Pool Planter Plant Suggestions

[agent86]

Anyone have any suggestions on what I could put in my two pool planters?

I used to have two pigmy palms but the extended cold spell killed them last year. They're both 2ft wide and the depth goes all the way through to the ground. Trying to avoid any palm related plant as these cold spells in Jan/Feb keep killing off most of the palms everywhere in the area (young and mature palms pretty much didn't survive these last two cold spells)

Thanks
Montgomery, TX (30 miles north of Houston)

 

[zea3]

I don't know if I would put plants back in there but it looks like a great spot for a couple of umbrellas! Gas fire pits would be cool too!

 

[Shane1]

Here is a a website about low litter plants of all types. Maybe it will help in you decide. It would look pretty cool with fire pits like mentioned above.
http://www.amwua.org/plants_for-pools.html
Have you posted pics of your entire pool yet? I would like to see it.

 

[woodyp]

How about an arrangement of stained bamboo poles of differing legths in the holes surrounded by your choice of small tropical foliages or flowers in bloom at different time periods--swapped out as you wish.

 

[Melt In The Sun]

Pygmy date palms (Phoenix roebelenii; I assume that's what you mean) are really not very cold-hardy; if you like palms you could get something like a Mediterranean fan palm (Chaemerops humilis), which are supposed to be hardy to the mid teens and will stay small like the date. I don't know how cold it got in Montgomery, but we got to 18 here in Tucson and ours is alive, but lost the two youngest fronds. No big deal.

If that's still not tough enough, or you want something different entirely, what kind of look are you going for? Bushes, cactus, tropical, ??

 

[agent86]

woodyp, very interesting idea...I never thought about anything outside just single large tropical-like plants...

I've been leaning towards that tropical look and feel and really haven't thought about anything other than that....

Had one neighbor suggest to make it into two large beverage coolers!

I'll post a couple more pics of the whole thing shortly...

Our next big project is to finish landscaping around the pool area and have a lower landing area (with a central firepit) in front of infinity edge with some sort of steps down around both sides of the pool...

Thanks again everyone for the input!

 

[agent86]

I had thought about possible adding some Queen Palms in there but am afraid they would eventually outgrow the 2ft diameter...

 

[Melt In The Sun]

I had thought about possible adding some Queen Palms in there but am afraid they would eventually outgrow the 2ft diameter...

Eventually yes, but not for a long time. You said the depth goes all the way through to the ground...does that mean there is no bottom and roots can grow out into the surrounding yard? If so, I think a queen palm would work for you; keep in mind that the fronds will turn brown in the mid-low twenties (and will look bad until new ones grow), and the trees will just up and die somewhere around 15-18 degrees. They sure are pretty though...

By the way, I like your name. This is KAOS! We don't phbhhthtt here!

 

[Nightmare]

Have you checked out this site. I used it to double check some palms for my yard.

http://www.junglemusic.net/palmadvice/p ... hardy1.htm > There is a Page 2 and Page 3

This site has them organized by temp.

http://www.hardiestpalms.com/ColdHardyPalmList.htm

 

[Nightmare]

Or get one of these:

Trachycarpus fortunei / Chinese Fan Palm / Chinese Windmill Palm

They have their own fur coat and are cold tolerant down to 5F

 

[anonapersona]

There is a great palm place on I-45, east side, somewhere south of The Woodlands. I really like the guy who runs it. They sell only palms that are hardy in this area. I'd trust his advice on anything he suggested. Pretty much across the road from Big Tex Plants which has very, very expensive large specimens that they discount down to only very expensive.

Meanwhile, I have some Mexican fan palms that were fine but they do get tall. I have what I thought was a windmill palm but it is not as the photo above, but is multi trunked and always has new shoots at the base so is more of a shrub than a tree form. I have a Pindo palm that is magnificent but we do have to clip off the fruits before they ripen or they fall in the pool, or worse fall on the ground and stink as they rot.

Mercer Arboretum has a summer time sale and you can find a lot of interesting palms there if you can wait that long. June or July I think, see their website. Good advice there also from the Master Gardeners.

 

[Robins Airman]

If it were my pool..... Double Knockdowns!

Hard to kill...and bloom beautifully spring, summer and fall:

What have your decided if anything?

love to see a pics of your pool....

Bo

 

[lambo]

agent86 - another thought is to plant something that naturally repels mosquitoes. Not sure if they are an issue for you where you live.

I'm looking to use two large planters to conceal an exposed pool light junction box and am considering planting citronella grass as both a decorative feature and a mosquito repellent. Not sure it'll survive the winter in VA Beach but I can always replant each spring.

Some other similar mosquito repellent plants are catnip, marigolds and rosemary.

 

[agent86]

Ended up going with some nice Dark Blue Plumbago's at the suggestion of my local nursery....

We'll see how it turns out...

Thanks again for all the suggestions!

 

[agent86]

Yeah I plan on planting as much mosquito repellents plants around the pool as part of the main landscape since they're horrible here!

 

[melissab]

They look great! I'd love to see some larger pics of the pool

 

[agent86]

Here are some more pics....keep in mind I need A LOT of landscaping still and to do some more work around the pool with some natural stairs down to second level and some other kind of landing area in front of the infinity edge...

 

[Shane1]

Really nice layout . I think you made the right choice for the planters. You could even put some decoritive rock or someting like that in them to keep the soil out of the pool.

 

[agent86]

Good idea on the decorative rock. Ended up going with the red lava rocks since they weren't that heavy (and cheap).

This will keep the cats out of the planters too!

Thanks!

 

[Flotsam]

Have you thought about Japanese Bonsai? I understand that they require a bit of TLC - but I see a lot of them here in the FL panhandle.