I have to give credit where credit is due; this week’s blog idea came from my stepmom as she enjoyed her last day of summer vacation by the pool before returning to work tomorrow as an elementary school teacher. No one, including my stepmom, likes a messy patio, or, even worse, a messy pool. Who wants to spend time skimming flower petals and plant debris from the water when you could be floating peacefully on a raft, enjoying the cool clear water on a hot summer day? Also, fallen flower petals can stain hard surfaces around a pool if they are not quickly cleaned up. Luckily there are so no-mess options.

The key to no-mess container plantings is to focus on interesting foliage rather than blooms. There are not very many plants with lots of flowers that remain tidy, but there are tons of plants with foliage that adds interest because of its color, shape, or both. Here are some plant options that will create a lush tropical look around your pool, minus the mess.

Tropicals

Tropical foliage plants are probably my favorite plants for creating lush, no-mess containers. This category includes Palms, Cannas (I especially like Cannas with variegated foliage, but the blooms can be messy), Crotons, Ginger, Elephant Ears, Caladium, Asparagus Fern (I especially like Foxtail), Stromanthe, Philodendron, Bromeliads, and Banana plants.

Check plant tags before purchasing to ensure the plant is adapted to your specific light conditions. Many of these are upright growers and would look nice underplanted with a contrasting Coleus and a draping plant like Sweet Potato Vine or Golden Creeping Jenny.

No-Mess Plants: Annuals

Coleus come in a fantastic variety of colors and leaf shapes and are even available in a few draping varieties. The foliage is the star of the show with Coleus, so pinch flower buds as they appear to keep the plant’s energy directed towards its leaves. Coleus are great alone in a container or planted around the base of larger tropical foliage plants.

Sweet Potato Vines are draping plants that come in bright neon green, dark purple, and variegated shades of pink. They are good accent plants to put around the base of large tropical foliage plants. Golden Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia aurea) is another great draping plant with that is bright yellowish-green. It is smaller than Sweet Potato Vines and complements just about any container planting.

Succulents

Succulents like Cacti and Sedums are a great choice for sunny pool decks and for those of us who occasionally forget to water. There are so many fascinating shapes and colors available, it would be impossible to list them all here, but don’t be afraid to group several different varieties in a container, including a draping variety like Donkey Tail or String of Pearls.

Most succulents are slow growers, but do be careful not to overplant when using perennial succulents like Sedum Autumn Joy or Purple Emperor, as these can grow quite a bit larger in one season. Also, stay away from prickly varieties, especially if children use the pool.

One exception to the prickly rule would be Agave plants. These are great container plants, but often have a sharp tip on the end of each leaf. If you are willing to spend a couple of minutes snipping off the leaf tips with pruners or scissors, these are great plants to consider for sunny pool areas. If you live in a cold winter climate, make sure to bring any frost-tender plants inside to a sunny window before temperatures drop too low. This includes pretty much all cacti and succulents except for Prickly Pears (which aren’t a great pool plant anyways) and hardy Sedums.

No-Mess Plants: Perennials

There are many tidy perennials with interesting foliage that make great container plants, including one of my favorites, Heuchera (or Coral Bells). Others to consider include Hosta, Liriope, small ornamental grasses, Sedums, Sages, and Spurge. Make sure the plants you choose are adapted your specific light conditions, especially Hosta and Heucheras, as some can take full sun while others require full shade.

As an added bonus, perennials can be transplanted into the garden in late summer to early fall and will come back the following spring as long as they are given time to establish before going dormant.

Flowers

There are a few annual flowers that hold onto their blooms rather than scattering petals everywhere, including Zinnia, Celosia, Gomphrena, Marigolds, and Strawflowers. All of these need full sun, benefit from deadheading, and, even though they are drought tolerant, will not do well in containers without consistent watering.

It’s also a good idea to think outside the flower box and consider a shrub with long-lasting blooms like Hydrangeas. Hydrangeas, depending on the variety, can take full sun to full shade and will need regular water, especially in full sun. They hang on to their large blooms all season, but may drop a few leaves here and there.