Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Jan 27, 2010 9:09 pm Hi all We are looking at building a new pool and were wondering what sort of plants would work along the fence retaining wall. Our backyard is higher then the neighbours backyard so the fence will not block a lot of us in the pool. I wanted to plant a row of trees or shrubs which grow tall - around 3m tall, that doesn't drop leaves and isn't too bushy. lol a magic tree I hear you say! Looking forward to any help you can give Mel Re: Advice on what to plant around a pool 2Jan 28, 2010 12:00 pm There's been a few threads on this topic, have a search Re: Advice on what to plant around a pool 3Jan 28, 2010 12:53 pm Hello - we had the same issues. I am located in Perth about 500m from the beach if that helps regarding soils. I had three retaining walls to fill and this is what I did I used Golden Canes at the back and philadendrums at the front in rows. Another side I used kentia's at the back and the argarves at the front with a large black mondo grass in the middle. Finally the side furtherest from the pool I used ferns and some lovely little shiney leaf curly ... somethings. I might have some photo's...... Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Please excuse the boys in the next one. ... focus on the plants and avoid the way to white bodies. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I thought I had some better ones of when I first started planting..... wait and I will search for you THE LIGHT OF MY LIFE IS 495 SQM OF BEACH SAND AND WEEDS! http://missvintageshouseofpain.blogspot.com/ Re: Advice on what to plant around a pool 4Jan 28, 2010 1:05 pm This was them when they were first put in.... they are now huge Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ One of the pictures of the ferns when they were first planted. They just went nuts and I think its because they are around all that water and fairly protected. They are bigger than the palms easily reaching the top of the fence. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ better picture of this garden Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ And this was on the other side of the pool. These got so big we had to move the head up 2 bricks high just to keep it visable. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ We dont have that many leave except for the lemon tree on the other side of the fence.... I am constantly finding lemons everywhere. THE LIGHT OF MY LIFE IS 495 SQM OF BEACH SAND AND WEEDS! http://missvintageshouseofpain.blogspot.com/ Re: Advice on what to plant around a pool 5Jan 28, 2010 3:19 pm Miss vintage, the Dianella Utopias are coming alone well. They are a very nice Dianella. The poor old Gold Canes are having a hard time but seeing as there is only one or two places in Perth that sells genuine sun hardened ones, they are doing great Can I suggest about 6 bags of this will help them along well. http://www.dsatco.com/Piggypost/tabid/9 ... roductName Get a free load of green mulch http://www.mulchnet.com/index.php?excess-mulch-search (which won't blow around like other mulches do) from one of the addresses listed that's near enough yours and those plants will look pretty vibrant this time next year, and a heap bigger that black mulch won't be doing your garden many favours. The green mulches are wonderful smelling, waterwise, fertiliserwise and the benchmark for mulches as recommended by the best in the business. It's free more often than not Then some molasses which you can get from City Farmers if you take a milk container in to fill will also do some amazing changes to that garden Never feed the plant, always feed the soil Re: Advice on what to plant around a pool 6Jan 28, 2010 3:24 pm Thanks for your help MissVintage! I love your pool and outdoor area. Very pretty. Have been talking to my husband and he really wants a hedge along the side but something that doesn't have flowers or berries. He isn't too keen on Palms for some reason I was looking at Orange Jessamine -Murraya paniculata or Lilly Pilly - Acmena smithii but they both flower. Any other ideas? Thanks in advance Re: Advice on what to plant around a pool 7Jan 28, 2010 3:27 pm Related threads are: viewtopic.php?p=385556#p385556 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27479&p=375519&hilit=pool#p375519 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27192&p=370368&hilit=pool#p370368 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=26985&p=369191&hilit=pool#p369191 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=24103&p=319577&hilit=pool#p319577 not so much plant related but something to think