Oviedo, FL on Oct 07, 2011

I need some suggestions for planting our pool planter.

It's a northern exposure off the back and full (screened) sun. The space is 8' long by 3.5 feet at the widest point. I don't want a mess in the pool and am looking for easy care. Some color would be nice and I'd like some sort of focal point - even if that means using a statue, fountain or whatnot. It's a small area... What I'd LOVE to do is turn it into a fountain, but that cost is outside my budget at the moment. ;) The area immediately behind the planter also needs to be planted. It's a 3' bed at the moment - the Crapes along the fence provide some shading. I've been toying with a bamboo - something smaller and clumping - maybe Green Goddess... It needs to be at least 6' in height and I really don't want to go above say 12 out there. Has to be cold tolerant and evergreen. Also dog safe - so oleander is out. I have agapanthus along the sides so want something to be kept more in a natural form rather than trimmed. I've also toyed with a meyer lemon or other citrus back there as well as a roebellini. I'll need to curve the bed out if I do any of those - which will be a little bit of the pain considering it slopes after that 3 feet... Anyway, the reason I'm addressing that as well is that it will be the backdrop for the planter as well as provide some protection and likely shade for it. I've thought of cannas along the back with nandina planted in ...»

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19 Comments

Erica Glasener Atlanta, GA

It sounds as if you have thought a lot about this I think Cannas are great, colorful foliage and or flowers, I would suggest Ruellia but it is considered an invasive plant in Florida, ferns are always great.
on Oct 07, 2011 · Like 0
Erica Glasener Atlanta, GA

The Canna is 'Australia' pictured here with coleus

on Oct 07, 2011 · Like 0
Kimberly Lacy Snellville, GA

You will surely need well draining soil. Queen Palm should work wonderfully. Tropical houseplants are a good option for this container. Other plant options are: Upright- Asparagus Fern (new favorite),Cardinal Flower (perennial booms May-Oct), many types of grasses; Trailing -English or Algerian Ivy or Sweet Autumn Clematis; Lenten Rose ( hardy evergreen perennial typically blooms early spring and early winter). If your going to use annuals blue salvias won't litter your pool. Good luck!

on Oct 07, 2011 · Like 0
Chryste Oviedo, FL

Blue salvia might be cool in front - especially since our pots on the sides (with the bottle palms) are blue. I want things that will be able to withstand cold - we've had a rough couple winters here. We lost our plantings last year - should have been good to 25/30... Will the asparagus fern handle the sun? I like that idea too. I'm not a big grass fan and my son is allergic to nearly every one on the test - so not sure how those would be... I think it's better to just steer clear of ...»
them. I'm not at all familiar with cardinal flower - will have to check that out! We can't use coleus - not unless I want to replace it every year - which I don't... I want to have it be attractive in winter too... I love the coleus though - that was my initial thought - love the burgundy and bright green - but it won't handle the cold. The cannas will die back too, but if I have them along the back and plantings in front I'm hoping they'll disappear. I also thought of a dwarf daylily - any thoughts about those? Will they be a mess? When we first moved in they had jasmine trees in the side planters (IMHO NO tree should ever be planted in them) and they were a MESS. If it wasn't flowers or leaves it was aphids or some other bug... I loved the trees just not the location. We rocked in the planters and used pots for the palms so we could move them inside when it got too cold. I have 3 new palms this year - sure hoping they'll make it...

on Oct 07, 2011 · Like 0
Donna Dixson Buford, GA

http://kinjadesigns.com/2008/07/23/20-diy-ba...
How handy and brave are you?

on Oct 07, 2011 · Like 0
Chryste Oviedo, FL

Not that handy, but I'm brave - hubby not so much! LOL I wanted to build a ground level deck on our first house - he said "NO WAY!" C'mon it doesn't look that hard... ;) This fountain is really neat! I'll show it to him tonight and see what he says. We have a couple granite places nearby that I'm sure would have scrap. One is virtually across the street. I think the granite would blend well with the rock and I like the idea of spending $20. ;) Although, it would be more than that ...»
I'm sure, because we'd need to go larger... In my wild dreams I'd like to remove the stone (it's dirty) and tile in the area then do an arched tiled in area behind it with a waterfall fountain coming out and turn the planter area into a pool. Told you it was out of budget. ;) I haven't priced it, but would be that would be at least $1500... We have electrical back there - not sure it works, but there is a box and the pump would be self-contained in the fountain so should be rather simple I'd think...

