6 tips to choose the best plants around the pool
Which plants are best for creating a beautiful pool-side paradise? Here are 6 tips to approach poolside plants.
Nowadays, your customers often use their gardens as living rooms so pool landscaping is vital. Building a pool or pool staging (i.e. renovation and upgrades) need careful thought! What specific issues have to be solved and what are the best plants for the pool side? Here are 6 tips to help you get to grips with projects like these successfully.
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1. Choose chlorine-resistant plants
In fact, most plants resist chlorine and salt pool treatments. But to play it safe and protect plants from accidental splashes, leave at least a meter between the plant - including grass - and the pool – which has the added benefit of simplifying pool maintenance. Plants particularly resistant to chlorine include:
- palm trees;
- rose laurel;
- Korean velvet (Mascarene) “no mow” grass;
- honeysuckle;
- ivy;
- rosemary;
- Chinese hibiscus.
And remember that if your customers worry about the health of their surrounding plants there are alternatives to chlorine for treating the water in the pool!
2. Plant evergreens to do away with dead leaves
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It is a good idea to plant evergreens and hardy perennial flowers close to pools. This way, you save time as you don’t need to scoop up organic waste in the water and filtration systems don’t clog up. As the trend is towards maintenance-free gardens, the plants homeowners need include:
- attractive small conifers like thuyas;
- juniper;
- ground-covering like spindle;
- African white lilies and some kinds of hibiscus.
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3. Use plants which repel unwanted insects
Bees, yes, but mosquitoes and wasps, no! Nobody wants to be bitten by insects as they take the plunge. If your customer prefers to repel these undesirable visitors, use plants like:
- peppermint;
- strongly scented lemon basil and lemongrass;
- marigolds which attract useful insects but repel all the others.
The best way to get rid of unwanted insects is to divert their attention. By planting a flower bed far away from the swimming pool or by creating another water source like fountain or pond, your customers can swim trouble-free while supporting biodiversity in their gardens. A win-win solution. Pool-side barbecues will be even more enjoyable!
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4. Adapt the choice of plants to the way the pool is orientated
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Usually pools face due South to make the most of the sun. And if they are also located in areas with hot climates, it is vital to choose plants able to resist high temperatures and lack of water in periods of drought to ensure that the pools stay pleasant all year round. This is why pools favor Mediterranean plants like:
- lavender for its scent and the way it attracts bees;
- some kinds of palm trees to reinforce the Mediterranean atmosphere;
- pelargoniums for their bright colors;
- pennisetum grass with its graphic foliage.
In addition to the plants, refresh pool beaches with judiciously selected pool surrounds.
5. Choose trees and shrubs with small root systems
Some plants develop root systems big enough to crack pool walls. To choose which trees and shrubs to plant beside pools, you must know their rooting type. Generally speaking, never plant big trees near pools to get a maximum amount of sunshine! Prefer trees and shrubs with small spherical roots or vertical root systems like:
- hawthorns;
- Japanese lilacs;
- ornamental cherry trees.
6. The best plants around the pool guarantee privacy with no loss of security
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All customers want to ensure their pool is protected from prying eyes. This is why pool landscaping must include hedges, shrubs and view blockers.
However, garden plants should not prevent pool monitoring from houses or terraces, particularly if children are going to use them! Use ground-covering plants, perennials or small shrubs to create zones and brighten pool surroundings.
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Knowing how to choose the best plants around the pool requires in-depth knowledge of all the challenges involved in pool building. To re-look your pool landscaping sales pitch, come to Piscine Global Europe to meet the exhibitors specializing in the subject.
