The holidays are a time of year when most people begin thinking about decking their own halls and spreading some cheer with fun colors, accents and accessories. But homeowners need not just decorate the inside of their home – they can bring the festivities outdoors! We’ve broken down these pool landscaping ideas into three important factors for homeowners to consider when sprucing up their backyard for the holidays.

Color

Nothing says holiday season like incorporating color into your backyard. Many outdoor decorations during the fall months will incorporate the rich, earthy tones that we expect, such as neutral beige and brown shades, and warm red, orange and yellow colors. With Arizona’s climate here are a few plants that work great for fall and give you that color you’re looking for:

• Calendula: These yellow and orange flowers have a dark center that give that fall feel. Make sure these beauties get plenty of Arizona sun.
• Geranium: Choose fall colors or your favorite colors and make sure you give them a sunny spot.
• Lobelia: This is an Arizona classic. The park purples and blues are perfect for a different fall color choice.

When Thanksgiving comes to a close and everyone’s minds turn to winter, homeowners have even a greater choice of color combinations:

• Poppies: beautiful red poopies will add the perfect festive color and last through the cold
• Ornamental kale: This plant will add none traditional but beautiful colors like white and purple to make your backyard beautiful for family pictures!
• Poinsettias: You can’t go wrong with this holiday classic

Accessories

The accessories that you choose to add to your backyard will help support the atmosphere that you’re creating. In the fall, accessories ranging from pumpkins and wreathes in yellows, oranges, golds and blacks. Add a little silver to the mix to give your wreaths and garland a polished look. To make your pumpkins last through November and into December consider painting them in shades of gold and silver, instead of carving. For the winter season, festive twinkling lights and shiny outdoor tree ornaments will turn your Arizona backyard into a winter wonderland. Have an outdoor ornament decorating party while family and friends are gathered after thanksgiving so you can remember family times every time you walk into your yard!

Lighting

Lighting is important to consider when it comes to pool landscaping ideas, as lighting alone can create a merry and engaging outdoor space. When it comes to lighting, consider these three points:

• The type of lighting (i.e. Solar powered LED string lights, pot lights, tiki torches, etc.)
• The color of the lighting (The change of seasons is a great excuse to change up the color of your lighting!)
• The placement of the lighting (Well placed lighting will create focal points in your backyard as well as provide safe foot paths for you guests and yourself)

Get creative with your lighting, wrap columns and string lights across your patio. If they are in whites or neutrals you just might like the look and extra light all year long.

For tips and tricks to make a beautiful outdoor living space, download our FREE Outdoor Living eBook!

Shasta Pools is a Phoenix pool builder who provides a variety of services including swimming pool remodeling, commercial pool building, and pool service and repair. Since its establishment in 1967, Shasta has helped over 80,000 families realize their dream of pool ownership and we’ve helped over 30,000 families revive their backyard. By providing exceptional value, quality craftsmanship and superior customer service, the Shasta team continues to fulfill the corporate mission of astonishing and delighting their customers and exceeding expectations. You can learn more about Shasta Pools & Spas by visiting them online, or by connecting with them on Facebook or Twitter.