about... viewtopic.php?f=19&t=23248&p=307169&hilit=pool#p307169 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=16566&p=221038&hilit=+pool#p221038 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=15115&hilit=+pool viewtopic.php?f=19&t=9262&hilit=+pool viewtopic.php?f=19&t=5085&hilit=+pool Re: Advice on what to plant around a pool 8Jan 28, 2010 3:31 pm melcur, unfortunately every plant flowers in some way. Of the two you mentioned the Murraya is the best. The flowers are not an issue. Any hedge will not naturally grow like that so regular clipping is the key to a successful hedge. The more often you do it, the better and better it will look. The Murrayas will look sensational and give you the look you are after. However excellent soil prep of the entire bed to 300-400mm is really important for hassle free growth of anything you choose Re: Advice on what to plant around a pool 9Jan 28, 2010 4:41 pm Fu Manchu Miss vintage, the Dianella Utopias are coming alone well. They are a very nice Dianella. The poor old Gold Canes are having a hard time but seeing as there is only one or two places in Perth that sells genuine sun hardened ones, they are doing great Can I suggest about 6 bags of this will help them along well. http://www.dsatco.com/Piggypost/tabid/9 ... roductName Get a free load of green mulch http://www.mulchnet.com/index.php?excess-mulch-search (which won't blow around like other mulches do) from one of the addresses listed that's near enough yours and those plants will look pretty vibrant this time next year, and a heap bigger that black mulch won't be doing your garden many favours. The green mulches are wonderful smelling, waterwise, fertiliserwise and the benchmark for mulches as recommended by the best in the business. It's free more often than not Then some molasses which you can get from City Farmers if you take a milk container in to fill will also do some amazing changes to that garden Never feed the plant, always feed the soil Thanks Fu Manchu - The Golden Canes did get pretty badly burn last summer but this year my husband pruned them up bigtime and they seem to be going from strength to strength. Saying that we also upped the anti on water and they just seemed to improve. The Mulch's you reccomended .... how are they with animals. I have real trouble with finding products that arnt poisonous to dogs. I can only use dynamic lifter when I bury it under the plants, she loves the taste of seasol and will eat ANYTHING its sprayed onto. I have even tried Molasses but again, she made herself sick eating it. I have even had to resort to moving my vegtable patch to behind the pool fence because she love vegtables. She will eat tomatoes, capsicum, silverbeat, rubarb and has even gotten halfway through a cabbage. Oh and in case you are going to suggest citrus to deter her, my little lacey loves playing with Lemons in her spare time...... I hate the black mulch with a passion, when the wind blows it goes all over my paving and when Lacey (again I am blaming the dog) get into one of her spastic running around everywhere moods the black mulch flys. Any other reccomendations are welcome. I dont have a huge green thumb but surprisingly its pretty insane how I havnt managed to kill anything!!! THE LIGHT OF MY LIFE IS 495 SQM OF BEACH SAND AND WEEDS! http://missvintageshouseofpain.blogspot.com/ Re: Advice on what to plant around a pool 10Jan 28, 2010 5:24 pm Being a Perth girl, you would be well advised to avoid the DPM product you mention. Too alkaline for our already very alkaline soils. Your soil is just like your pool, too acid, no good. Too alkaline, not so flash either. Your plants will not absorb what is getting put on the soil and that is a major contributor to the environmental degradation we are seeing in Perth's waterways. it is also a major factor in Perth being the biggest user of fertilisers in Australia. They just don't work so well. Which is why it is so important to change how we do things to a more biodynamic way The mulch is a non issue for the mutts The piggypost too won't be such an issue. Or go to Gardensdirect and get the Gods Gift to Gardens product. they hardly smell, the gods gift, not at all. Put that in the whole garden beds and then the mulch over the top, nice and thick. Give it a week and it won't blow around at all even in storms. Pull the mulch away from the base of the plants and there you have it, a more waterwise tropical garden that will go from strength to strength like you've never seen it do Re: Advice on what to plant around a pool 11Jan 28, 2010 5:55 pm melcur Thanks for your help MissVintage! I love your pool and outdoor area. Very pretty. Have been talking