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10 simple tips for pool landscaping

With summer officially starting next week, your pool is likely to be the focus of family activity over the next few months. While there's nothing better than swimming in sparkling clean water, having the right plants surrounding the pool helps create a relaxing atmosphere and soften areas often dominated by concrete paving and timber decking.

Not all plants thrive around pools, however, so before you head to your local nursery, keep these tips in mind:

1. Plants are likely to get splashed if they're close to the pool (especially if you have young children) so be mindful that chlorine, salt and pool chemicals can affect or even destroy some species.

2. Pools in seaside locations need hardy species that can tolerate harsh conditions, so opt for Australian natives such as coastal rosemary, coastal banksia, dianella, and pig face. Also consider exotics like bromeliads, agaves, yucca and cycads.

3. Harsh sunlight reflected from pool water and light-coloured paving can intensify heat on plants, significantly increasing evaporation and salt leaching. Drought tolerant plants are best in these situations.

4. Plants with perfumed, bee attracting blooms may deter swimmers, especially if they're anaphylactic or suffer from allergies.

5. Unless you want to spend every weekend dragging out the pool cleaner, choose species that drop all their leaves at one time rather than all year round. Likewise, avoid plants such as tree ferns, which release spores throughout summer.

6. Organic matter like pods and petals produced by some flowering species can end up in the pool, staining the deck and making it slippery.

7. Minimise grassed areas near your pool in order to keep clippings out of the water when you mow.

8. Trees that are known to drop large branches are also best avoided around swimming pools for safety reasons. Also, be mindful of fast growing, long roots as they could damage your pool shell and surrounding paving.

9. Planting endemic species will entice local flora and fauna to your pool deck.

10. Low energy, LED garden lighting will illuminate plants at night, transforming your pool into a striking sculptural feature.