Plants are essential when designing the perfect pool area. Whether you’re looking to create a super-luxe space, a tropical-inspired paradise, or a romantic retreat, the right choices truly help to set the scene. And opting for scented picks will only add to the sensory experience as you take a dip or lounge on a daybed nearby.
Below, gardening experts share their recommendations for fragrant pool planting ideas, so if you’re looking for inspiration, you’ve come to the right place. You’ll find quick tips on keeping them looking their best, too.
Just bear in mind that these types of plants for around a pool tend to attract pollinators. While butterflies may be welcome in your space, bees may be less so – bear this in mind before you plant.
1. Gardenia
Surround your pool with these summer bloomers
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‘The first plant that comes to mind is gardenia,’ says Justin Hancock, a horticulturist at Costa Farms. He calls it ‘one of the most fragrant flowering plants around’, and highlights how the elegant, pure white blooms reflect moonlight, so you can enjoy it if you swim under the stars, as well as during the day. ‘The shiny, dark green foliage is a lovely foil for them,’ he adds.
‘It grows best in light shade, but tolerates full sun in all but the hottest areas,’ he continues. ‘It’s not particularly drought-tolerant, so keep this beauty well watered.’ He also points out that it prefers acidic soils – ‘if your soil is on the alkaline side, growing it in a large container where you can more easily control pH will help keep it lush, healthy, and beautiful.’
Nikki Bruner from Perfect Plants Nursery particularly recommends the frost-proof gardenia from the Perfect Plants Nursery website, noting how it holds up well in warmer climates and is hardy in zones 7-10. ‘It’s perfect for poolside containers, and the perfume from the flowers can be smelled from a distance.’
Justin Hancock is a Costa Farms horticulturist with over 25 years in the industry. A plant enthusiast and educator, he has a degree in Horticultural Science and has worked in garden centers and botanical gardens, as a garden designer, and in garden publishing (including at Better Homes and Gardens). He has experience gardening across the country, from Minnesota to Oregon to Miami. Justin is also co-host of the Costa Farms podcast Plant Rx.
Nikki Bruner is the marketing specialist at Perfect Plants Nursery. With a passion for plants and eight years of expertise in marketing, Nikki combines her knowledge of the nursery industry with her creative thinking to promote and highlight the exceptional offerings of Perfect Plants Nursery. She is dedicated to ensuring customer satisfaction and providing valuable insights for plant lovers.
2. Lavender
Bring a touch of the Mediterranean to your pool area
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Give your poolside a country villa vibe with lavender, a well-loved shrub that releases a distinct scent if you gently rub the foliage or flowers with your finger and thumb.
Justin suggests opting for Lavandula angustifolia (English lavender varieties), adding that it’s super easy to care for – ‘it loves all-day sun and tolerates drought like a champ, making it a good choice for both beds and borders and containers.
‘If you grow it in the ground, make sure the soil drains well; raising the soil level to improve drainage can be helpful if you have heavy clay,’ he continues. ‘It’s hardy in zones 5-8, but if you love it, you can treat it like an annual in any climate.’
3. Lilies
Embrace bold color with ‘Stargazer’
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Lilies are another classic pick for fragrant flowers. These summer bulbs can work beautifully alongside a pool, with their bold colors complementing a vibrant, sun-soaked scheme.
Catherine Trudeau, partner at The Outside Design Studio, particularly recommends ‘Stargazer’, an oriental lily which grows up to four feet tall, and is often used in the cut floral industry. ‘This plant has intensely fragrant, large pink blooms and since it grows on the taller side, it needs to go in the back of a bed,’ she says.
However, if you don’t have space, she suggests choosing the smaller ‘Sugar Love’, an Asiatic lily. It tops out at 24-28 inches and can go closer to the front of a bed, she says – ‘but I wouldn’t recommend for the bed edge.’ This plant must have full sun and well-drained soil to avoid bulb rot, she adds.
With more than 15 years of experience designing landscapes, Catherine blends artistry and horticulture while working closely with the unique needs of homeowners, builders, and developers to transform outdoor spaces. Driven by her innate love for plant life, Catherine dedicated her early career to residential landscape and retail, and later earned her Master’s of Landscape Architecture degree from the College of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
4. Lesser calamint
These compact plants have a minty-citrus scent
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Lesser calamint, available from Nature Hills, has small white or light purple flowers and a compact, bushy form. Planted en masse, it makes a useful ground cover plant for a pool area, with an understated elegance.
Catherine recommends Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta ‘White Cloud’; ‘a soft, airy mound of tiny white flowers that bloom for months – so profuse, the foliage nearly disappears.’
She says it’s exceptionally fragrant, a magnet for bees and other pollinators, and ideal for edging – ‘it spills beautifully over hardscape, softening paths and pool edges.’
Catherine also highlights this plant’s good drought tolerance, and notes how it’s best in full sun. Avoid overwatering, she adds.
5. Heliotrope
Heliotropes are sometimes referred to as cherry pie plants, due to their sweet fragrance
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‘Heliotrope (Heliotropium) is one of my favorite summer annuals (though technically it’s a perennial in frost-free areas),’ says Justin. ‘This under-appreciated plant bears clusters of rich purple flowers that are (at least to me) strongly scented of vanilla and appear almost constantly throughout the summer.
‘It grows best in all-day sun, but tolerates partial shade,’ Justin continues. ‘If you grow it in containers and absolutely fall in love with it, you can bring it indoors as a high-light houseplant to enjoy until the next spring when you can bring it back outdoors.’
Not only will heliotrope blooms add beautiful color to your poolside, but they will help attract hummingbirds, too.
FAQs
What fragrant container plants are good for a poolside?
Compact varieties of the suggestions above can all be grown in poolside pots. Just ensure to water your containers correctly to help them thrive.
You could also opt for the ‘Bloomerang® Dark Purple’ lilac, as Nikki suggests. ‘The small size makes it perfect for containers. We recommend deadheading the spent blossoms to encourage summer reblooming.’
Citrus trees, which have sweetly-scented flowers, can also work well in pots alongside pools.
What evergreen fragrant plants are well-suited to a poolside?
Some plants listed above, such as gardenias, are evergreen in suitable hardiness zones. Alternatively, opt for a scented evergreen camellia – Nikki recommends Camellia japonica ‘High Fragrance’ from Perfect Plants Nursery which has gorgeous ruffled blooms. ‘It adds evergreen elegance to the pool deck, especially in winter and early spring when little else is blooming. A thick layer of mulch will help protect shallow roots,’ she says.
You could also try star jasmine, another suggestion from Nikki – an evergreen vine ‘that would be perfect for planting poolside along a trellis or fence.’
Plants can offer more besides beauty and scent. Some can be used to create botanical screens, providing your pool area with extra privacy. Add some stylish finishing touches to the space, such as parasols and outdoor cushions, and you’ll have the perfect backdrop for your next pool party.