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Enhancing your pool area with soft landscaping is a great way to provide shade, wind protection and privacy from

nosy neighbours. With a little thought and careful planning, you can use plants to transform your pool into a tropical oasis. To ensure your gardening efforts don’t go to waste, Sydney Pool + Outdoor Design provides some top tips on how to make the most out of your poolside garden.

If you ask anyone with a green thumb what the most important rule of gardening is, the answer will almost always be the same: do your research! The environment around your pool will usually determine the plants you can choose from, because just like animals, different plants require different living conditions to grow properly. From plenty of sunlight to enough water, space or soil, there’s a lot to consider when it comes to the plant species you can use. It’s also particularly essential to pay close attention to your plants’ needs, especially when they’re exposed to your swimming pool.

FATAL ATTRACTIONMastering your poolside gardening can be tricky, but these simple guidelines will help ensure your pool area grows into the beautiful space you have always envisaged.

Try to avoid trees or plants that are susceptible to shedding, not just in autumn, but all year round. Fallen leaves are notorious for staining pool paving and coping and clogging up expensive cleaning and filtration equipment. Leaves left on the pool floor can also cause discolouration to the lining and easily result in costly repairs.

Plants with invasive root systems should also be avoided at all costs, especially if your pool is still

When pools are involved, there’s a fine line between creating the Garden of Eden and a barren landscape. Lush greenery and thriving plants are supposed to bring your garden to life, but the wrong choices can do just the opposite. Here, April Davis looks at the dos and don’ts of poolside gardening.

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under warranty. A large oak tree, for example, is a bad choice for your pool area because its roots will spread and destroy your pool shell, as well as its edging and any hard landscaping installed in the area. Bamboo, umbrella and rubber trees are clear winners aesthetically, however, they often cause extensive damage to underground plumbing and paving. It’s also important to remember that most pool manufacturing and design companies won’t cover any plant damage under their warranties.

On the other hand, a pool-friendly and hardy plant will be able to withstand a number of factors, including full sun or shade, wind and intermittent exposure to salt or chlorine splashes. Despite all of these restrictions, there’s an abundance of native and exotic plants that are perfect for your poolside. The species you choose, however, will depend on whether your pool is saltwater or chlorinated.

SALTY BUT DEADLYOver the years there has been much debate over which type of pool is better, saltwater or chlorinated. While there may be no clear-cut winner, salt can be just as deadly for some plants as chlorine is for others. Saltwater splashing on plants that can’t tolerate large amounts of sodium can be fatal, or at the very least, leave your soft landscaping looking dull and lifeless.

Plants with silvery, furry, or waxy leaves are usually the best types to use around saltwater pools. Some good examples of these are agave attenuate, bromeliads, echiums, cycads, westringia, coastal banksia, chinese hibiscus, olive trees and rosemary. Mixtures of palms are also good because they can withstand salt exposure and provide good shade.

CHEMICAL REACTIONChlorine is a powerful chemical that’s very good at disinfecting a pool and killing bacteria. Consistent exposure to the chemicals in chlorine, however, can have negative effects on your garden. Watering your plants with normal tap water that contains small levels of chlorine will be harmless, but the amounts used to keep pools clean can cause wilting and even rot in the leaves of your beautiful plants.

As a general rule, plants with tough, leathery leaves can better withstand chemical damage from chlorine. Mondo grass, cordyline and star jasmine are good examples of these and are popular options to use around chlorinated pools.

If you incorporate a selection of hardy plants by your poolside, water splashed on them through

normal pool use shouldn’t cause any problems. Deciduous plants, such as frangipani, however, are best avoided.

SAFETY FIRSTFinally, once you’re confident you have selected plants that will thrive by your poolside, you will also need to consider how they will affect your lifestyle. If you have young children, or enjoy entertaining outdoors, some simple safety considerations will be worthwhile.

As lovely as roses, cacti and a range of succulents are, they also pose a threat to the safety of pool-goers. As much as you tell your kids not to run by the pool, they always will, and the last thing you want is them slipping and falling into a sharp and prickly bush.

Another safety issue that can easily slip your mind is the prevalence of bees and wasps around certain plant species. As harmless as they seem buzzing around in the air, they can quickly become a pest when they mistake happy swimmers for an enticing honeysuckle or bottlebrush. To try and keep the bees or wasps away, avoid sweet clovers, delphinium, queen anne’s lace, wisteria, larkspur, and lavender. These species quickly become a hive of activity during prime swimming season and are a major pain, especially if you’re allergic.

Poolside gardening can be incredibly rewarding and is the perfect addition to any outdoor landscaping. With a little thought and planning you can transform your pool into a luxurious haven, which means you can spend more time enjoying yourself and less time worrying about the plant life.

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