on Oct 07, 2011 · Like 0
Garden Rebel / Sims Lands... Orlando, FL

One sugestion is to use an orange Bird as the focal point and underplant with Dwarf Nandina that will colorup in the winter months. The bird keeps the dead flowers so they will not drop in the pool. Flowering annuals can still be used but in other areas that are more accessible. Several years or sooner down the road you can move the Bird outside as they transplant so well, and implement your original dream of a fountain. A colorful classy European urn bubbling over the edges would be ...»
movement ,sound and color. The dead flowers of the Bird can be cut as needed and wont have to be fished out of the pool

on Oct 08, 2011 · Like 2
Hoffner Nursery & Landsca... Orlando, FL

Crotons, Trinette, Cordyline, are some of my go to in pool areas, they are colorful and clean, they will need to be covered if we have freezing weather. Avoid Roebelenii Palms and of course Queen Palms they will be into the screen in no time, we have had many nightmares with palms getting to big in screened pool areas.

on Oct 08, 2011 · Like 1
Mike Saint Cloud, FL

We like crotons. They have colorful leaves and don't seem to shed leaves that much.

on Oct 08, 2011 · Like 0
Chryste Oviedo, FL

I had crotons and a grouping of dracaena there, but lost all the crotons last year. They were well covered, but it was just too cold for too long. The dracaena came back - they're about a foot tall or so now. I pulled them and potted them a few weeks back. I really loved them there but I don't want to worry about them freezing to the ground every year. I like the idea of the bird as a focal point with the nandina. We had Firepower when we lived in GA and loved it. I'd like ...»
something taller with more vertical fill power than the orange bird, but I'm not sue I can find it... What about potting it or even a white bird in a pot and then doing the understory planting? I love the idea of the urn fountain - have been watching Craigslist for one or even for a statue. I found one yesterday I liked, but can't reach the person - wrong number on listing... Urgh.... Thinking the 4.5 foot statue with plantings might look nice. We went tropical on the rest of the patio - helliconia (I LOVE THEM), a Roeb in a pot so we can move it away from the screen and eventually transplant, the 2 bottle palms with begonias planted under, several various ginger, an adondia and an areca or arenga - can't remember what I eventually chose... I'm planning to pull all the plants, including the dracaena, under the lanai and against the house when it gets cold. It will be 15+ feet inside the overhang and enclosed on three sides by walls... Hoping that will be enough shelter. If not then I'll just bring them inside for a bit. I spent months trying to find something else, but I like the palms... ;) Every cold small cold palm I found wanted shade...

on Oct 08, 2011 · Like 0
Chryste Oviedo, FL

Okay - here's another thought! I was told by our local nursery that the Areca (that is what I bought) needed shade.... Well, now I'm seeing it actually can deal with sun... What's your experience? Do you think it would be fine in that pool planter? I could pot it or directly plant it and then do the nandina as an understory - or something else... It would give the "feel" I'm seeking. I'm a big one for properly planting things - I don't want invasive roots etc.

on Oct 08, 2011 · Like 0
Erica Glasener Atlanta, GA

Here are a few ferns to consider- Asparagus meyeri 'Foxtail' and the Japanese Holly fern, Crytomium falcatum- it should be evergreen and is very handsome.

on Oct 08, 2011 · Like 0
Douglas Hunt New Smyrna Beach, FL

Neither the white bird nor the Areca would be cold-tolerant. Folks plant white birds all over New Smyrna and most of them still look bad after last year's cold. What about a European fan palm? I'm not sure how much height you've got with the pool cover, but I rarely see them more than 10-12 feet.

on Oct 11, 2011 · Like 0
Cynthia B Sebastian, FL

A Pindo palm would work well. (Butia capitata) They have gray green fine fronds and work well in all parts of Florida. The maximum height is listed at 20'. I have heard of a cross between a Pindo and a Queen palm that works well in Fl. But I don't know about the maximum height.

on Oct 11, 2011 · Like 0
Douglas Hunt New Smyrna Beach, FL

Judging by the pindo in my front yard, it would be too large for that space in a hurry.

on Oct 12, 2011 · Like 1
Chryste Oviedo, FL

I'm thinking of a pindo for another area of the yard, but you're right it would take over the pool area in a hurry. I've been playing around in Photoshop a bit - thinking of ginger with canna's behind and golden goddess or buddha belly bamboo outside the screen as a backdrop. I'm not sure if the cannas would be too messy for the pool area - although they'd be behind 2-3' of ginger... Still thinking about the orange bird too... The space cries for a focal point... I'm also still ...»
thinking of using a statue for that purpose... Found one on Craigslist, but missed it. Darn!

on Oct 12, 2011 · Like 0
Douglas Hunt New Smyrna Beach, FL

What about a lantana standard? Too formal?

on Oct 12, 2011 · Like 0
Chryste Oviedo, FL

I'll have to check that out... I think the plant that's coming to mind isn't the right one...

on Oct 12, 2011 · Like 0
Flowerscapes Garden Desig... Suwanee, GA

How did the planters turn out?

on Dec 13, 2011 · Like 0