No Beetles In This Octopus's Garden

 By Teresa Watkins

There is a great Beatles song, 'Octopus's Garden' that suggests a perfect theme for your summer beach gardening scene.  What better way to bring the ocean into your own backyard -- whether you live in Miami, Florida or Miami, Oklahoma -- than to have a landscape that whisks you down under the sea to Neptune’s tidal garden when your eyes behold it … and you don’t even need to worry about the salt spray or getting sunburned!

      On a recent visit to the Discovery Gardens at the UF/IFASLake County Extension Discovery Gardens, I was thrilled to see an ‘Ocean Reef’ Children’s garden. The three bedding plants used to inspire the school children’s imaginations got my creative energies whirling and I thought, “What a great theme!”  As I left on my own summer vacation, Mother Nature’s stream of consciousness seemed to flow everywhere I looked. For example, the HGTV newsletter arrived with a wonderful article on how to design a beachfront garden with salt-tolerant plant selections.  But how does that help a land-locked sea dog gardener like you? If you don’t have a beautiful beachfront landscape yet you yearn to lie on a beach towel and catch the rays in your own underwater paradise, put a conch shell to your ear and read on.

       Here are some suggestions to help you create your own “Octopus’s Garden.” I’ve selected a variety of flowers, shrubbery, trees, and groundcovers guided by Poseidon and maritime-sounding common names to invoke our undersea theme. How many do you recognize? Remember to make sure the sunlight, soil, zone hardiness, and moisture conditions are right for your own backyard before buying and installing any of these plants.

Flowers and Shrubs

Anemones, Anemone coronaria, also known as windflowers, are members of the buttercup family. But the sea anemones (get it?) are creatures whose brightly colored shapes and cluster of tentacles outwardly resemble terrestrial flowers. In your beach garden, anemones are flowering bulbs that will bloom in the spring and summer and like sunny areas in northern climes and partial shade in the South.  Shrimp plants, Justicia brandegeana is a good choice – put a few of these lovely flowers close to the Bar-bee. Bright yellow, greyish-green, or red flowers, these plants love the sun and are great butterfly and hummingbird attractors.

Shrimp Plant

     Use Coral bells, Heuchera spp., Coralbush, Jatropha multifida, Coral bean, Erythrina herbacea for Zones 7 through 9, and Coralberry, Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, for cooler climates up through Zone 3 --- all of whose common names smack delightfully of Poseidon’s reefs.  If you want to conjure images of being underwater, plant the Celosia argentea, var. cristata, a member of the amaranth family which is reminiscent of brain coral which boasts great colors and is very effective in tidal waves of mass plantings across your ocean, or I mean garden bed. Vines that continue the coral theme include coral vine, Antigonon leptopus, and the popular, fragrant coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens.   

    This Pencil cactus, looks just like the Bamboo coral under the sea. 

 Large ornamental shrubs can be used such as the Sea Grape, Coccoloba uvifera. It is a natural for the beach look, where it loves sandy soils and salt air. Other large shrubs include beach elder, Iva imbricate, Sea lavender, and Sea rosemary, Argusia gnaphalodes.

Shells are a given in an oceanfront garden, so how about the Shell flower, Moluccella laevis?  It’s also known as Bells of Ireland and Molucca Balm because it was originally thought to be a native of the Molucca Islands. These lovely, chartreuse, biennial flowers love the sun or partial shade and thrive in Florida up through Zone 4.  Another shell that should be on your “beach” is the Shell ginger, Alpina zerumbet. Growing beautifully in shade, the  tropical variegated foliage with large, colorful flowers, is hardy into Zone 8 and must be allowed to survive two winters in order to blossom.

Shell ginger

 Crotons, Codiaeum variegatum, look divine in your garden and can remind you of colorful, exotic, underwater grasses, and sea urchins. Varieties like Mammy, Gold Dust, Johanna Coppinger, Dreadlock, Piecrust, and Banana leaf. Check crotons out and see which one transports you underwater.

Croton spp. 

       Looking for still more flowers and shrubs appropriate for your Octopus’s garden? Try the daisy sea oxeye, Borrichia frutescens, the sea holly, Eryngium alpinum, the tropical lobster claw, Heliconia bihai, or the pearl lanceleaf, Anthurium scandens.  

If you are fortunate to have an island bay [translation: water garden] in your backyard, make sure you have eel grass, Vallisneria neotropicalis, native in most parts of the United States, but can also be found at aquarium stores.

Dracenas sp. Blue agave, Agave americana, and Bird's Nest ferns, Asplenium spp.

