Best Plants for Swimming Pool Landscaping in Canada

If you are lucky enough to live where an outdoor pool is a way of life, you are aware of the messes some adjacent plants can make. Poolside gardens may create clogged filters that become part of your way of life and straining out plant material becomes a chore. There are plenty of plants that are low on the mess scale and more suitable for planting poolside. What are some poolside plants? Read on for a few no-fuss suggestions.

1. Aloe

With a long history of use and popularity, Aloe barbadensis is one plant you should be familiar with. It’s commonly found in many parts on Earth – including Africa where people have been cultivating it for thousands upon millennia!

The first step in aloe vera plant care is to realize that this plant is a succulent. Like cacti,succulents do best in dry conditions. When growing aloe vera plants, plant them in a cactus potting soil mix or a regular potting soil that has been amended with additional perlite or building sand. Also, make sure that the pot has plenty of drainage holes. Aloe vera plants cannot tolerate standing water.

2. Hornbeam

A lovely shade tree suitable for most settings, Canadian hornbeams are compact trees that fit the scale of the average home landscape perfectly.  This article’s information about hornbeam trees can assist you in determining if the tree is appropriate for you.

Hornbeams are also known as ironwood and musclewood because of the durability of its wood, which seldom splits or fractures. In reality, early settlers used these trees to fashion mallets, various tools, bowls, and plates. They are tiny trees that serve several functions in residential landscaping.

In the shadow of neighbouring trees, its growth pattern is appealing and wide, but in direct sunshine, it is compact and thick. You will appreciate the hop-like fruit that hangs from the trees till autumn. As fall approaches, the tree’s leaves transform into vibrant hues of orange, red, and yellow.

3. Mountain Laurel

Grown for its showy late spring and summer flowers and attractive, evergreen foliage, mountain laurel is a colorful asset to borders and foundation plantings, and it looks fantastic in mass plantings. It’s sometimes called a calico bush because the pink or white flowers usually have dark pink or maroon markings. Native to eastern Canada, you can often find mountain laurel growing wild among native azaleas and rhododendrons.

Mountain laurel is most attractive when planted in dappled sunshine, although it may also thrive in full sun or moderate shade. Avoid places with direct sunlight and heat-reflecting southern or southwest walls that reflect sunshine.  Partial shade is best in hot, harsher climates. In deep shade the flowers lose their bright colors and may develop leaf spots.

4. Fruitless Olive Tree

You may wonder, what is a fruitless olive tree? Many are unfamiliar with this magnificent tree, which is often used for its aesthetic value.  The olive tree with no olives (Olea europaea ‘Wilsonii’) is hardy in Canadian zones.  Read more to learn if this is the perfect tree for your landscape.

This olive tree is described as a distinctive evergreen, growing at a slow to medium rate. At maturity, it may reach 25 to 30 feet (8-9 m.), with approximately the same width. Choose this width if you are considering one for your garden. It may have a single trunk, although many trunks are more common. These are gnarled and twisted, with greenish-gray leaves on top. This tree requires at least eight hours of direct sunlight.

5. Creeping Jenny

Creeping jenny plant, also known as moneywort or Lysimachia, is an evergreen perennial plant belonging to the Primulaceae family. For those looking for information on how to grow creeping jenny, this low-growing plant thrives in Canada.  Creeping jenny is a ground cover that thrives in rock gardens, between stepping stones, around ponds, and in container plantings, as well as in sections of the landscape that are difficult to cultivate.

Jenny is a resilient plant that thrives in either full sun or shade. In the spring, purchase plants from nurseries and choose a place in the shade or sun that drains well.

Once planted, creeping jenny takes minimal maintenance. The majority of gardeners clip this fast-growing plant to restrict its horizontal development. In early spring, you may also split the plant for greater air circulation or to prevent it from spreading. Initial planting of creeping jenny needs frequent watering and a little amount of organic fertiliser. Use mulch or organic compost to help retain moisture around plants.

Tips for Planting

The plants around the pool must be able to endure the intense light reflected from the water. Whether the area around the pool is tiled or concrete, it becomes quite hot. Plants will need more regular watering and should be tolerant of heat and drought. Using rollers or saucers, elevate plant containers off the heated surface. When planting, provide enough space in the container for air circulation.

The poolside plants enrich the space and create a welcoming atmosphere that your guests and family cannot wait to experience.