Hot tubs in the San Francisco bay area are a great way to keep yourself healthy and relaxed. But for the best relaxation experience as well as the best way to optimize the value of your hot tub, the right landscaping is essential.

Start with a non-slip and durable walkway to your hot tub. Brick or wood slats will look good with any landscaping design, and they will ensure that your walk to the hot tub is safe and clean.

When placing plants around your hot tub, make sure that you are familiar with the hot tub’s maintenance panels, if there is ever a need to access the equipment compartment. Plan around this panel so that plants cannot block your access. Also remember that if you have multiple people in your hot tub, water may flow over the edges. If this happens often enough, it may harm any plants that are too close. Measure a foot or so away from the hot tub’s base before you add plants. Hardscape, gravel, or other plant-free landscaping options are great ideas for the base of the area surrounding your hot tub, as opposed to grass or soil—plus, it will give your plants a healthy environment that’s pleasing to the eye.

If you have a hot tub, consider sticking to native Californian plants for an authentic look. While lush, tropical plants will give the area a relaxing feel, they may have to be replanted every spring. An often-overlooked aspect of hot tub landscaping is scent. Shrubs like jasmine or lavender will surround you with a sweet, relaxing scent when the flowers are blooming.

Stay away from trees or tall bushes. While you may feel enclosed and private, these plants will drop leaves, seedpods, and branches onto or into your hot tub. Keeping the plants near a hot tub relatively low will also discourage birds from roosting nearby.

Your hot tub is your personal oasis. Take the time to plan the landscaping, and you’ll be rewarded with an area that is easy to maintain and beautiful as well.

Visit one of our three Bay Area showrooms located in San Rafael, San Mateo, and Concord to learn more.