Botanical bonus points for Fishtail ferns, Nephrolepis falcata

Groundcovers

Succulents and cacti can be an incredible choice for your backyard beach if you select carefully your locations. Starfish Cactus, or Starfish Plant, Stapelia gigantea, has an incredible stellar flower that reminds your guests of a starfish. Its’ long stems remind you of a real green octopus. All the Stapelia species would work in a marine theme.

Photograph by Teresa Watkins

Check out these sea-worthy inclusions for your ocean bed:

• Agave americana
• Aptenia sp.
• Beschorneria yuccoides
• Crassula obvata
• Dudleya caespitosa
• Dyckia sp. “Burgandy Ice"
• Euphorbia lacteal
• Euphorbia trigona 
• Haworthia attentuata
• Orbea ciliata

     To cover bare patches of sand with suitable groundcovers, look for beach morning glory, Ipomoea pes-caprae, ‘Blue Pacific’ shore junipers, Juniperus conferta, (which gets double botanical points for having a real ocean in its’ name). Sea oats, Uniola paniculata, if they are available in your area — is a plant that will evoke windy seaside breezes in your Octopus garden. Sea oats are an endangered species and are federally protected, so never take them out of the wild and always buy them from a reputable native plant nursery!  Blackbeard’s ghost will haunt you forever if you do!

Trees

Spreading canopies of shade in your oceanfront landscape can include such ocean-themed habitants as crabapples, Pyrus coronaria, and crabwood, Ateramnus lucidus. The blue beech, Carpinus caroliniana, a member of the birch family, also known as American hornbeam and musclewood, is another good tree to remind us of idyllic ‘beech’ views. Blue beeches are handsome, deciduous trees with gray bark and blue green leaves. Native from Texas and Florida up through Maine.

         What’s a beachfront without palm trees? And what’s an Octopus garden without pirates?  A perfect choice is a Buccaneer palm tree, Pseudophoenix sargentii, which can be a container palm for those zones above 9 and 10.  Clustering fishtail palm, Caryota mitis, also works well in the Octopus’s garden.  

Buccaneer Palm

          You can use your shady areas for a nice tropical beach garden by using Rattlesnake plants, Calathea lancifolia, which has incredible markings on it, and the Cast Iron Apidistra, Aspidistra elatior, that suggests types of underwater grass.

Rattlesnake plant, Calathea lancifolia

Cast Iron Plant, Apidistra elatior

              If you enjoy eating fruit, your whimsical seashore can include Key limes to reference obvious geographical locations such as Key West, Key Largo and the rest of the Florida Keys, and navel oranges – all right, navel oranges are a stretch, but they succeed in two ways:  1), what do you see at the beach? Right…navels, plenty of bellybuttons, 2) is that you can’t have an ocean garden without the presence of a maritime navy – ergo, naval orange. Hey! You have to work with me here – I’m being resourceful.

            Speaking of being resourceful, even the busy or uninspired gardening enthusiast can have an Octopus’s garden. Just stick a broken boat plank sign up in your front yard with “crabgrass” on the sign to explain why you have such fitting weeds. If you really have a sense of humor, just wait ‘till Chapman’s Skeletongrass, Gymnopogon chapmanianus, finds it way to your pseudo-seaside retreat and display it with pride next to a nautical treasure chest filled with gold doubloons and Mardi Gras beads.

       Designing your maritime flower, shrub, and tree placement depends on your height, depth, and color preferences. It’s your Octopus’s garden – don’t be afraid to have contrasting colors, sizes, and leaf textures. Set out your choices in their nursery pots and move them around until you are satisfied. Don’t hesitate to stand back and look at your design from every angle, including an upper story floor or neighbor’s yard if you can.

Accessories

If you live in zones 3 through 7 and you can’t have a year-round tropical paradise, you could display your coastal plants in nautical containers that will help contribute to the ambiance of your oceanscape. Containers for beachfront yards can include various red, white, or blue plastic containers with thick hemp cord handles. Make sure you have good drainage. You can integrate oversized conch shell planters or employ unused rowboats -- either real or unused children’s toys -- to beach on your sandy berms. Plant your ornamental shrubs, flowers, and even your trees and palms in them.

       Create a post with different directional signs pointing to your favorite botanical gardens or island resorts.  Attach a seagull to the top of the sign post or hang a parrot swinging from your tree.

