Top Ten Plants for Your Poolside Planter
Bring Nature to You
Bring together the mystifying allurement of a lush, enchanting garden with the relaxing melody of water cascading into your pool by adding outdoor planters to your poolscape. This lavish water feature works to capture the beauty of the natural world and deliver it to your poolside paradise. Like most Grand Effects® products, our planters are highly customizable, from the bowl material you choose to the plants you grow. Dive into your pool and emerge in a tropical paradise with colorful, fragrant flora bursting from your planter bowls.
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Both you and your plants can soak up the sunrays as long as you choose the right plants for your planter. Sun-loving plants that are hardy and can tolerate a splash of chlorinated water are preferable to partial or full shade plants. Enjoy the onrush of water cascading into your pool from your planter while your plants soak up the warm sunrays. Water your plants regularly to keep them hydrated as your planter bowl will only project water outward, protecting your plants from chlorinated water.
Lounge in a desert-themed poolscape with lush desert palms and durable succulents that can withstand the hottest of climates. Or bring a pop of color to your planter with lavender or geraniums for a garden-like ambiance. Check out these beautiful, sun-loving plants for your outdoor planter.
1. Agave & Yucca
When choosing plants for your water planter, it’s best to consider your outdoor environment and aesthetic. Since your plants will be connected to your pool, gravitate towards plants that thrive in full sunlight, like desert plants. Many desert plants, like agave and yucca, will transform your backyard into a desert oasis and are incredibly easy to care for. For large, eye-catching leaves that give your plants a natural backdrop, choose a soft-leaved variety of agave. Or cover your pool from wandering eyes with yucca, a tough, evergreen plant that grows outward.
2. Lavender
Breathe in the fresh, relaxing aroma of lavender stalks and feel your mind and body instantly unwind the moment you step outside. Lavender is a sun-loving plant that brings a beautiful shade of purple to your planter and a naturally soothing scent to your outdoor planter. Surround your spa in outdoor planters filled with lavender for a natural rejuvenation center bordered by an aromatic garden. The English lavender is the easiest variety to maintain and can survive through cold winters so you can enjoy your planters year-round.
3. Creeping Jenny
Gaze at the delicate ring of soft, vibrant green leaves dangling around the rim of your planter bowl with the alluring creeping jenny plant. This plant thrives in full sun to partial shade and is resilient enough to survive the winter with minimal supervision. The bright color of the leaves bring attention to your planter without overpowering your other plants. Creeping jenny is pairable with most other plants and acts as an intricate border for water to burst through and cascade into your pool, integrating your water bowl with the surrounding foliage.
4. Echeveria
Enchant your guests with a succulent planter filled with varying shades, hues and textures to admire. With over 10,000 different varieties of succulents, you can create featured, individual planters that each feature different succulents—making each planter one-of-a-kind. Succulents are easily compatible with many other plant species for themed outdoor planter bowls, like a colorful desert aesthetic. Or harness the tropical island ambiance with Echeveria, a flower-like succulent that complements other leafy, flowering plants you have in your planter bowl. They require plenty of sun to survive and come in pink, blue, or various shades of green to match your backyard ambiance.
5. Geraniums
Surround your swimming pool in a breathtaking, kaleidoscopic flower garden overflowing with vast shades and pigments with geraniums. Geraniums bring a tropical element to your poolscape with grand, flowy petals and a multitude of colors such as purple, pink, red and white. These are annual plants that return each year, so your planters will always be ready for summertime hosting events.
6. Tropical Hibiscus
Drift into an island-like paradise when you combine your geraniums with tropical hibiscus flowers. The glossy deep green foliage and striking, free-flowing petals will grow year-round if the weather stays warm or will lie dormant in the winter and return each year. These plants are easy to care for and thrive in full sun environments—requiring 6 to 8 hours of sun for optimal flowering. Collect the petals that fall into your planter or pool and bring the light, refreshing fragrant of the outdoors into your home.
7. Stonecrop (Sedum)
Combine your desert plants with these rose-like succulents for a sun-loving, evergreen planter attached to your pool. Stonecrop (sedum) is a drought-tolerant plant that comes in over 300 varieties and is a perfect starter plant for your planter. Stonecrop will easily blend with your other plants and will grow overtime, giving you additional privacy with every new year. Combine them with Echeveria for a playful twist on flowering plants with these flower-like succulents. Insert rocks or other natural decor with your stonecrop and make a miniature grove in your outdoor planter.
8. Bamboo
Dazzle your guests with a rapidly growing plant that will enwrap your pool in a forest of small-scale trees contained by your planter. Bamboo is an easy-to-care for plant that loves sunlight and can tolerate a light frost in the wintertime. It’s thin branches and jutting leaves provided ample shade your partial-shade plants and help obscure your backyard from being detected. Arrange a few outdoor planter bowls along the back of your pool to maximize your privacy and create a stunning landscape for you and your guests to admire.
9. Hosta
Transform your barren poolscape into a luxurious woodland estate with big-leaf plant varieties to add volume and dimension to your planter bowl. Integrate a thick-leaf plant, such as Hosta, for a gorgeous tropical-themed planter that thrives in partial shade environments. is a beautiful, thick-leaved plant that would work perfectly in a tropical-themed planter. Hostas are perennial—meaning they’ll grow bigger with each passing year—and are able to withstand harsh winters.
10. Calibrachoa (million bells)
Swim under an enchanting waterfall and look up to see a splendid view of colorful, blooming flowers dancing above you. Million bells are small, sun-loving flowers that adapt well to hot and cold temperatures. From a lilac purple to a sunset pink, these flowers add a wonderful pop of color to your outdoor planter bowl and your backyard aesthetic. The petals do tend to fall and can be cleaned using an automatic pool cleaner like Polaris ALPHA™ iQ+ for an effective, energy- efficient clean.
