Gardening by the side of an outdoor pool not only adds life and serenity to the environment but also gives you many option to introduce privacy, shade, and seasonal interest to the landscape. Today’s posts gives some handy tips on gardening by the poolside.

1. Select low-maintenance, evergreen plants. They do not shed a lot of leaves. Deciduous plants shed a lot of leaves that clog filters.
2. When space is not an issue, grow plants at least 4 to 5 feet from the pool to keep debris and soil from contaminating the pool.
3. Pools create a micro environment – moist and humid. Carefully consider plants that can easily adjust to this type of climate.
4. Mix and match small trees, shrubs, ground covers, and seasonal bloomers to design a balanced landscape by the poolside.
5. Small trees are best for creating some shady spots where as shrubs and bushes can be planted for introducing interesting foliage and texture.
6. Use bushes or small trees to create privacy screens.
7. Creepers and ground covers are helpful in filling empty spaces and keeping debris and soil from washing away with rainwater.
8. Some succulents make nice accent plants and can be easily incorporated in your landscape design. Most of them are low on maintenance and last long.
9. Use ornamental grasses. There are many ornamental grasses that can grow to short and medium height and add delicate, feathery texture to the landscape. See examples of landscaping with ornamental grasses.
10. Use pergolas, and trellises, oversized planters to introduce artistic element and structural depth to the environment. See examples of modern trellis designs.

Besides a long list of plants to grow by the poolside, here is a list of some unusual and interesting plants that you should consider:

Shrubs & Bushes to grow along the poolside

• Kalanchoe beharensis – hardy and evergreen bush known for its distinct looks and unusual foliage
• Loropetalum chinense – evergreen shrub with fringe-like flowers that appear in spring and summer.
• Pelargonium trifidum – low-growing shrub with sprawling branches and brittle stems. The leaves are succulent and aromatic. When provided with proper support of a tree or fence, the plant can grow up to 1 meter.
• Alluaudia procera – a really striking succulent shrub grown for its ornamental value.
• Breynia disticha – makes an excellent plant for borders where it grows as a small shrub (up to 4 feet) and produces beautiful foliage of green, white and pink colors.

Small trees to grow by the poolside

• Schotia brachypetala – low-maintenance small tree with attractive evergreen foliage and large clusters of spring flowers.
• Amherstia nobilis – though hard to find, this low-maintenance tree produces very attractive and unusual flowers.
• Brownea coccinea – evergreen plant that grows into a small spreading tree and produces nice foliage and flowers.
• Nymania capensis – Evergreen shrubby tree known for its beautiful, rose-pink and papery seed pods that look like Chinese paper lantern.

Ornamental grasses to grow by the poolside

• Festuca glauca – a low maintenance and lovely ornamental grass
• Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra’ – a perennial grass with beautifully colored and textured blades
• Pennisetums
• Miscanthus sinensis
• Cortaderia selloana (Pampas Grass)

Accent plants to grow by the poolside:

• Bamboos
• Yuccas (such as Yucca filamentosa)
• Pachypodiums
• Banana tree
• Bird of Paradise

Examples of Gardening by the Poolside