The right plants for pool surrounds

Don't forget to make plans for the plants, too.

It takes a special breed of plant to make it as a poolside companion.

For starters, avoid plants that will hurt the children, or plants that the children will unwittingly hurt.

Native grasses such as lomandra and daniella work nicely near a pool, and can handle the rough stuff including misdirected beach balls.

Avoid plants with thorns or anything sharp.

The Pool and Spa Review Magazine website, poolandspareview.com.au, says lion's tail is a very popular plant, but is not such a good choice for the pool area because it has sharp leaf ends.

And speaking of harm, beware of bee-attracting shrubs, such as plants in the hebes family.

The website also advises against plants that are prone to pests and disease.

"You don't want to have to spray pesticides and herbicides around pool water where contact with the skin or ingestion can occur," the website said.

Another major consideration around the pool is maintenance.

The pool water will take up enough of your maintenance time. You don't want to add to that time by fishing out discarded leaves, flowers, gumnuts or other debris.

For this reason, pine trees are on the don't-even-think-about-it list for many experienced pool owners.

Ditto for some hibiscus plants (whose fallen flowers turn mushy very quickly) and some eucalypts and box trees. Plants with berries or fruits pose a similar problem, so be wary of lilly pilly varieties.

When it comes to saltwater pools, the Gardening Australia magazine website, at abc.net.au, says to look for plants which can tolerate salty coastal climes.

"The general rule of thumb is to look for plants that have silvery, furry or waxy leaves," the website said.

"Some good examples are agave attenuate, bromeliads, echiums, cycads and a mixture of palms which provide good shade. Other plants that work well in a saltwater situation are westringia, coastal banksia, Chinese hibiscus, olive and rosemary."

And for around chlorinated pools, Gardening Australia says: "As a general rule, plants with tough, leathery leaves can better withstand chemical damage from things like chlorine. Think mondo grass, cordyline or star jasmine."

Avoid plants that can potentially cause structural damage to pools. These include bamboos, taller melaleucas, the umbrella tree or the rubber tree.

Palms are a popular choice for poolside planting as they have a small root system, will tolerate full sun or semi-shade, and occasionally drop large leaves which are easy to collect and remove.