Photograph by Danielle Aquiline

          Plant labels can highlight the jewels of your sea garden and provide humor in setting the stage for a summer of fun. Place your labels with the common names on paper resembling torn flags under your plant selections so that the writing is easily legible from a few feet away. Making the mailman, milkman, pedestrians and neighbors laugh as they pass your house will earn you buccaneer points.

          If you have a deck or patio, wrap round poles together with thick rope to represent a pier.  Plant around the base of the poles or add a container of nautical-themed plants. Accessories will help expand and unite your ‘under the sea’ theme: lighthouses, sea shells, sand pails, shovels, umbrellas, parrots, skull and crossbones flags, Union Jack flags, model ships, marine flags, tiki torches, assorted crabs, fishing nets, fishes, and lobsters, seahorses, bamboo fencing, oars, aft and stern portions of a rowboat, round plastic life preservers, flip-flop sandals, rafts, mermaid statues, treasure chest, skeletons, cement sand castles.  Look for these items at your local craft stores, statuary businesses and catalogs, party supply stores, and boating centers.

          Finding these plants may take a little work, but if you know what you’re looking for, get in your little Yellow Submarine, haul out your plant catalogs, search the Internet and with a little effort, create a treasure map and mark an X where you think you will find your plants. I’m sure you’ll be rewarded for having a little imagination and digging some treasures in your own backyard, no matter where you live. 

Octopus's Garden

(Lennon/McCartney)

Abbey Road (1969)

I'd like to be under the sea

In an octopus' garden in the shade

He'd let us in, knows where we've been

In his octopus' garden in the shade.

 I'd ask my friends to come and see

An octopus' garden with me

I'd like to be under the sea

In an octopus' garden in the shade.

We would be warm below the storm

In our little hideaway beneath the waves

Resting our head on the sea bed

In an octopus' garden near a cave.

We would sing and dance around

because we know we can't be found

I'd like to be under the sea

In an octopus' garden in the shade.

We would shout and swim about

The coral that lies beneath the waves

(Lies beneath the ocean waves)

Oh what joy for every girl and boy

Knowing they're happy and they're safe

(Happy and they're safe).

We would be so happy you and me

No one there to tell us what to do

I'd like to be under the sea

In an octopus' garden with you.

Updated and originally published  August 13, 2006 
Central Florida Yards ; Neighborhoods Newsletter, and Icangarden.com

Teresa Watkins, 18-year Master Gardener, author, speaker, garden writer, landscape designer, horticulturist, and environmental consultant. Watkins also hosts the award-winning gardening radio show “In Your Backyard” on My790am.com every Tuesday at 1:00pm EST.  You can contact and read more of Teresa's posts on her website at www.she-consulting.com. 

Pretty in Pink - Pentas and Caladiums

Great summer and fall combination. For full and partial sun areas, especially in parking lots with hot asphalt.  Would like to see more caladiums planted among the pentas.  Great for butterfly gardens, too. 

 

Pentas and caladiums take the heat.

#gardenchat

Summer Containers That Beat The Heat

Creating beautiful pockets of color for your yard is easy when you select the right plants and containers.  Choosing a container is not only about aesthetics but also about your landscape maintenance style. Are you someone who loves pottery full of flowers but you don't have irrigation to the pots or want to worry about watering every day in the summer heat?  Then select a ceramic or plastic container and using a potting soil with water holding materials like coconut fibers or polymer water balls that will allow soil to hold onto moisture longer.  Clay pots dry out very quickly and depending on the plant species used will need watering every day. For succulents and cacti, clay pots are very appropriate.

Mix annuals, perennials, succulents, herbs, and even small trees in your container, making sure they all have the same sunlight and soil conditions.. Select three to five plants that will give you vertical (height), horizontal (width) , and depth (hanging below the pot's top edge).  Vary the foliage types with spikes, succulent vines, or soft velvety leaves.  Use the color wheel approach to match your flowers and foliage with your choice of container. 

Complete your containter by adding Spanish or sphagnum moss to fill in any bare areas to create more interest.  If you are collecting Spanish moss from your yard and want to use it indoors or on a patio, dry it out and kill any insects or mites first by microwaving for one to three minutes before adding to your creation.

Keep an eye on your plants for the first couple of weeks to ensure that it is getting enough rainfall or water to beat the heat. 

