Poolside Landscaping Should Emphasize Ease and Beauty

by Sean Conway

Leafy plants are better for poolside landscaping than flowers. Botanical expert Rob Gennari, left, helps
Leafy plants better for poolside landscaping

A backyard pool is a great place to relax in the summer heat, but it can present landscaping challenges.

Planting trees and shrubs too close to the pool should be avoided since they will block sunlight, not to mention deposit leaves and other debris in the pool.

A similar caveat applies to planting grass close to the edge of a pool. It may look pleasing, but every time the grass is mowed the clippings invariably end up in the water.

The whole point of a pool is to enjoy it, so you should avoid any landscaping that creates maintenance headaches.

I invited Rob Gennari, owner of Glendale Botanicals in Glendale, Mass., to visit "Cultivating Life" and share some tips on how to create beautiful poolside planters that are beautiful and easy to care for.

Rob recommends that you begin with big containers. Planting poolside containers requires a bold approach. Big bold containers provide the scale needed in the open space around a pool, and the containers themselves can add to the look.

Large containers can be heavy, especially terra cotta pots. Fortunately, lightweight fiberglass and plastic pots are available in a wide assortment of colors and shapes, many with a look similar to ceramic pots. Not only are they attractive, but they also retain moisture, reducing the amount of water needed to keep plants happy on hot summer days.

Next, choose plants with interesting shapes, textures and leaf color rather than relying on flowering plants. Flowering plants only look their best after several weeks of perfect growing conditions, Rob points out. And once the flowers begin to drop, you've got a cleanup job to do.

Use a soil mixture that will hold adequate moisture but also drain freely. Rob adds quality compost to his soil and mixes in a small amount of granular fertilizer, which provides a good source of nutrition to the rapidly growing plants.

Fill the container about three-quarters full with soil. Before potting the plants you've selected, place them into the container so you can see what the finished planter will look like. This gives you the opportunity to experiment with different plant combinations.

Rob recommends avoiding plants of all one color in the same container. Instead, mix light- and dark-leafed plants to provide contrast and visual interest.

He also recommends using tropical foliage plants, since they often have bold leaves and grow well on a hot poolside deck.

Once you have a pleasing combination of plants in place, remove them from their containers and plant them into your poolside pot. Angle each plant slightly outward toward the side of the container as you plant it. This positions the plant for better viewing and creates a more pleasing finished look.

As a final step, sprinkle a small amount of granular fertilizer on the soil surface to provide a mild feeding each time the pots are watered.

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