Good plants for around your swimming pool

Putting in plants around your pool not only looks good, but it also improves the overall pool experience by providing privacy, shade and wind protection. If you’re not a green thumb, don’t worry, here are a few suggestions to help with your pool planting and landscaping.

First things first, you’ll need to keep in mind that your plants need to be pool friendly. By pool friendly we mean, plants that are reasonably hardy that can survive in an environment where they’re likely to be exposed to full sun, wind, salt and chemicals.

Sourcing the right plants that suit your conditions is the best way to make sure that they last, are not to much work (constantly pulling leaves out of the pool) and also look right! Our friends at The Gap Handyman Centre have a great range of pots, mulches and landscaping supplies to get you started!

3 things to think about when choosing plants.

Clean up

Trees or plants that shed small leaves will create endless clean up and can wreak havoc on your automatic cleaners as well as water balance and filter. If you’re set on planting trees around your pool, consider deciduous trees which drop their leaves in autumn, you can protect your pool with a cover. Evergreens will shed year-round, requiring constant maintenance.

Keep it safe

Make sure you’re adhering to local council regulations such as the legal requirement to ensure there are no climbable objects near your pool fence, including trees. Read our article on pool gate and fence safety here. Another thing to consider is the practicality of your plantings. While cactuses or bougainvillea can look great, their spikes don’t mix well with kids playing around the pool.

Damage

Avoid plants that have the potential to damage your pool surrounds with their root systems. Bamboo, Umbrella Trees, Palms and Rubber Trees are some of the species that can cause problems in your underground plumbing and paving, that can result in an expensive fix.

So, what are some pool friendly plants?

Ornamental Grasses - poolside plants

Ornamental grasses

Making little to no mess, they’re hardy and great for creating different layers with other smaller plants and larger trees. A few different types to keep your eye out for are Blue Fescue Grass and New Zealand Flax.

Lemongrass

Did you know that lemongrass plants can repel mozzies? So when landscaping around your pool or spa, consider lemongrass for a mosquito-free, relaxing time outside.

Agave - poolside plants

Agave (Attenuata)

This variety of Agave is great for beside the pool as its basically indestructible and they’re virtually maintenance free! It can thrive in both full sun and low-light conditions, plus it doesn’t shed its leaves. You only need to trim off any withered leaves once in a while to keep it looking tidy.

Palm trees

Palms are the perfect addition to a pool area because they don’t drop small leaves that would make for more cleaning, their fronds provide much-needed shade from the full afternoon sun and they bring that tropical feel to the pool area. Some medium-sized varieties that are ideal for a pool area are Kentias and Sugarcane palms. *Palms have quite aggressive root systems so keeping them away from or protecting the underground pipework is important

Bird of paradise - Poolside Plants

Bird of Paradise

With beautiful broad leaves and the orange and purple flowers, the Bird of Paradise is a hardy plant that can withstand a variety of weather conditions. They can grow to a substantial size, so it’s excellent for providing privacy and filling out space in your backyard. It’s an ideal plant for a pool area is it doesn’t drop leaves and can tolerate some splashing from the pool!

Agapanthus

Agapanthus - Poolside Plants

Another hardy plant to add to the list, it thrives in a wide range of environmental conditions, and is drought resistant which is perfect for long hot summers! Again, these plants don’t make a mess, and the bright green foliage and blue flowers look great anywhere.

There are endless options when it comes to landscaping your pool area, next time you’re looking to upgrade your poolside plant game, make sure you talk to your garden professional to get the right ones for you!

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