Maybe you’ve noticed your pool or lanai area needs some pizzazz.
It’s understandable. These leisure areas are so popular here in Florida can be tough to spruce up.
Pools are often covered with large screens that are great for keeping bugs out but pose pool landscape design challenges.
Lanais, if you’re a Florida newcomer, are small, covered outdoor lounging areas attached to a house, but open on three sides. It’s like the Florida version of a covered back porch. Struggling with lanai landscape design?
Luckily, Ground Source landscape designer Eric Frisch has some pool and lanai landscape design tips:
A covered lanai doesn’t allow much room for landscaping, Frisch says.
But the cool shade it provides is great for container gardening.
“Potted plants are great for lanais because they don’t need the constant watering that planters in sunny spots require,” he says.
Think ferns, begonias, and caladiums for your lanai landscape design. Their tropical vibe suits the lanai setting and you can set down the watering can for a while.
Colorful pots of plants and flowers look great poolside, too. Just avoid varieties that drop a lot of leaves, like Hawaiian Ti plants.
Too much trouble to water, you say? Frisch can run micro drip lines from your irrigation system. No watering worries.
A lanai is great for solo relaxation or a cozy dinner for two.
Many homeowners screen them in to keep the bugs out, Frisch says, and add a couple lounge chairs or a porch swing.
“But you can’t really entertain in them,” Frisch says. “An 8 by 10 lanai will fit a small table and maybe a couple of chairs.”
But extend that lanai with a paver patio, and now you have a party.
Suddenly, you have lanai landscape design options.
“You can add a seating wall or a fire pit,” Frisch says, “and add plants around that.”
While some Florida pool owners opt to go screen free, leaving their pool open to the sky, they spend a lot of time scooping out debris, Frisch says.
The cage-like coverings are popular for a reason.
”Pool screens aren’t pretty, but they’re comfortable,” Frisch says. “They keep you from getting bitten by bugs.”
They keep your pool clean, too, preventing messy debris from surrounding trees and plants from falling in.
Before you go crazy choosing plants for your screened pool landscape design, remember, plants grow, Frisch says.
Make sure you consider a palm tree or larger plant’s size at maturity before you plant.
Lots of pool owners want a palm tree in the corner, but they can outgrow the area in 5-10 years, pressing up against the screen and even damaging it.
Pro tip: try a Roebelenii Palm. This dwarf date palm is petite enough to work even inside your pool screen, although Frisch usually positions them leaning out over the pool to allow room for their spreading canopies.
Pool owners love using rock as ground cover, but this pool landscape design element can get messy, Frisch says. Plan to periodically clean plant debris out of the rocks to keep it looking tidy.
“I tend to prefer mulch,” he says. “If leaves fall, it can just be raked up from time to time and new mulch added.”
Puzzled by your pool plan? Lamenting your lanai?
Stick with Frisch for ideas to have your laps, lounge, and leisure time looking better than ever.
We’re pool and lanai landscape design experts, but our skills don’t stop there. We’re with you every step of the way as you plan your perfect outdoor space.
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Image Sources:
"starr-031108-0139-Phoenix_roebelenii-habit-Sarasota-Florida" by Starr Environmental is licensed under CC BY 2.0