From our Guest Book today,,, another inquiry...

we are in the process of installing an inground swimming pool.i would info. on landscaping, best plants,schrubs,ground cover&best mulch to use around pool. also any tips you might have on landscaping.thank you
mike(coach)winfield
san antonio, tx u.s.a - Tuesday, August 01, 2000 at 15:20:16 (CDT)

Don't plant any grass upwind of the pool. It really screws up the filters when you mow. I have oleanders on 2 sides of my pool. I think it looks rather nice when the flowers float in the pool, but it makes my husband crazy. Our pool area is open to the southwest, which unfortunately is the direction from which the prevailing wind blows. We have tired of dealing with debris blowing into the pool and are installing a raised bed in which we plan to put ornamental grasses and junipers, which shouldn't be very messy and should block wind and blowing sand. Please keep in mind, this plan was devised after a year of trying to use the established plantings and the expenditure of several $100's of dollars on pool filters. At some point I am hoping to have some planters with perennials around the pool for interest. I live on top of a hill and the wind almost always blows. You may not have that same problem.

Short of attempting an entire virtual design for you Mike, I will highlight some of the plants I use around our pool's cement decking. But first you need to decide what style or theme appeals most to you - such as tropical, formal, native flora, ethnic, or more traditional to your neighborhood. Then consider the maintanance involved and the appropriate environmental implications before selecting specific plants. Considering your area may have similar terrain to mine - shallow black clay over lime stone? and long hot summers, mild winters, some of my choices might work for you.

One side of our pool is lawn. I made the other side a bed so as to enjoy blooms at eye level while in the pool. The other factors dictated some evergreen foliage for winter, no deciduous trees and that it receives nearly full sun and has high drainage due to the underlying French drain. The evergreens are 'Blue Point' junipers edged with phlox subulata behind which I keep a blooming border. Use our search engine on the home page to find ref to my 'French drain' bloomers. Another good edging is the reseeding annual 'rose moss' for summer daytime blooms if you don't mind the winter bareness or want to replace them with winter annuals or mulch at first frost. There are also nice creeping junipers for edging as long they are kept from foot traffic - some of them not being barefoot-friendly. As for mulch, I have not had a problem with coarsely shredded cypress blowing into the pool, but pecan shell hulls are cruel to bare feet if they escape the border. I have also used economical lawn clippings there too. They do not blow after being hosed down the first day or two, as they then form an almost solid mat that stays-put due to rapid decomposition in summer.

Hope this helps and if anyone else has some more ideas for Mike, please jump in!

Only just now saw your posting Carolynn, after entering mine. Great ideas - Thanks. I love petals in the pool too!

Our lawn alongside the cement decking is power 'blowed' clean right after mowing and is also cut with a bagger on the mower along there to minimize loose bits that would otherwise get tracked into the pool - esp with kiddos romping around. Adults tend to walk along the decking instead of tearing wildly around - I remember that - that thing called 'fun' ;-)

I'm glad you indicate not using lawn poolside, since it does involve more maintenance and spurs me to tell how we deal with clippings-control.

The strip of lawn we used to have along one end of the pool was also power 'blowed' clean right after mowing.....the wind 'blowed' it right into the pool!!!

I don't mean to argue with you, Maggie, but if Mike is in a windy place, cypress mulch will blow in a strong wind. Another of my re-landscaping projects is a different bed poolside, and this Spring about 4 bags-worth of cypress mulch blew out of that bed and into the pool over the course of a few days of very windy weather. And....it had been down long enough that it shouldn't have blown. That was when I decided on rimming the edge of the bed with low growing junipers, to hopefully catch the mulch before it hit the pool.

So glad you tell of your experience with the mulch shredded cypress Caro. Even tho it works for me within suburban confines and in my beds position, I can see how a totally diff exposure 'where the wind blows free' would make all the difference. I like the idea of junipers too, as they will eventually cover solid enough to negate the use of any mulch under the stems.

Now this must be the ultimate idea for windy poolsides - cobbles for mulch or any other beautiful heavy stones between plantings!

We just installed an in-ground pool. We fenced in the perimeter of our property with ornamental fencing. The pool area is wide open with just lawn on all sides. Would like to plant something that can be maintained at about four or five feet in height to break off the pool area from the lawn and provide some privacy as well. We live in upstate New York (cold winters). Suggestions have included arbovitae or hemlocks, not that fond of either - any other suggestions for our climate would be most appreciated.

Sorry, Tom, nothing that we grow in our Pacific NW garden - except arborvitae and hemlocks - would survive your winters. Your best bet might be to visit a local nursery and ask for their recommendations.

Another idea might be to check with your local ag. extension service. Or you might enjoy visiting a local botanic gardens for ideas too. It would be great if you could chat with one of the hort specialist while there.
Terry, what is the Latin for the yew they use so often in old estate gardens? Do you know its hardiness range? or maybe you have some other suggestions for Tom?

Maggie, I think it's Taxus baccata, the English Yew. According to my reference books, it won't survive the cold winters in upstate NY. Also, it might be too slow-growing to be a good screen.

If Yew won't survive then I am at a bit of a loss for suggestions. I wonder if Laurel or Ilex would be hardy? Lonicera nitida is a good one for low hedging, once again, if it will survive so far North. Unfortunately most of my books only show what is hardy over here in England.

We are going to have a pool installed next month. I want to make sure that I do this right so I'm glad I found your site. We would like to have a river rock bed on the outer rim of the concrete around the pool. I don't just want plain rocks there though, I would like to plant some small bushes or flowers for a bit of decoration. We live in upstate SC (the north western tip of the state) and I was wondering if you had any suggestions for plants that would do well in that type of setting. I would prefer some that have a light fragrant smell.

Great idea Melissa. Lavender and Cheddar Pinks (Dianthus gratianopolitanus) would love it there and emit a light perfume to waft across the water. Also, Phlox subulata would provide color and fragrance in early spring. All three of those keep their foliage through mild winters in zone 7B. They love the full sun and high drainage in my French drain bed along our pool deck. You might also consider some small durable rose bushes such as the Knockout or Nearly Wild.

There’s nothing like floating around the pool in late afternoon with beautiful fragrant plants at eye level. You are in for a lovely summer this year and here’s wishing you many more to come.



Here is my pic and plant profile article on the dianthus

Plant This
… for silver leaves and a spicy scent

Common Name: Cheddar Pinks

Botanical Name: Dianthus gratianopolitanus ‘Feruerhexe’ syn ‘Firewitch’

Design Tip: Use to edge borders and pathways in formal plantings or as a solid groundcover for erosion control. Grow clumps in wall crevices or between stones in a naturalized rockery.

Form and Size: Mature mats of the low growing, evergreen perennial remain 3-4 inches high, topped with 6-8 inch flower stems.

Flowers: The plants are covered in half inch pink blooms in mid spring that fragrance the garden with a spicy clove-like scent. Sporadic blooms occur throughout the growing season.

Foliage: Narrow silvery blue-green leaves and stems remain in tact through winter.

Cultivation: Plant in full sun or light dappled shade in a very well drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil. Keep bark mulch and compost away from the crown to avoid waterlogged foliage. Prevent taller plants from draping over it after heavy rains.

Hardiness: USDA Zones 3-9

Grooming: Snip off finished flowers after spring bloom flush to instigate new buds.

Snippets: Chosen as the 2006 Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association, cheddar pinks are named for one of its native habitats at Cheddar Gorge in southwest England.