Carmen14

I have been reading back on an old post from 2007 about all sorts of planting ideas. It was really informative. Does anyone know of any plants that deter cats? ( don't want to do them any harm). We have lots in our area and would like to stop them using our flower beds as a toilet. By the way Fred, do your poolside flower beds still look as stunning as in 2007? What did you have in there? And are they ok to plant so close to the pool? Many thanks for any tips.

Bri and Katee

Canariansis Sharpbite. I've found that cats really do not like this plant at all. Is very versatile and can take well to any part of your garden, as long as it is watered well and given a feed twice a day, it will thrive and make super deterrent to your cat problem.

Fred James

The garden has matured a lot since then and the only problem is the leaves getting in the pool if it gets windy. The beds have a big variety of plants, but mainly flowering shrubs rather than bedding plants.

Carmen14

Thank you both. We want to put some more flowering shrubs in the beds by the pool as well. Have you any suggestions Fred(or anyone else for that matter)? The pool is very sheltered by a surrounding wall.

snikpoh

How about the 'Mock Orange' schrub - Philadelphus. Fantastic fragrance around the pool and lovely flowers.

Then, of course, there is the old favourite of Olleander. This is said to keep the flies and wasps away although the sap is poisonous (just don't go cutting it and have small children around at the same time.

Bri and Katee

Every part of Oleander is poisonous, the leaves, flowers, branches, roots. Wear gloves to prune them and keep the sap off, don't burn them as even the smoke is toxic.

They are so poisonous that even the goats here won't eat them, that says it all.

Having said that, they make wonderful hedging and grow fast if watered correctly and have a brilliant show of long lasting flowers.

Grebo

So what is correct watering ? ours have been in almost 2 years although they have flowered they have hardley grown at all.

Suzi

Retired in Euskadi

Mock orange has a lovely fragrance but its main problem is that you cannot easily shape it; not even the dwarf ones.

What about Mahonia, which flowers in winter and has really spiky leaves. I cut branches to lay around my seedbeds to deter the cats.

Bri and Katee

The soil around them needs to be damp at this time of the year and dry in the summer. They go into dormancy in the summer months so don't grow so much then.

However I have watered a new row we put in 2 years ago throughout last summer and they have done really well, I'll post a photo in a moment because they do differ wildly in how they grow.

Bri and Katee

This row was planted in 2013, all the same colour all bought at the same time from the same group, but as you can see they have all developed at different rates. They were around 10 inches tall when bought, the largest is now over 3 feet, so not bad for basically two summers. I have another 100 to plant this year and digging this 'soil' is no easy task!

Fred James

They do indeed. I planted 50 really small ones (40c each) ten years ago. They get irrigated and fertilised and are about 4m tall. They now have to have the tops cut out annually otherwise they will spoil the view!

Fred James

We have hanging geraniums in the front of the beds with cape daisies in the foreground. The small Oleanders are good and Bourganvillas on the wall are successful.

Just buy some plants you like the look of and try them out. Our garden has evolved over the last 11 years and is very different from when we started.

These pictures were in April this year. It constantly changes as the year progresses. Select plants that flower at different times.

dartholemew spaceinvader

Fred, you have a beautiful garden. Thank you for sharing those pictures!

Retired in Euskadi

What a beautiful area Fred. I'm almost envious!! Shows what can be done with imagination and care. Love Bougainvillea which can grow up here, though depends where.
However, no regrets about living in Euskadi.

Fred James

Glad you like the photos.

Another alternative is roses. We don't have them round the pool, they are in a separate rose garden. There is no reason why they would not be suitable round a pool. They flower for 10 months of the year. I am in the process of pruning them now and they are still flowering. They will be in full bloom again by April.

About the only snag, poolwise, is if it gets windy. The pool will look like the Ganges after a Hindu funeral!