Evergreens are a great option for both easy maintenance and privacy. If privacy landscaping around a pool is a top priority, we recommend planting shrubs and trees that are relatively heat tolerant with minimal leaf litter, pollen, berries, or budding debris. These natural elements can wreak havoc on your pool filter and create extra work for you. Ornamental grasses, like zebra grass, are great pool landscaping options. Leafy evergreen shrubs like English boxwoods or Japanese holly are compact shrubs that offer privacy and greenery all year round. They are both easy to cut back and trim in the spring or fall, and they shed minimal organic matter.