Location

• Plant deciduous trees and shrubs, and evergreens whose needles or leaves fall, at a far enough distance to prevent their leaves from falling into the pool. Assess the sides of the pools that require the most privacy; plant specimens with height and dense forms to fill up this space.
  
  Since the sides of above-ground pools create areas of full-sun, partial-sun and shaded areas, select garden plantings according to their sun exposure requirements.
  
  Plant your garden choices several feet away from the side of the pool to prevent the chlorinated water from altering the soil quality around these plants.
  
  

Coordination

• Coordinate the colors of your garden's design. For flowers, select those that will be planted in the same location according to the colors that work best together. Arrange reds and pinks with yellows, oranges with purples and white and green with all colors since they become the neutrals of the environment.
  
  

Vegetables and Fruits

• The location of a pool, whether an in-ground or above-ground model, may easily define a section low-traffic section of the yard that can be designated for edible vegetation and trees. Next to a pool, this area can be as pretty as it is delicious.
  
  Plant the fruit trees in a row along the back side of the garden and ensure that their branches will not completely dominate and block out the sun from the rest of the garden space.
  
  Plant companion flowers that also control garden pests around the base of the tree, such as marigold and nasturtium.
  
  Incorporate companion vegetables in your poolside garden. According to Kelle Carter, professional gardener of Seeds of Change, "By growing numerous types of crops you create habitats for beneficial insects or animals, deter problem pests and enrich your soil to create a living ecosystem of beneficial bacteria and helpful fungi."
  
  

A Waterfall Garden

• Add an additional water feature to the pool garden landscape with a waterfall. The waterfall can be a separate unit from the pool, or it can open out to the pool.
  
  Soften the hard edges of the organic-shaped rocks used to form the waterfall with garden flowers and plants. The low profile of colorful ground covers will cover and fill in the gaps along the outer surface of the waterfall unit. Taller plantings and small flowering shrubs can be used to add dimensional height, in gradation as the eye moves away from the flowing water.