to my husband and he really wants a hedge along the side but something that doesn't have flowers or berries. He isn't too keen on Palms for some reason I was looking at Orange Jessamine -Murraya paniculata or Lilly Pilly - Acmena smithii but they both flower. Any other ideas? Thanks in advance Are you going to trim that hedge...think about the mess they make. Re: Advice on what to plant around a pool 12Jan 28, 2010 6:12 pm na, clip it up, all the bits will float around on the top mostly and just scoop them up when your done with a net, That's easier than sweeping Always throw the clippings back under the hedge so they return nutrients back to the soil. It doesn't look messy doing that, you'd be hard pressed to notice it The hedge will love you even more for it Re: Advice on what to plant around a pool 14Jan 28, 2010 9:59 pm DON'T whatever you do plant Cocos Palms as they are one of the most noxious weed type palms around same goes for the Washingtonia Cotton tails. Golden Canes, Foxtails, Cuban Royals they're all great and total clean/free frond breakage. Re: Advice on what to plant around a pool 15Jan 28, 2010 10:41 pm Good call Rod Pretty hard to come by as most responsible growers have dropped them faster than Tiger Woods holding a phone and getting a text while his wife is in the room. Kentias are also a good palm to use. Check these guys for the best palms in Perth. http://www.premierpalms.com/ All sun grown or grown as best they can be Re: Advice on what to plant around a pool 16Jan 29, 2010 8:07 am Can you guys recommend another variety of palm that will grow in Melbourne? I read the warnings about Cocos palms a while back, but they seem to be about the only thing available in nurseries, apart from varieties sold as indoor plants. I suspect those "indoor" palms wouldn't survive our cold winters and the few frosts we get. I don't know that I actually want one anyway (lack of room) but I know a few people who do.... I know the Canary Island date palm does well, but they're a little big for your average back yard. Re: Advice on what to plant around a pool 17Jan 29, 2010 8:27 am Fu Manchu melcur, unfortunately every plant flowers in some way. Of the two you mentioned the Murraya is the best. The flowers are not an issue. Any hedge will not naturally grow like that so regular clipping is the key to a successful hedge. The more often you do it, the better and better it will look. The Murrayas will look sensational and give you the look you are after. However excellent soil prep of the entire bed to 300-400mm is really important for hassle free growth of anything you choose Thanks for all your help Fu! I think we have decided on the Murrayas plus using the green mulch idea. Re: Advice on what to plant around a pool 18Jan 29, 2010 9:29 am kek Can you guys recommend another variety of palm that will grow in Melbourne? I read the warnings about Cocos palms a while back, but they seem to be about the only thing available in nurseries, apart from varieties sold as indoor plants. I suspect those "indoor" palms wouldn't survive our cold winters and the few frosts we get. I don't know that I actually want one anyway (lack of room) but I know a few people who do.... I know the Canary Island date palm does well, but they're a little big for your average back yard. kek, have a look in here, you'll be amazed http://www.pacsoa.org.au/ Re: Advice on what to plant around a pool 20Jan 29, 2010 1:52 pm Ohhh - I swear the previous owner of my house loved palms, I have a palm that is 2 storeys high and has a trunk the size of a fridge. I have an even bigger one with a trunk the size of a small car where the "branches" are covered in smiles bigger that my hands and I have these horendous smaller ones that grow constantly and have the worst spines I have seen in my life. They also plated close to 20 cocos palms that are now higher than our roof! It is definately worth doing your homework before buying palms people. The cocos especially dont look very pretty when they get tall and just drop a million seeds and leaves and seed pods. Oh and when they doo seed watch out for the bees!!! Saying that I do love Kentias.... slower growing allowing you to enjoy the follage a bit more.... and dont they have this lovely green trunk??? THE LIGHT OF MY LIFE IS 495 SQM OF BEACH SAND AND WEEDS! http://missvintageshouseofpain.blogspot.com/ Thanks again Simeon for being so elaborate. Appreciate it. Its gives us a very idea. Kind Regards 4 3692 0 4716 You’re on the right track, wire brush in a grinder then a zinc rich epoxy primer then a top coat of some sort, like a waterproofing membrane. Raising the concrete would… 1 7035 |