Pool paradise
Toby is thrown in at the deep end when asked to pick plants for a pool. Luckily, things go swimmingly…
THE closest thing to a swimming pool at Buckland Castle might be an old bucket that collects rainwater off the shed, but when my friend David asked me to help choose plants for the terraces around his 12x30-footer, I jumped right in.
Top of the list of plants to avoid are those with razor-sharp leaves, like yucca, or those that bleed toxic sap such as euphorbias. But there are less obvious no-nos – not just for the other half’s pools but for places where you park the car, sunbathe or walk around in shorts.
With flowers the colour of a Californian sky and silver leaves that thrive in the sunshine and reflected heat, lavender and catmint seem perfect partners for any sunny seating area. But be warned: the summer blooms brim with high-protein nectar that attracts bees by the thousand. So, while they are a must for helping pollinators, these are not plants for sunbathing near while you are in your Speedos.
Just as when choosing plants around a pond, deciduous trees should be picked with care. Some, like sweet gums (liquidambar), drop over months and mean the water needs netting/clearing right through autumn and into winter. Better are species like catalpa and paulownia that have a ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ habit of shedding all at once. Best of all, if the bare stems are pruned hard down to knee-high stumps in winter, the lobed leaves grow to parasol-esque proportions.
Leaves aren’t the only consideration around water or, for that matter, any hard
“Plants and trees must be picked with care”