Tropical plants/screen around pool in Brisbane, QLD

9 years ago

We are renovating our pool area & want to plant some sort of screen/maybe tropical plants in front of new fence. We used to have mock orange/murraya hedge there (and still have this on the other side of pool), and found the scent annoying for allergies & the flowers dropped into pool.
Therefore, we now want advice on either tropical flowers or screen around pool area in Brisbane, Qld. We want low maintenance, pool friendly (ie not dropping leavers/flowered into pool) & non invasive. Area to plant is 12.5 meters long x 60cm wide. Thanks in advance.

Featured Answer

fslevin
Original Author

6 years ago

Almost 3 years after my first post and 2 years after I planted- thought I’d post some more pictures so you can see how they’ve grown & bloomed

Comments (34)

Jan-nine Bonnett
9 years ago
No palms or ferns the roots will destroy your foundations around the pool and walls. Try a veggie patch or go to webpage www.guidinghome.com/
Angela Prestwood
9 years ago
Large leafy plants look tropical; eg bird of paradise, banana plant, hybiscus, yuccas. There are loads of options of different tropical plants that love Brisbane weather. You need to visit a nursery or look at some garden book & copy ideas that you like. Have fun.
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Thanks Fiona. We'd love to landscape the far side but sadly that is our neighbour's property and the river rock lined area right beside the pool fence is an easement that runs like a creek when we get rain so can't plant in there :). I do plan to sneak in a few more of the Golden Cane palms onto the neighbouring paddock as some have self seeded anyway- hopefully create a nice screen. I have my eye on some nice pots and two lovely wooden loungers with cream cushions, all in budget. But I'll only get them once I decide what to do with the paving area to better blend with the pool surround. I've just had the area pressure washed about 2 weeks ago so my thinking is to go with the repaint in the medium grey and hope we get 5 years out of it.
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Don't plant the giant bird of paradise in this small bed. Fantastic plants and have used them at our house. They will grow so big and destroy your paving. I have also used clumping bamboo and my wife hates it due to the mess it makes. Constantly dropping leave etc. Would not plant near a pool for this reason. Another negative comment. Bougainvillea should never be planted in the ground. Lovely flowers but get our of control, dangerous spines and almost impossible to kill. Keep in a pot and keep trimmed. We put Xanadus next to our pool at our holiday house. Perfect size and clean. Consider other ways to hid the fence. Perhaps some type of bamboo screening??
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Not sure how it would go in Brisbane but what about trying a conifer? They grow fast and very tall. You can shape them or leave them natural. They are plain and certainly not tropical. Maybe speak to a local nursery and find out if they would grow in the sub-tropical climate of Brisbane first, as they are usually in colder climates (Sydney and south). Leightons Green Conifer – Leyland Cypress http://www.evergreengrowers.com.au/shop/hedging-screening/leightons-green-conifer-leyland-cypress/ Your quite limited if there's not enough sun and you dont use bamboo or tropical plants. Many other screening plants or hedges wont get tall enough for that space and climate. I hope you find something.
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Bruce Gomes
9 years ago
I'd suggest a magnolia white caviar screen.
zen_garden
9 years ago
Not sure of the aspect of your garden ie does it recieve full sun or is it in shade? If it is not in full sun then I would suggest cordylines. They are tall upright plants which give a great tropical look. They come in different colour variations.
I have some and if they get too tall I just cut the top off and push the cutting into the ground where it forms roots and a new plant! The cut plant resprouts. They don't drop leaves but the lower ones can go brown so you can just give them a tidy up by stripping off the lower leaves which is quite easy to do. If down the track the plants show too much stem, you just cut them to the height you want and they will resprout.
fslevin
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for the advice. There is full sun in the morning, shade comes over around midday. I have been thinking of cordylines so that helped. Also like the idea of birds of paradise because I think they're very pretty. Someone suggested though they're quite spiky so may plant that up higher & further away from where kids run around.
Greg Simpson
9 years ago
You could try clumping bamboo like Timor Black and there is a blue one as well , Cordylines, Yucca, Agave, Dracena's and Croton African (big leaf)
zen_garden
9 years ago
Some of my cordylines get morning sun then afternoon shade and they are growing well. I'm not a fan of bird of paradise plants, I love the look but have seen them grow into massive huge clumps which were near impossible to dig out and divide. To give your yard a more tropical look have you considered painting the fence a different colour? A dark colour like charcoal would make the fence recede & make the green foliage pop, or a bright tropical colour like orange would really lift the space.
fslevin
Original Author
9 years ago
Thx for the advice on birds of paradise. You've really made me re-think. Also, I meant to ask about fence colour & yes, we are thinking about painting it. I was thinking more subtle like the charcoal you suggested or a dune/grey/green colour but am open to different suggestions. Wow, orange would make it pop.
gondalon
9 years ago
Suggest you try cardamom. Yes a bit unusual I know but I have it growing around a pool in Brisbane. It is lush, green, tough, doesn't mind chlorine, multiplies but is not invasive, flowers a bit but doesn't drop anything. And it's pods can be used in cooking. Everybody wins!
PRO
Outside Space
9 years ago
A nice colour for fences that we have successfully used is Dulux 'Luck'. Or you can go down the path of the standard dark charcoals or black for the backdrop for foliage.

