Create privacy with a DIY screen
If your existing boundary fence is staying, a separate privacy screen may offer a way to improve the view from your pool area. Installed within your property, a screen can conceal an unattractive fence or help define a more intimate outdoor zone.
Three Birds Renovations used this approach at House 14, installing a SlimWall® privacy screen in front of an existing boundary fence.
Before deciding on its position, consider where privacy is needed most. Check the view from both seated and standing positions. Installing within your property does not automatically remove approval requirements, so confirm the permitted height, location and any implications for pool safety before proceeding.
DIY starting point: Identify the sightline you want to block, then plan the screen around that specific need.
See Lauren and Louis’ DIY poolside transformation.
4. Simplify your landscaping design with gravel
Gravel gardens can bring texture and a relaxed, understated feel to pool landscaping. Paired with a restrained planting layout, they suit modern Mediterranean, coastal and desert-inspired outdoor spaces.
Lauren and Louis embraced a simple approach at their Jersey Road home, combining their DIY SlimWall® pool fence with gravel and sculptural planting. Their project demonstrates how a considered backdrop and a few complementary materials can create a cohesive result.
“A well-designed backyard doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive.”
DIY starting point: Refresh one existing garden bed with a consistent gravel finish and a simple planting arrangement before extending the approach across the backyard.
Discover Jimmy and Tam’s Palm Springs paradise.
5. Define your garden beds with steel edging
Steel garden edging is a simple way to create a clear division between lawn, gravel, paths and planting beds, giving each area a more deliberate shape. Use edging to frame a feature planting bed, contain a gravel border or establish a gentle curve alongside a path. Remember, always follow the manufacturer’s guidance for shaping, joining and securing the edging.
Jimmy and Tam’s Palm Springs-inspired backyard pairs defined garden beds with sculptural plants and a bold TrendWall® boundary backdrop. Their use of FormBoss garden edging helps give the landscaping a crisp, considered finish.
DIY starting point: Use edging to tidy the transition between two existing surfaces, such as lawn and gravel, for a more polished result.
6. Choose low-maintenance poolside plants
For lower-maintenance pool landscaping, look for plants suited to your local climate, soil and sunlight. Succulents can be a useful option for sunny, well-drained gardens, offering sculptural shapes and a range of colours. However, suitability varies between species. Some have sharp tips, spines or irritating sap, so choose carefully around children, pets and barefoot walking areas.
Cacti can create a striking desert-inspired look, but are better positioned away from circulation routes and places where people sit or play. For a softer scheme, ask your local nursery about suitable spineless succulents, compact shrubs or clumping plants.
Plant placement also matters for pool safety. Vegetation near a barrier needs to be assessed for its location, density and mature growth, rather than its appearance at the time of planting.
DIY starting point: Select a small group of suitable plants and repeat them through your garden beds, checking mature dimensions before planting.
Pool landscaping FAQs
What are some simple DIY pool landscaping ideas?
Simple projects include laying ready-made stepping stones, refreshing garden beds with gravel, adding steel edging and planting a small selection of suitable low-maintenance plants. A DIY feature wall or privacy screen can create a bigger transformation, with additional planning for installation and approvals.
Start with the part of your backyard that needs the most attention. Retaining suitable existing plants and surfaces, repeating a limited material palette and completing projects in stages can help manage costs. Include preparation, delivery and tools in your budget before deciding which work to do yourself.
Bring your DIY pool landscaping ideas to life
Whether you’re starting from scratch or updating an existing backyard, thoughtful pool landscaping can make your outdoor space more enjoyable every day.
Ready to plan your DIY poolside refresh? Explore ModularWalls’ DIY fencing for inspiration and guidance to get your project underway.