Some ideas for great plants to use in containers for full sun outdoors:

• African bush daisy, Gamolepis chrysanthemoides
• Ice plants, Aptenia spp.
• Osteospernum, Osteospermum spp
• Ageratum, Ageratum spps.
• Blanket flower, Gaillardia pulchella
• Bulbine, Bulbine frutescens
• Bluebird vine, Petrea volubilis
• Calendula, Calendula officinalis
• Celosia, Celosia spp.
• Common yarrow, Achillea millefolium
• Firecracker flower, Crossandra spp.
• Firecracker plant, Russelia equisetiformis
• Gazania, Gazania spp.
• Gloriosa lily, Gloriosa superba
• Showy stonecrop, Sedum spectabile
• Ornamental potato vine, Ipomoea batatas
• Jewels of Opar, Talinum paniculatum
• Lavender, Lavandula dentata, Lavandula stoeches
• Million bells, Calibrochoa spp.
• Society garlic, Tulbaghia violacea
• Whirling butterflies, Gaura lindheimeri
• Zinnia, Zinnia spp.

Last Days of Summer "In Your Backyard"

Fall is almost upon us. The sycamores and red maples are changing color, humidity is down, and pulling weeds doesn't seem like a chore. After a long, hot summer, this past weekend was cleanup time with advantageous weeds feeling their oats, invasive queen palms from a neighboring yard sprouting up, and hornets buzzing around overgrown shrubs that have been easily unattended since last year. But my roses, lantana, and blackberry lilies are blooming, and the red fountain grass looks lovely, swaying in the wind. No lawn to mow, thankfully. I broke that habit five years ago!

With the temperatures cooling, this is the time to start providing nutrients to your turfgrass with a 15-0-15 fertilizer. Applying fertilizer now, according to the label's instructions, will allow your turf to recover from the stress of summer and prepare for winter freezes. The 15-0-15 analysis will give the grass the nitrogen it needs to green up and grow, while the potassium (the last number on the bag) will create thicker cell walls which will enable the grass to survive extreme freezes. It's important to apply potassium because it's not absorbed as easily as nitrogen. It may take several months for the grass to get the full benefit of the application. If you wait till November or December for a potash or potassium application, your grass may not be growing as readily and be unprepared for an early freeze. No need for phosphorus in your turf fertilizer unless you have had a soil analysis that advises you to apply it. Remember phosphorus encourages flowering and fruiting - which turf doesn't need. It also helps plants have a healthy root system, but there is usually enough in Florida's soils to address this need.

Do you know what you're buying when you buy fertilizer? Do you understand what the analysis and the nutrients? The University of Florida has an excellent publication that will allow you to make a good decision when purchasing fertilizer. Always read the label and follow instructions - more is not better!

With the predicted rain this weekend, let the natural rainfall prepare your lawn for fertilizing and then apply the fertilizer after the rain, not before! Don't let it slip away in your stormwater runoff!

I've been warning about hurricane winds and large tree damages for several months now but this year despite having 11 hurricanes, only one hurricane, Bonnie, skirted South Florida. I drove by this Orlando home yesterday with a huge tree that went over in a windy storm this week. It was an old live oak and had been hollow for some time. It missed the house by a few feet.

There's some great gardening finds at the local farmers market this time of year! Look at these beauties that I found at the Winter Park Farmers Market!

The tree-like topiary is an olive tree, Oleo europeana, I love it. Olive trees are becoming a top favorite with Florida gardeners.

In Your Backyard: Humidity Wins When You're Outside

You know summer is here when you open your front door and it feels like a laundryroom with the dryer going full blast. The heat and humidity is hard to overcome in our tropical climate. At least we have cross breezes from the ocean which bring us afternoon showers. I'll take them if we can get them but dont count on the weatherman's rain chance percentages.

What we could be seeing in the landscape are damages from fertilizing and using herbicides during the wrong time of year. When plants are dehydrated and heat-stressed, they are not able to absorb the chemicals adequately and can die.

Reading the manufacturers' instruction label is critical for all chemical applications. The label will tell you explicitly "Do not apply this product to turf under stress from drought, insects, disease, cold temperatures, high temperatures of above 85 degrees."

Don't have the label? Here's a great site to look up MSDS sheets: CDMS Agro-Chemical database.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Father's Day coming up - let him take a break from yardwork. Tell him that for the next two months he doesn't need to fertilize or spray pesticides and you'll mow the lawn for him! Keep the grass cut high at 3-4 inches. Another great Father's Day gift is to have the lawn mower blades sharpened. He'll be able to get through that thick St. Augustinegrass. Sharp lawn mower blades keep the grass blades cut evenly, which means less susceptibility to pest problems!

If you have missed any of the last month's "In Your Backyard," you can find them at http://www.wlbe.org/ and click on the Past Shows.

Listen and call in with your gardening questions today at 11:06 am! Tell me what's going on in your backyard!