Nothing ruins a nice day of soaking in your pool like having to skim the water for leaves and debris! We recommend preventing the problem before it starts by choosing the right plants for your pool. You want to pick plants that enhance the beautiful, relaxing environment of your pool and outdoor living space, but offer ease of maintenance and cleanliness, as well. If you’re wondering about the best plants to landscape around your pool, The Green Scene has the answers you need.
Trees
While trees are great for adding shade to your backyard, it’s important to choose the right ones. Some trees have invasive roots and can’t be too close to a pool, while others may grow too large. Proper plant selection and use of root barriers and waterproofing are critical. The wrong tree can end up growing against your pool underground, causing both extensive physical and financial damage to your pool. They are also culprits of sending leaves, sticks, and other debris that will only land in your pool’s water and clog the filter.
One of our favorite choices for trees around the pool are from the Palm family. Pigmy, Sego, Date, Mediterranean and Queen Palms all behave well around concrete and water. Often, our first choice is the Queen Palm, as they provide some shade, and you won’t have to worry about small leaves falling off into the water.
Flowers and other plants
When it comes to flowers and other plants to landscape around your pool, you want to find plant varieties that are lovely and lush, but offer less litter. The Green Scene’s Garden Artisan, Scott Cohen has a list of his top choices for the best swimming pool plants, which include:
Bird of Paradise
Papyrus
Hibiscus
Fortnight Lily
Golden Euonymus
Agapanthus
Heavenly Bamboo
Succulents also provide rich greenery, thrive in dry Southern California, and you never have to worry about leaves in your pool.
All of these plants offer a great pop of color and foliage around your pool, without constantly shedding leaves and flowers into the water.
Here’s the buzz on Mosquitos:
Another tip we offer our clients is to invest in mosquito-repellent plants. Did you know that there are several different kinds of plants that mosquitoes don’t like? Now you can thoroughly enjoy your pool with less worry about mosquitos. If you’re looking for plants that are natural mosquito repellants, consider planting:
Citronella Grass
Marigolds
Lavender
Rosemary
And herbs like:
Lemon Balm
Basil
Peppermint (careful – highly invasive, and a bigger commitment than marriage)
All of these repel mosquitos from your backyard and pool. Not only do they look great beside your swimming pool, but they are useful if you like to clip some for kitchen use. Basil goes well with any tomato dish and peppermint makes a lovely tea.
The Green Scene Landscaping and Pools will help you select the best plants to landscape around your pool. We have the most talented collection of experts to assist you in transforming your backyard and swimming pool into your own private paradise. Contact us to work with the best landscape design team in Los Angeles today!
