Perfect Perennials to Plant Poolside

The gloriously warm and sunny spring afternoons of May remind us that it’s almost time to open up the pool! We provide plant health care for many different types of gardens, but one of our favorites is the lush green oasis of the poolside garden. Unfortunately, these are often the most stressed-out of the gardens that we support. The poolside microclimate is one of strong sun and high heat, and that can be hard on many plants. We’ve drawn together our favorite drought-resistant, sun-loving poolside shrubs and perennials. As with all new plantings, they will need extra care until established, but once they are settled in, our soil moisture management and soil nutrient management programs help to retain water in the soil, so that you can forget about dragging the hose out to the garden every weekend. These poolside plants were also selected with minimal mess in mind, as no one wants to spend a summer afternoon with a pool skimmer in hand, or unclogging the pool vacuum. So, read on, and as always, feel free to reach out with any questions!

For a formal feeling at your poolside retreat, American Pyramidal Boxwood has a refined texture, with small leaves, at an impressive height of up to 12 feet. Boxwoods attract pollinators when their tiny cream-colored flowers open in mid-spring, and they are deer-resistant, making them a very popular choice for poolside landscapes that are adjacent to forests or open land. Boxwoods are available in a variety of different sizes and shapes, including fun topiary forms! For boxwood inspiration, and info on boxwood care, check out our Boxwood Guide.

If privacy is high on your list of poolside must-haves, please, skip the Schip Laurels, and instead select Leatherleaf Viburnum or Prague Viburnum. Both of these evergreen shrubs have lightly scented white flowers and can quickly reach 10 feet of height, providing a wonderful privacy hedge. 

For continual blooms of bright color all summer long, consider a border of roses for your poolside garden. Our favorite is David Austin "Scarborough Fair", a delicate, yet tough and reliable Old World rose with a sweet, musky fragrance. The upright, compact habit of this rose lends itself perfectly to the border of a pool. Another strong candidate for a fabulously fragrant poolside accompaniment is Heirloom Roses "Snow Pavement." This vigorous hybrid rose has a warm, slightly spicy fragrance, and works very well along walkways.

If roses aren’t your style, or you have young ones that like to thoroughly explore all the pretty flowers that they find, lilacs are surprisingly drought and heat tolerant once established. At 4 to 5 feet in height, that can be used as a stand-alone specimen, or grouped in a hedge or border, and their smooth stems make them safe for little hands. We like Lilac “Pinktini,” which has bright pink flowers and a delightful sweet fragrance that provides a special treat when it blooms in early summer. 

A mix of textures, colors, and height lends a more relaxed, organic approach to the landscape. If you want variety in your poolside garden, we recommend these drought-tolerant, colorful perennial favorites:

Rudbeckia “American Gold Rush”  
Penstemon "Onyx and Pearls"
Heliopsis "Summer Sun"
Coreopsis "Moonbeam"
Echinacea "Pow Wow Berry"
Calamintha "White Cloud"

For bright perennials that boast some height in addition to their ability to withstand hot and dry conditions, we like:

Baptisia "Pink Truffles"

Artemisia "Silver Mound"
Caryopteris "Dark Knight" 
Amsonia "Storm Cloud"

           
Finally, no free-spirited garden arrangement would be complete without the year-round texture and visual interest of our favorite low-maintenance native grasses:

Pink Muhly Grass

Little Bluestem