Contrary to what you might have heard, not everyone in Los Angeles owns a pool. But there are enough and many who find landscaping around those pools a problem. Many people solve the problem by just refusing to landscape, but those pool areas look sterile and uninviting. And that’s the last thing you want your pool to look like. Landscaping around the pool area with flowers and plants softens the hardscape and makes the area and inviting place where you want to spend time with family and friends.

Not all plants and flowers, however, work well around a pool. First, you want plants that will stand up to harsh sunlight and pool chemicals. You also don’t want plants that will create a lot of litter that’s clogs up pool filters. Then you want to make sure they won’t harm you or your guest (so no pokey plants, please). Here are a three ideas that are sure to hold up in and around the Los Angles area and create the attractive feeling you’re looking for.

Gazanias will fill in a area with daisy-like flowers in brilliant colors from whites to orange. They come in two types: clumping and trailing, and both work well around a pool. In mild areas like here in Los Angeles, they have a big Spring blush of blooms and then intermittently bloom the rest of the year.

Agapantus, aka Lily-of-the-Nile, are an evergreen perennial in mild Los Angles with thick green leaves. The showstoppers, however, are flower stalks with their round heads of blooms in blues and white.

Succulents, just about any kind, work well around pools. Succulents are fleshy plants that store water in their leaves. Some will surprise you with beautiful blooming flowers, but even with no flowers, they’re still stunning. They work well in pots around a pool too. Some of my favorites a Aloe, Ice plants and sedum.

For more ideas for flowers around a pool (or anywhere for that matter), check out Sunset magazine.