What Plants Work Around Pools?
Landscaping Around Swimming Pools: A Guide to Choosing the Right Plants
Landscaping around a swimming pool comes with a unique set of challenges due to the specific conditions created by the pool environment. These include higher humidity levels, intense sunlight reflected from pool surfaces, and potential exposure to chlorine, saltwater, and other chemicals. To create a beautiful and functional poolside area, it’s essential to select plants that can thrive in these conditions while meeting your aesthetic and practical needs.
Key Considerations for Poolside Planting
1. Privacy
Privacy is often a primary concern for pool areas, which are valued as private retreats. To enhance privacy, consider using trees, hedges, and vines:
Trees and Hedges: Trees can block unwanted views and provide shade. Evergreen varieties, such as Emerald Cedars, are ideal for year-round privacy and screening, especially around hot tubs and poolside areas. Cedar hedges also act as natural fences, offering both shade and privacy.
Vines: Vines like Honeysuckle, Wisteria, and Trumpet Vine can be trained to climb walls, trellises, or fences, providing quick and effective screening. They are also easy to maintain and add a lush, green backdrop.
2. Aesthetic Appeal
The visual appeal of the garden around your pool can greatly enhance your outdoor space. Focus on form, colour, and texture:
Form: Consider the mature shape of plants, especially in limited spaces. Columnar trees, such as Dawyck Beech, Sweetgum, and European Columnar Hornbeams, have minimal lateral growth and are perfect for narrow areas. Smaller trees like Paperbark Maple, Beeches, and Flowering Dogwood offer distinctive bark, interesting leaves, and attractive branching structures.
Colour: Utilize plants with varying colours of flowers, leaves, and bark. Flowering shrubs like Weigela and Spirea provide vibrant blooms and colourful foliage while being low-maintenance. Japanese Maples offer stunning leaf colour variations and intricate leaf patterns. For a striking focal point, consider a Purple Dawyck Beech with its unique purple leaves.
Texture: Incorporate perennials and ornamental grasses to create layers and textures. Daylilies, such as Stella D’Oro, offer consistent colour and require minimal maintenance. Ornamental grasses add a graceful form and blend well with other plants.
3. Maintenance
Ease of maintenance is a major concern for many homeowners. Consider the following when choosing plants:
Tree Selection: Opt for trees with manageable growth patterns. Avoid species that grow too quickly or have invasive root systems, such as Willows, Poplars, and Walnuts. Avoid fruiting trees like Crabapples and Plums, which can drop messy fruit and attract pests.
Leaf Structure: Choose trees with leaves that won’t drop excessive debris into the pool. Avoid species with large, coarse leaves or those that drop berries and soft fruits, which can stain and create a mess.
Pruning: Regular pruning helps maintain the desired shape and size of trees and shrubs, preventing them from becoming overgrown and interfering with the pool area.
4. Chemical Tolerance
Pool environments expose plants to chlorine, saltwater, and other chemicals, which can affect their health. Here’s how to manage this:
Splashing: Occasional splashing from the pool should not be a major issue if the plants are well-watered, which helps dilute the chemicals. However, avoid excessive exposure, as high concentrations can damage plants.
Backwashing: Avoid placing plants in areas where pool water is backwashed or where chemicals accumulate. The concentration of chemicals in backwashed water can be harmful and persist in the soil.
By carefully selecting plants that match your privacy needs, aesthetic preferences, and maintenance requirements, you can create a beautiful and functional landscape around your pool. With thoughtful planning and appropriate plant choices, you’ll enjoy a stunning poolside garden that enhances your outdoor space year-round.
