I’ll be honest — when we first set up our above ground pool, I stood back, looked at it, and felt that little sinking feeling.
It was so… obviously above ground.
Just sitting there in the yard like a giant aluminum barrel.
And I kept seeing these gorgeous backyard setups online where the pool just belonged — like it grew out of the earth itself.
So I went down a rabbit hole.
And what I found completely changed how our backyard looks and feels.
You don’t need a massive budget or a pool contractor to make an above ground pool look intentional, custom, and honestly kind of dreamy.
You just need a few smart landscaping moves — and I’m going to walk you through every single one of my favorites.
Wrap It in a Wood Deck and Watch the Magic Happen
This was the single biggest transformation in my own backyard.
The moment you surround an above ground pool with a wood deck — even a partial one — it stops looking like a temporary setup and starts looking like a feature.
A full wraparound deck is obviously stunning, but even a small entry platform on one side makes a huge difference.
I went with a natural cedar tone, and I’m still obsessed with how warm it looks against the water.
The wood grounds the pool visually, connecting it to the yard instead of letting it float awkwardly above the grass.
You can go rustic and natural, or paint it a soft white or greige for a more polished vibe.
If I had a tight budget, I’d prioritize the deck over everything else — it does the most heavy lifting.
Composite decking is also a great option if you want something low maintenance and long-lasting.
It mimics the look of real wood but holds up better against splashing and humidity.
Either way, that deck is your foundation — literally and visually.
And once it’s in, everything else you add just layers on top beautifully.
Use Tall Grasses and Plants to Soften the Edges
Here’s something I didn’t expect to love as much as I do — ornamental grasses.
When you tuck tall, feathery grasses around the base of an above ground pool, something kind of magical happens.
The hard metal edge just… disappears.
Plants like Karl Foerster grass, bamboo (the clumping kind, not the invasive kind — trust me on this), or even tall ornamental reeds create this lush, layered effect that softens everything.
When I first planted mine, I honestly wasn’t sure it would work.
But by mid-summer, those grasses had filled in enough that you couldn’t even see the pool wall from certain angles.
It felt less like a backyard and more like a little hidden oasis.
You can also mix in some flowering perennials at the base — lavender, black-eyed Susans, or tall salvia — for color and texture.
The goal is to create a sense of planting around the pool the way you would around any architectural feature in your yard.
Because that’s exactly what it is now — a feature.
Not an eyesore.
A destination.
Build Up a Berm or Raised Garden Bed Around the Base
Okay, this one is a little more work but so worth it.
A berm is basically a mound of soil that you build up around the base of the pool.
When you plant into it, the pool starts to look like it’s sitting in the landscape rather than on top of it.
It’s one of those tricks that landscapers use all the time to make inground pools look even more seamlessly integrated — and it works just as beautifully for above ground ones.
I built mine using a mix of topsoil and compost, shaped it into a gentle slope, and planted a mix of shrubs and perennials.
The whole thing cost me way less than I expected, and the effect was honestly stunning.
You can keep the berm low and subtle, or go taller if your pool wall is particularly visible.
Just make sure whatever you plant stays a couple of inches away from the pool wall itself so moisture doesn’t get trapped.
Think of the berm as nature’s version of a foundation.
It roots the pool, gives it context, and makes the whole yard feel more cohesive.
Add String Lights for That Cozy, Resort-Level Vibe
I’ll tell you something — lighting is everything.
Like, everything.
String lights draped around the perimeter of your pool deck or woven through nearby pergola posts or fence posts can take a backyard from “oh that’s nice” to “wait, are we in Tuscany?”
When I added warm Edison-style string lights around our pool area, I cried a little.
Okay, maybe not cried, but I got emotional.
Because suddenly it felt like a place.
Like somewhere we’d actually want to spend every evening, not just the hot afternoons.
Solar-powered string lights are my personal recommendation if you don’t want to deal with running electrical — they’ve gotten so good and so bright.
And you can mix and match — some draping overhead, some wrapped around nearby trees or trellises.
The warm glow reflects off the water in this gorgeous, shimmery way that makes the whole space feel luxurious.
It’s sort of like how candlelight makes everything look better — same principle, just backyard scale.
Create a Stone or Paver Surround at Ground Level
One of the sneakiest tricks for making an above ground pool look built-in is what you do at ground level.
Laying a ring of pavers, stone, or gravel around the base of the pool creates a visual frame — like the pool was planned as part of a hardscape design from the beginning.
I used large, irregular flagstone around mine and it totally changed the vibe.
It tied the pool into the rest of our patio area instead of leaving it stranded in the middle of the lawn.
You can go with a clean, modern look using square concrete pavers, or something more cottage-y with irregular natural stone.
River rock or pea gravel is also a lovely, budget-friendly option that gives a more natural, organic feel.
The key thing is that you’re breaking up the visual between the pool and the grass.
Right now, that grass-to-pool transition is what screams “temporary.”
Once you add that stone surround, the whole thing reads as designed.
And design intention is really what makes something look custom and expensive — not necessarily the price tag.
Use a Privacy Fence or Lattice Wall as a Backdrop
This is one of my favorite ideas because it does double duty.
A privacy fence, lattice panel, or even a row of tall arborvitae behind the pool gives it a backdrop — which is something inground pools always have naturally.
They’re set into the earth, so the yard surrounds them on all sides.
Above ground pools often lack that sense of enclosure, and that’s part of what makes them feel out of place.
When I added a white lattice panel behind ours and started growing climbing roses up it, the whole vibe shifted.
It suddenly felt like the pool was nestled into something rather than just plopped down.
You can also hang outdoor fabric panels for a more relaxed, boho feel.
Or go with a horizontal wood fence for something more modern and architectural.
