Enhance Your Poolside Experience: The Best Plants To Surround Your Pool

Summer is here and with it pool parties and other outdoor entertaining. If you’ve put in a new pool this year, no doubt you’re excited to show it off to family and friends over the holiday season. Good landscaping around your pool can transform it into an attractive backyard oasis – but what to plant?

Poorly chosen plants that struggle with pool chemicals and hot sunny conditions, can end up looking like dried out tumbleweed instead of the lush, green, relaxing holiday vibe you were envisaging. With a bit of planning, you can take your pool from something basic to a feature worthy of the latest eco-resort and all while keeping things low maintenance. Read on for our best tips when it comes to poolside planting.

Different situations call for different plants, so start by assessing your pool zone and think about what it is you need from your planting. Is your pool situated in shade or full sun? Do you need privacy? Is there a pergola or trellis that you’d like to train plants over? Bear in mind that in Queensland, a pool barrier must be at least 1200mm in height above the ground level. Any surrounding landscaping or garden beds should not provide any climbable objects or surfaces.

 If you want to have a clear view into the pool, stick to low growing grasses, ground covers and small shrubs. Grasses such as Lily Turf, Mat Rush or Blue Flax Lily (dianella) or Mondo Grass are all great options and will give good coverage without blocking visibility.

Lily Turf or Liriope muscari.

Choose evergreens for that year-round lush green look. Small shrubs like Xanadu or Agapanthus which are evergreen, low growing and low maintenance are perfect.

Agapanthus, also known as Lily of the Nile.

Xanadu is a low maintenance evergreen that will look great in a poolside garden.

Do you need some screening around your pool?  Some taller tropicals might just do the trick and give you that much needed privacy. Cordylines and Crotons come in a range of different sizes and will give a pop of colour. Mix them in with Elephant Ears and False Cardamom to help create a tropical effect.

Cordylines can bring a tropical feel to your poolside planting.

Heliconia’s have a tall narrow form. They have banana like leaves, exotic, tropical flowers and are relatively easy care. They love the Queensland climate and will really add to the resort style feel.

Heliconias are a fast growing plant and form a great screen.

Is your pool in full sun? Choose plants that will cope with the hot sunny conditions. Poolside planting also needs to be able to stand up to the chemicals contained in pool water like chlorine and salt. This calls for some tough options. Try Coastal Rosemary, Mat Rush or Wild Iris and plant a metre back from the pool and out of the ‘splash zone’.

Is your pool ready for the summer entertaining season? We design outdoor spaces and gardens, help with material selections and plant selections. If you’d like help with your outside space, call now for a no obligation chat. We are now taking bookings for 2024.