What did you end up planting? I have the same problem behind my pool.

I'd be tempted to build a wooden deck around the pool. Those rocks would be killer on bare feet! Decks look great with lounge chairs, and a chest to hold pool toys. My zone is much hotter than yours, so not sure what grows in your area. I'd choose plants that don't shed. Nothing worse than a lot of leaves in the pool. Don't pick plants that attract bees. We have sago palms, society garlic, a couple low shrubs, and pine trees. The pines are a good distance from the pool, so they don't drop their cones or needles anywhere near the pool. Good luck!

Lizzie Borden, Embothrium is commenting that he doesn't like my limbed up trees, or at least the way I draw them. I guess he doesn't realize they are only a general idea, not a specific, literal representation. One must decide if one wishes to allow lower foliage to remain. I wouldn't because it begins to consume a large amount of the yard space and in a skinny strip of land, lower foliage soon overwhelms the space. The view is already screened at the lower level by the fence. There is not really any need to screen the fence with shrubbery, but breaking up its long expanse with arrays of tree trunks adds interest. Since the suggestion is not about any specific "tree," I don't know get the remark about bark. We don't even know what the bark would be, or what it would look like. I happen to think all well tended tree trunks are attractive, though. No, I'm not suggesting hollies or any specific plant, I'm suggesting a general form and size and hoping you'll explore what the possibilities for it are that work in your area with your conditions (deer, sun, moisture, soil, etc. ... more than I can know about.) Also, you can explore the plant finish possibilities (flowering, foliage, bark, etc.) until you find what appeals to you.

Hoping to get some ideas about how to landscape around a pool we put in just before winter. A couple notes: We plan to put in an outdoor fire pit with a natural gas line. It will look like a campfire with a rock ring and fire logs. Not sure where the best spot for that is, and what to put around it. I’ve gotten suggestions of crushed granite, pea gravel, stamped concrete, flagstone. Flagstone is really expensive around here. We plan to put either grass around most of the area. Not sure whether to put it right up to the pool deck or have some kind of border around the concrete. Just don’t want to be shooting grass clipping every time I mow. I feel like we probably need a few bushes or trees but lost on ideas and placement. Any thoughts? Thewoofen deck has an opaque stain on it. I wouldn’t have chosen that color if I knew we were putting the grey pool deck in. I think we need to re-stain it to something more complimentary. Maybe I’m overthinking it?