The backdrop also makes your string lights and plants look more intentional — because now everything has a frame.
And once you have a frame, everything inside it looks curated.
Build a Simple Pergola or Shade Structure Nearby
A pergola near or over part of the pool deck is one of those additions that makes a backyard feel like an actual outdoor room.
And that shift — from yard to room — is huge for how the whole space feels.
When I set up a simple pergola off the side of our deck, suddenly we had a shaded lounge area.
A place for the chairs, the drinks, the candles.
And it made the pool feel like the centerpiece of something intentional rather than a random object in a yard.
You don’t need anything fancy — even a freestanding pergola kit from a home improvement store works beautifully.
Drape it with outdoor curtains for privacy and shade, or let climbing vines grow up the sides over time.
Wisteria, jasmine, or even hops (yes, hops!) are gorgeous options that add fragrance and lushness.
The pergola also creates vertical interest, which draws the eye upward and makes the space feel larger than it is.
It’s one of those changes that’s sort of hard to explain until you see it in person — and then you wonder why you waited so long.
Paint or Stain the Pool Exterior a Neutral Color
This one gets overlooked so often and I genuinely don’t understand why.
Most above ground pools come in a somewhat industrial-looking finish — silver, steel-toned, or a beige-ish color that reads as very… utilitarian.
And one of the fastest ways to make it look more intentional is to paint or cover the exterior.
You can use outdoor-rated paint designed for metal surfaces, or wrap the pool in a wood or composite skirting.
When I added a natural cedar-tone skirting to the lower portion of ours, it matched the deck perfectly and the whole thing looked like one cohesive structure.
Some people go a different route and paint the pool exterior a deep, moody color — charcoal or navy — and it looks incredibly chic against lush greenery.
If you go that route, make sure to use paint that’s rated for exterior metal and prep the surface properly so it holds.
It’s sort of a small thing, but it makes a huge visual difference.
Because when the pool itself stops looking like a stock product and starts looking like part of your design, the whole yard levels up.
Add a Poolside Plant Wall or Vertical Garden
If you’re working with a smaller yard or you want to add serious wow factor, a vertical plant wall near the pool is a gorgeous move.
I first saw this idea at a friend’s house and I was obsessed immediately.
She’d built a simple wood frame, filled it with succulents and trailing plants, and set it against the fence behind her pool.
It looked like something out of a fancy spa.
And the plants reflected beautifully in the water, which added this extra layer of lushness.
You can DIY a vertical garden frame pretty easily with some basic lumber and pocket planters.
Or you can buy a pre-made vertical planter and just hang it.
Tropical plants like pothos, philodendron, or Boston fern work beautifully if you’re in a warmer climate.
If you’re somewhere with colder winters, succulents or herbs are more forgiving.
Either way, the vertical element adds height, texture, and a sense of intentional design that really elevates the whole poolside scene.
Create a Defined Lounge Zone with Outdoor Rugs and Furniture
Here’s a truth I had to learn the hard way — furniture placement matters as much as landscaping.
If you’ve got a great deck and beautiful plants but the chairs are just sort of… scattered around, it still won’t feel cohesive.
What makes a pool area feel designed is zones.
An outdoor rug anchors a seating area and tells everyone “this is the lounge zone.”
A couple of low chairs or a daybed, some side tables, a little lantern — and suddenly you have a destination, not just a deck.
I used a neutral jute-look outdoor rug and some white sling chairs with colorful outdoor pillows, and it felt instantly put together.
The rug also does something subtle but powerful — it connects the pool area to the wider backyard visually, the same way a rug defines a room inside.
Keep the furniture colors cohesive with your landscaping for a pulled-together look.
Soft whites, natural woods, warm terracottas — these all feel organic and intentional next to greenery and water.
And don’t skimp on the pillows.
Pillows are the throw blankets of the outdoors — they make everything feel more inviting and cozy.
Tuck in Solar Lanterns and Ground Lights Along Pathways
Okay so I may have a small obsession with outdoor lighting, but hear me out.
Solar lanterns and pathway lights leading to the pool area do something really specific — they create arrival.
They make it feel like you’re walking toward something.
Like the pool isn’t just a pool, it’s a destination that you approach with a little bit of anticipation.
When I lined our stone path to the pool with small solar-powered stake lights, the whole yard transformed at dusk.
It looked like we’d hired a landscape designer.
Nobody needed to know it was a two-hour Sunday project.
You can use sleek modern stake lights for a clean look, or go with little lanterns for something more whimsical and romantic.
Mixing in a few decorative solar lanterns on the deck rail or around the lounge area layers the light beautifully.
The goal is multiple sources of soft light — not one overhead flood light that kills the mood.
Think warm, layered, and glowy.
That’s the vibe.
Use Containers and Potted Plants to Fill the Gaps
And finally — the thing that ties everything together — potted plants.
Container planting is honestly the secret weapon of backyard design because it’s so flexible and so impactful.
You can move things around, swap plants by season, and fill in gaps that fixed landscaping can’t easily reach.
I love clustering oversized pots near the pool steps — big tropical leaves, maybe a flowering annual or two, and a trailing plant spilling over the edge.
It looks lush and intentional, and it softens the transition between the hard pool structure and the surrounding yard.
Tall potted grasses or bamboo are especially great for creating a little privacy screen around the pool without any permanent installation.
And if you rent or don’t want to commit to in-ground planting, containers let you go all-in on the garden vibe without touching the actual landscape.
My personal tip: go bigger than you think you need to with pot sizes.
Small pots look a little lost outdoors.
Go for the statement size — something that holds its own visually next to the pool structure.
And don’t be afraid to mix pot materials — terracotta, woven baskets, concrete — for a layered, collected-over-time look that feels genuinely personal.
