A pool offers a beckoning oasis, luring people of all ages to plunge inside. You can dress up your pool, making it all the more special by adding potted plants around the borders. Plants help bring life and design to your pool, but if you pick the wrong kinds of plants you will wish you never had. There are certain types of plants that are better for landscaping your pool than others. Here we explain the best ways you can use plants when landscaping your pool. (See how to use plants when landscaping your pool)
5 Reasons To Use Potted Plants When Landscaping Your Pool
1. Add Color
Pools are bright blue beauties that add a pop of color to your yard on their own. But add pops of green and other pretty colors to the borders of your pool, and you will notice the blue stands out even more.
2. Break Up Space
Pools are typically surrounded by concrete on all sides, and can get a bit bare looking without some upgrades. Adding potted plants around the borders will help break up the space, adding flare and design.
3. Add Privacy
Unless you like the idea of swimming in a fish bowl, you probably want some privacy around your pool. Taller plants placed around the edges of the pool, or further out around the borders of your yard, will naturally shield you from the curious eyes of nosy neighbors.
4. Add Height
No matter how big your pool is if it is built into the ground it is never going to be tall. An in ground pool is ground level when filled with water, therefore adding planter beds and potted plants around the borders helps create the height necessary for good design. You don’t have to buy the tallest planter; instead you can buy a normal sized planter and fill it with a tall plant, shrub, or a dwarf tree instead.
5. Add Shade
Pools are almost always directly in the line of fire from the sun. Plus, since the sun reflects off of the water your potential for bad sunburn increases. Help everyone that swims in your pool by adding pockets of shade. You don’t need to build some wild awning over your pool; instead you can add tall plants and shrubbery around the pool border. (See effective ways to provide shade around your pool)
What Types Of Plants Are Best For Landscaping Your Pool Area?
Not every pool area serves the same purpose or is used in the same way. Plus, not all pools are located in the same climate. All pools are different, and therefore the best-potted plants for you to decorate your pool with will vary. Here are some questions to consider when deciding on the right plants for your pool landscaping.
Will you be heating your pool?
If so, this can let off humidity that can be damaging to certain plants.
Will there be a lot of splashing going on around the pool?
If you have kids that are playing wildly about and constantly soaking the plants nearby, you don’t want to plant foliage that doesn’t do well with too much water.
Will you be using chlorine or other chemicals to keep your pool clean?
If plants are splashed with pool water they are exposed to these chemicals, which could damage some plants easier than others.
Do you want low maintenance plants, or do you not mind some extra work?
Some plants are gorgeous and offer very little maintenance, and other plants, well not so much. Honestly ask yourself how much work do you want to put in to keep your pool plants looking nice. The answer to this question can help you make your final decisions. (Decide what plants to use for landscaping your pool)
Some Great Plants To Use When Landscaping Your Pool
Picking the right trees to go around your pool is so important. You want some diversity, but make sure all of the plants work well together and have similar needs.
Plants and plant attributes that make for the best plants around pools:
-Tough, able to withstand a lot of local rough housing, splashing, etc.
-Trees with large leafs are great because they typically do not shed as much. Although, beware that you don’t pick a shedder with large leaves, otherwise the oversize plant droppings can clog your pool equipment.
-Dwarf palm trees are nice because the do not have an invasive root system and produce little waste.
-Dwarf evergreen trees are great for pool landscaping. They are small enough to fit into a planter and they do not attract bees or other bugs. Plus, they reduce your pool maintenance because they don’t shed much. (Read more on the best choices for trees)
Plants to Avoid When Landscaping Your Pool Area
Do a quick search of any plant you are planning to plant around your pool to make sure it doesn’t present any major issues. For instance, the weeping willow likes water so much it is known to poke through pool structures to access water inside. Or what about a blue spruce, which will look amazing at first but can grow up to 50 feet tall in only 10 years, dramatically changing the ideas you had when originally landscaping your pool.
Here are some things to avoid when picking out plants for pool landscaping:
- Plants containing pollen, or are otherwise known to attract bees and other buzzing pests (such as mint, Caryopteris, vitex and bee balm).
- Trees or plants that shed their leaves with the passing seasons, such as crape myrtle, otherwise you’ll be scooping stuff out of the pool far more often than you might assume. (Get more information on avoiding a messy pool every season)
- Avoid pine trees—unless you like collecting pine needles from your pool all day, all night.
- Plants that produce fruit, just like plants that shed a lot of leaves, fruit trees will litter the pool and cause more work on your part. Plus, you don’t want fruit in your pool because it can stain the concrete and clog up pool equipment.
- Plants with thorns or other harmful characteristics, as these won’t feel too good to slide into while playing in and around the pool.
- Plants with invasive root systems will eventually grow far under the ground and could disrupt the concrete or the structure of the pool. One way to make sure you don’t find invasive roots causing problems is to plant your poolside foliage in pots. (Find out how to avoid invasive roots around your pool)
Another important thing to consider when picking plants for landscaping your pool is the quality of the planter. You want solid pots that will survive the elements and the extra wear and tear from being next to a pool. For the highest quality planters on the market, check out our vast selection at TerraCast Planters today for the perfect solutions when landscaping your pool!