Tropical Pool Landscaping Ideas That Frame the Water and Hide the Fence

A tall, dark green hedge does the fence’s job and looks better doing it.

• The hedge runs along the back and one side, so the boundary reads as a solid green wall.
• Blue grey rosette plants sit in a row inside a raised stone planter, each one given room to show its shape.
• Round clipped shrubs repeat the same ball shape in gravel beds close to the water.
• Dark pebbles keep the beds tidy and make the greens stand out.

The planting leans modern more than jungle, so add broad leaf plants if you want a lusher feel. Watch out for upkeep. A hedge left alone loses its clean edge fast.

Look at the back edge of this yard. A black metal fence runs along it, but your eye skips right past. A thick band of rounded, glossy shrubs sits tight against the fence, and slim palms rise out of it to add height.

Here is the method in four steps:

1. Plant the shrubs close together so no gaps show the fence.
2. Let the shrub line grow a little taller than the fence.
3. Add two or three slim palms in front, spaced unevenly so it feels natural.
4. Keep a strip of lawn between the shrubs and the pool deck so the water has room.

The fence is still there. You just stop noticing it.

There is no fence in sight here, since the slope does the hiding. A small stone waterfall drops into the pool, and the rock ledges around it are packed with spiky, strappy plants. Broad leaf plants and shrubs climb the hill behind.

• Stone steps up the slope give plants a place to sit at different heights.
• Spiky leaves and wide leaves grow side by side, so the shapes contrast.
• A few red leaved plants add color against all that green.
• Short grass keeps the planting in the spotlight.

If you have a boundary fence, tuck it behind the tallest plants at the top of the slope and it will not compete with the water.

Two boundaries share the work in this yard. A glass panel fence keeps the pool safe without blocking the view, and a tall white wall behind it handles privacy. A raised stone planter filled with palms and leafy plants sits against the wall, so the plain white surface gets broken up with green.

The space feels calm since the palette is small: white, pale stone, light timber, and green. The checked tile band around the pool edge is the one playful detail.

This one looks like a design render rather than a finished photo, so take it as layout inspiration.

A plain fence can be the backdrop instead of the problem. Narrow vertical timber slats run along this boundary, and the planting stays low and layered in front of them.

Big leaves on the left. Wide, paddle shaped leaves cover the bottom of the slats and give the fence a lush base.

One tall palm in the middle. It breaks the straight top line without hiding the fence completely.

Silver grey plants at the edge. Small silvery shrubs sit closest to the paving and tone down all the green.

A stone wall with an outdoor shower sits right next to the fence, so the whole corner works as a rinse off spot. The fence stays visible, but the plants do the talking.

The wall behind this pool is plain grey, and a line of security wires runs along the top. The planting makes both fade into the background. Big round leaves sit low at one end, a long run of orange tipped flowering plants fills the middle, and slim palms stand tallest against the wall.

It still holds up on a gloomy day. The sky is overcast in this photo, yet the orange blooms and green pool tiles still look warm.

Leave a small gap between the plants and the pool edge so leaves stay out of the water.

This backyard pool has barely a straight line. A speckled, sand colored surface slopes into the water like a small beach, and a large boulder at the top lets water trickle in.

Along the back wall, palms and tall bamboo style plants grow out of timber planters. They soften the wall and the neighboring roofline behind it. Pink and white rock chips and dark pebbles fill the beds, a curved timber deck follows the pool’s shape, and a thatched style gazebo gives shade.

The curves do half the work. A wavy edge makes the boundary feel farther away.

In this small courtyard the boundary is a stone clad wall, and a thick bed of leaves grows right up to the waterline. Monstera and banana style leaves overlap so tightly that the base of the wall disappears.

Light does a lot of the work too:

• Thin vertical light strips run down the stone wall.
• Small wall lights wash the leaves on the far side.
• A timber blade lets water sheet into the pool, so you get sound as well as sight.

A hanging egg chair at the end of the deck gives the corner a place to sit. This image looks like a design render, so use it for the layout and lighting plan.