TESTING THE WATER

Take a look at this:

 

 

Does this scene ignite your tropical senses or what?

Of course it does. Crystal clear water, swaying palm trees, it doesn’t get more tropical than this - unless you add a sarong- clad waiter with an ear full of frangipani flowers and a tray full of mango cocktails.

Now imagine the scene minus the pool. Doesn’t work nearly as well does it?

Because pools epitomise tropical.

Some pools, that is.

Here at Mt Cotton we have a pool and it’s a great pool. Unfortunately it does not epitomise tropical. No way.

 

 

With this in mind, I come to the conclusion that the next job on my to-do list has to be the pool garden. What does it need? A tropical transfusion! When does it need it? Now!

Even though the weather is not conducive to outdoor physicality, if I’m to keep on track with my overall mission, I can’t allow the grass to grow under my feet.  Also there is still a huge mulch pile beckoning from the footpath and the pool garden will use up a tonne or two. 

So, where to start?

There's a lot of scrappy lomandra grass in this bed. If you’ve been with me since the start, you will remember that I have battled (and won) with these tough critters before, but I know I'm in for a fight.

An owl on a string, which Ian insists keeps the ducks away, also does not form part of my garden plan.  It, too, will be leaving.

 

I start the frontal attack with a crow bar and, working late in the afternoon to avoid sunstroke, I remove the offending grasses plus a wheelbarrow full of persistent weeds.  The next morning, with Ian safely at work, I ceremoniously set the owl free. 

What I am left with is a little disconcerting. It’s just agaves, agapanthus and some sad looking ‘happy plants.’

 

The agaves and agapanthus sort of fit in so they can stay, the not-so-happy plants will keep the owl company at the dump. So it's back in with the crow bar.

Finally I'm  ready to add.

I plant Macarthur palms on each side of the pool and, because we don’t want to block the view at the back of the property, I choose smaller growing palms for the middle – the lovely Hawaiian Loulu lelo (Pritchardia Hillebrandii), dwarf golden Canes  (which I never knew existed till I visited my local nursery) and the good old faithful Cascade palms.  That's the backdrop.



Loulu Lelo Palm

Dwarf Golden Cane Palm

Colour is supplied with Crotons, Cordyline Rubras, Dracaena Colorama (these have the lovely red tinged leaves) and some Dianella and black Mondo grass.    

 

Cordyline Rubra

Dracaena Colorama

 

Crotons

We’ve run out of newspaper, so I collect some cardboard from a neighbouring food store and lay it down between the plants to slow down the weeds. My usual cocktail of mushroom compost and pelleted poultry manure comes next and then it’s time to attack the north face of my mulch pile.

The mulch spreading takes a little longer than I anticipate. Ferrying wheelbarrow loads through quite a narrow access requires a calm attitude and a steady hand - one false move and both me and the mulch will end up in the pool.

 

As per usual the finished product will need time to establish. But, if I’m patient, maybe one day, fingers crossed, our pool will have the tropical touch.