If using bamboo, they will shed and drop their leaves. Still a good option for the 600 wide garden bed. You then have room to plant a lower variety in front.

Good luck with it!
Leah Wheeler
9 years ago
giant bird of paradise grow quickly and in tight spaces, I would then mix it up with some colourful cordylines and some ground cover.
Kerrie Chapman
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I'm with Zen_garden on this one, and giving cordyline fruticosa species a thumbs up (many are suited to part sun/shade, come in a big range of colours and heights, very little leaf drop and low maintenance). Not sure I'd recommend Bird of Paradise or agaves, as your garden bed only gets sun until midday which I don't think is enough for "full sun" plants. Will be interested to see what everyone suggests, as I am on the Gold Coast and am looking for suitable plants to put around our pool, too.
fslevin
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for all the comments. It's great inspiration. I'll definitely post after pictures but it make take a little while! (Waiting for it to cool down a bit before I start planting)
Lyn
9 years ago
Australian lomandra would be great. It clumps well and is very easy care.
Jessica Hazlewood
9 years ago
We have Heliconias around one edge of our pool. They look very tropical and are easy to care for. You do need to research which ones will grow well in Brisbane. I think we have Bihai claw 2 and they are around 2.5 m tall.
fslevin
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks everyone for your advice - I finally got around to finishing this garden. Plants included are: heliconia red christmas, pleemle reflexa varigated, rhoeo dwf, ixora pink Malay, cordyline, crotons, neomaricia gracilis, draceama massangeana "Brazil", philodendron Xanadu, costos barbatus, calathea insignis, chamaedorea seifritzii, clivea miniata mammoth, raphis excelsa, bromeliad "matchstick" varigated
fslevin
Original Author
8 years ago
2 more pictures
zen_garden
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Wow, it looks amazing, I love it!

I'm really liking the fence in charcoal (much better than the white) because it ties in so nicely with the rocks and really makes the plants stand out.

Thanks for posting an updated pic
PRO
My Verandah
7 years ago
I just noticed your post and I would love to see another photo now that your garden has had 6 months of growing time! I love that you chose to plant Rhapis palms - I adore them. I often suggest to clients to paint fences charcoal, what a difference it has made to the look and feel of your pool area.
fslevin
Original Author
6 years ago
Ok, so I hardly ever come on Houzz anymore but a friend came across my pictures & commented to me. Please see updated pictures a year on. I’m now trying to decide to fake grass or not to cover mismatched area. Got 3 quotes - all approx $4,000. Hubby doesn’t like fake grass & thinks it’s too expensive... but I want it!!
fslevin
Original Author
6 years ago
And a couple more - fake grass or not???
butterflyroof
6 years ago
No to the fake grass. Looks more natural and tropical without it.
Julie Herbert
6 years ago
looks great, you could add the beautiful lush 'xanadu' to fill out your garden beds and complete your tropical look, the fake turf will certainly green up the area, or you could add large pots of tropical foliage to add the wow factor, 'raphis' looks wonderful in pots.
User
6 years ago
Did you go with the fake grass? Can you upload some pics? Really interested to see the final look!!
anjiblue
6 years ago
Giant bird of paradise have invasive roots. Don’t plant near a pool!
fslevin
Original Author
6 years ago
Cathie L - haven’t done the fake grass. Still want to but need to find the money to do it. Will take & post pictures when I do it.
User
6 years ago
looks fabulous, how your plants have grown, you could always use a paving paint to refresh that area until you decide on turf or not,
Gallifrey
6 years ago
i love bamboo, giant bird of paradise etc but do NOT put next to your pool. In our last build we used Zanadu. Big leaves that do not drop and bullet proof. Perhaps find another way to cover the fence other than plants that almost always drop their leave and have invasive roots.
fslevin
Original Author
6 years ago
And a few more
User
6 years ago
Looks fantastic! Everything seems to be thriving.
me me
6 years ago
looks really good, well done
PRO
Designer Plants Aust.
5 years ago
Hi there, In looking at screening off an area, or providing something beautiful to look at, often we suggest using artificial hedge or green walls as this provides a quick way to instantly beautify the area! You can check out the full range here View the range
robandlyn
5 years ago
old post