Removing a pool in the Southern Highlands isn’t just the end of something, it’s the beginning of a genuinely exciting garden opportunity. The flat, open space left behind is perfect for planting, and the Southern Highlands’ cool-temperate climate means you can grow plants that are simply impossible in warmer coastal NSW.
This guide is a practical planting reference: what to grow, when to plant it, and how to make the most of the climate advantages that make the Highlands one of the best garden-growing regions in Australia.
Quick Answer (BLUF)
The Southern Highlands supports exceptional growth of cool-climate fruiting plants (apples, pears, stone fruit, berries), formal hedging and topiary, heritage and old-fashioned roses, herbaceous perennials (peonies, delphiniums, lupins), cool-season vegetables and leafy greens, and deciduous ornamental trees. All perform better here than in coastal NSW. The flat, sunny space left after pool removal is ideal for any of these, and the Highlands’ reliable moisture means establishment is usually straightforward.
Soil Preparation First
Before planting anything in the post-pool area, invest in soil preparation. The topsoil layer added by the contractor (typically 150-200mm) is a starting point, but it lacks the organic matter and microbial life of an established garden bed. Before planting:
- Work in 100-150mm of compost (garden or mushroom compost)
- Add a slow-release balanced fertiliser
- For vegetable gardens, add well-aged manure
- Test pH if planting acid-requiring plants (blueberries, azaleas, rhododendrons prefer pH 4.5-5.5)
- Allow two to four weeks for the amendments to begin breaking down before planting
If the old pool sat in a low point of the yard, also see our guide to cold-climate garden design over a filled pool for matching plant choices to the frost pocket that can form over a backfilled excavation.
If you’re planning a dedicated orchard row or berry planting rather than mixed garden beds, our guide to planting an orchard over a filled pool covers the specific considerations, root depth, backfill type and variety spacing, that come with planting over a former pool footprint.
If you want to grow beyond what the open Highlands climate allows, seedlings well ahead of the last frost, tomatoes and capsicums that struggle to ripen outdoors, or citrus that need winter protection, a greenhouse is worth considering for the same flat, sunny footprint. See our guide to building a greenhouse over the old pool site for siting, compaction and design considerations.
Fruiting Plants: The Highlands Advantage
Fruit trees and berries are where the Southern Highlands’ climate most dramatically outperforms coastal NSW. Many premium fruit varieties require “chilling hours”, a certain number of hours below 7°C during winter, to break dormancy and fruit reliably. The Highlands, with cold winters and reliable frosts, meets these requirements for virtually every temperate fruit.
Apples
The Highlands is genuine apple country, the cool summers prevent the heat stress that blights coastal apple growing, and the winter chill perfectly meets the requirements of premium heritage and classic varieties:
Recommended varieties for the post-pool garden:
- Granny Smith (the classic Highlands apple, originated from a spontaneous seedling in NSW)
- Cox’s Orange Pippin (exceptional flavour, reliable in cool climates)
- Fuji (excellent storage quality, reliable cropper)
- Braeburn (tangy, excellent for cooking and eating)
- Pink Lady (needs good summer warmth, best on a north-facing, sheltered aspect in the Highlands)
Apples are best planted as bare-rooted trees in winter (June-August). Choose dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstocks for a garden setting, they fruit earlier and are more manageable in size. Plant with a stake in the first two years.
Pears and Quinces
Pears require even more chill hours than apples and perform magnificently in the Highlands:
- Beurré Bosc (the quintessential cooking and eating pear)
- Williams Bon Chrétien (excellent flavour, reliable in cool climates)
- Quince ‘Smyrna’ or ‘Pineapple’, underused but spectacular in the Highlands
Quinces are particularly suited to the post-pool garden: they’re low-maintenance, disease-resistant, spectacularly ornamental in flower and fruit, and make extraordinary quince paste and jelly.
Stone Fruit
Plums and cherries do well in the Highlands; peaches and nectarines require careful siting (warmer, sheltered aspect) and netting for bird protection:
- Santa Rosa plum (reliable, good flavour)
- Mariposa blood plum (beautiful colour, sweet)
- Morello cherry (self-fertile, excellent for cooking)
- Bing cherry (requires cross-pollination, needs netting from birds)
Berries
Cool-climate berries are among the most rewarding crops in a Highlands garden:
Raspberries: The classic Highlands berry. Summer-fruiting varieties (Willamette, Lloyd George, Heritage) fruit December-January. Autumn-fruiting varieties (Autumn Bliss, Joan J) fruit March-April. Easy to establish, high yields, excellent flavour.
Blackcurrants and redcurrants: Rarely available fresh in supermarkets, extraordinarily easy to grow in the Highlands. Fruit in early summer. Excellent for jams, cordials and baking.
