Poolside Landscaping Should Emphasize Ease, Beauty

www.courant.com - 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 avoidedbecause they will block sunlight, not to mention deposit leaves andother debris in the pool. A similar caveat applies to planting grassclose to the edge of a pool. It may look pleasing, but every time thegrass is mowed, the clippings invariably end up in the water.

The whole point of a pool is to enjoy it, so you should avoid anylandscaping that creates maintenance headaches. Rob Gennari, owner ofGlendale Botanicals in Glendale, Mass., shared some tips on how tocreate poolside planters that are beautiful and easy to care for. Andeven if you don't have a pool, his suggestions can be put to good useon a large patio, balcony or front entrance.

Gennari recommends that you start with big containers. Large, boldcontainers 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 awide assortment of colors and shapes, many with a look similar toceramic pots. Not only are they attractive, but they also retainmoisture, reducing the amount of water needed to keep plants happy onhot summer days.

Next, choose plants with interesting shapes, textures and leaf colorrather than relying on flowering plants. Flowering plants only looktheir best after several weeks of perfect growing conditions, Gennaripoints out. And once the flowers begin to drop, you've got a cleanupjob.

Use a soil mixture that will hold adequate moisture but also drainfreely. Gennari adds high-quality compost to his soil and mixes in asmall amount of granular fertilizer, which provides a good source ofnutrition to the rapidly growing plants.

Fill the container about three-quarters full with soil. Before pottingthe plants you've selected, place them in the container so you can seewhat the finished planter will look like. This gives you theopportunity to experiment with different plant combinations.

Gennari recommends avoiding plants of all one color in the samecontainer. Instead, mix light- and dark-leafed plants to providecontrast and visual interest.

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

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

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

• Sean Conway is host of the TV show "Cultivating Life," which airs Saturdays on WGN-America. His Web site is cultivatinglife.com.