Turn Your Pool into an Oasis
This summer has brought some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded. Having a pool or some body of water, even a kiddie pool, can help you get through the summer and not melt when you come outside. Getting wet enables you to tolerate the excessive temperatures our summers are bringing.
The plants you place around your pool area can make it look like a tropical getaway.
Start with placing a table near your pool area. Seating at your table should be shaded. If you’re lacking a large shade tree, a pergola makes a good base. I planted a hardy kiwi vine at our pergola. The vines took about three years to cover the pergola. Now there is deep shade over our picnic table. For fruit, you need both male and female plants. Small olive-shaped kiwis an inch or two long are very sweet and mature in October.
Through the kiwi, I have another vine growing. The passionflower surfaces here and there with fragrant intricate purple flowers that end up making passionfruit.
I have encircled the area with pots to define it and to make it more private. My large pots contain Proven Winner calibrachoas, which look like mini petunias cascading in a variety of colors. Another Proven Winner is Cuphea vermillionaire, which produces orange tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds. They are like hummingbird magnets and add to the tropical ambiance.
Over the years, I have collected various fruiting plants. Citrus of all kinds I lovingly carry in for the winter and out for the summer until October. They flower and fruit at the same time, so there is always the sweet scent of orange, lemon or lime blossoms. I have a few pots of tender figs that bear fruit. There is also a lemon verbena that, when brushed, emits a wonderful lemon scent. A mandevilla vine on a small trellis gives a tropical feel with pink flowers. I also have a potted banana, guava, mango and papaya that I eagerly encourage to bear fruit.
A good source for tropical plants that fruit is Logee’s Plants: 888-330-8038; www.logees.com.