Blueberries: Require acid soil (pH 4.5-5.0), if your soil isn’t naturally acidic, grow in raised beds with purpose-prepared blueberry mix. Rabbiteye varieties (Brightwell, Bluegem) suit the Highlands.
Gooseberries: Underused but outstanding in a Highlands climate. Transparent, Hinnomaki Red and Martlet are reliable varieties.
Ornamental Trees
The flat, open space left by a pool often benefits from a feature tree, something that provides structure, seasonal interest and scale:
If you’re planning a fire pit or outdoor entertaining area within the old footprint rather than a full garden bed, a windbreak hedge of evergreens along the exposed side makes a real difference to comfort on cold Highlands evenings, see our guide to fire pit and outdoor room conversions for how the planting and the hard-surface design work together.
Deciduous trees for autumn colour:
- Pin oak (Quercus palustris), spectacular autumn colour, tolerates occasional waterlogging
- Liquid amber (Liquidambar styraciflua), the iconic Highlands street tree
- Japanese maple (Acer palmatum varieties), smaller scale, extraordinary leaf colour, suits sheltered spots
- Ornamental cherry (Prunus serrulata varieties), spring blossom spectacle
Structural evergreens:
- Magnolia grandiflora, large, architectural, spectacular in flower
- Camellia japonica varieties, excellent for shade, winter and spring flower
- Michelia champaca varieties, fragrant, frost-tolerant once established
Roses
No garden in the Southern Highlands feels complete without roses, and the climate is near-perfect for them. The cool nights and reliable moisture produce deep colour and long vase life. Old-fashioned and heritage roses are particularly suited:
Best rose types for the post-pool garden:
- English Roses (David Austin), repeat-flowering, strong fragrance, excellent in cool climates
- Old Garden Roses (gallicas, damasks, albas), one-flowering but spectacularly beautiful, disease-resistant
- Climbing roses, for the fence, wall or pergola that often replaces pool fencing
Avoid: Modern Hybrid Tea roses are more disease-prone in the Highlands’ wet winters without diligent spraying. English Roses and old garden types are far easier to manage organically.
Cool-Season Vegetables
The Highlands’ cool summers make it perfect for extended cool-season vegetable growing:
- Leafy greens: Spinach, silverbeet, kale, Asian greens, lettuce, all extended seasons in the cool climate
- Brassicas: Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, exceptional quality in Highlands cool
- Root vegetables: Beetroot, carrots, parsnips, celeriac, all benefit from cool nights for sweetness
- Legumes: Broad beans, peas, climbing beans, excellent
- Alliums: Garlic, onions, leeks, the cool winter is ideal for garlic vernalisation
Herbaceous Perennials
Herbaceous perennials that die back in winter and return in spring are the backbone of the Highlands’ cottage and formal garden style:
- Peonies, the signature Highlands perennial flower, outstanding performance in cool climates, spectacular in late November
- Delphiniums, towering blue spires, cool climate essential, stake against Highlands winds
- Lupins, easy, bold, self-sowing; informal and cottage in character
- Hostas, shade-lovers for the shadow of the house or new trees
- Hellebores, winter-flowering, deep shade tolerant, ideal under deciduous trees
FAQs
What if I want a lawn instead of garden beds?
A standard lawn over the backfilled area tolerates the same soil preparation as any garden bed. If you want more than a lawn that just looks even, a genuinely flat surface suited to a casual game of tennis or a proper croquet lawn, the backfill and levelling specification needs to be tighter than a standard garden lawn from the outset. See our guide to precision levelling for a lawn tennis or croquet flat after pool fill for what’s involved.
When is the best time to plant in the post-pool area?
For trees and shrubs, autumn (March-May) or winter (June-August) bare-rooted planting is best, the plants are dormant and establish their root systems before having to support leaf growth. For perennials and vegetable gardens, spring (September-November) is the main planting season in the Highlands. Lawn seed establishes best in autumn (March-May).
My pool was removed in summer, can I plant immediately?
You can establish a lawn in summer with irrigation, but summer is a tough establishment time for trees and shrubs in the Southern Highlands (hot days, winds, cold nights). Better to prepare the soil in summer, plant green manure or a temporary ground cover, and plant the permanent garden in autumn or early winter.
Will roots from new trees cause problems with the backfill below?
Tree roots follow available water and nutrients. In a well-compacted backfill, roots develop primarily in the topsoil layer first and penetrate deeper as the fill consolidates. Standard sized ornamental and fruit trees planted 2-3 metres from the old pool boundary should not cause any backfill issues. Avoid large, aggressive-rooted species (willows, large poplars) directly over the old pool area.
Can I grow vegetables directly over the backfill area?
Yes. The topsoil layer (150-200mm) is sufficient for annual vegetable growing once amended with compost and fertiliser. Raised beds built above the backfill surface create even better growing conditions by increasing effective soil depth and improving drainage.