Garden Club of Cape Coral | Building a Florida Friendly Garden, part 6
By MERYL O’ROURKE
news@breezenewspapers.com
Hello fellow gardener, welcome back! You may remember in my last article that I had begun working on my front walkway. Unfortunately, I ran into a snag early on and decided to leave that project for cooler months. I was able to get a count of the bricks I’ve dug up, as promised. So far, there are 326, with one more area to go!
In the meantime, a rather large palm frond fell through our screen enclosure, leaving a hole large enough for a mockingbird to fly into the lanai area! Once we safely rescued the bird, a full inspection of the cage revealed that all the screening needed to be replaced. As I didn’t have anything planted around the cage, it seemed like an ideal time to do some landscaping to provide some much-needed buffer from the lawnmower, as well as beautifying the area.
I’m not going to make it a very wide area. Three feet is sufficient to plant what I already have in pots, as well as some new lovelies. The cage has four uprights, not counting the corners. At each upright, I will be planting bridal bouquet, or Plumerica pudica. Unlike most plumerias, it’s an evergreen, with white flowers that bloom pretty much non-stop. Sun-loving, drought tolerant that thrives in well-drained soil; it’s perfect for Southwest Florida!
I also have three lovely empty pots that I’ll be putting in crown of thorns, or Euphorbia milii. Another sun-loving plant, it also has good drought tolerance once established. Care must be taken when handling these plants, both due to the thorns and the milky sap, which can cause skin irritation. This is another year-round blooming plant. I’ll probably plant these in orange colors, if I can find them. If not, then pink.
Next on the list will be false rosemary, or Conradina canescens. Two of those will fill in the outer areas on the long side of the cage. Native to Florida, this is another sun-loving plant whose leaves give off a minty smell when crushed. Drought resistant, excellent pollinator plant, they are tolerant of sandy soil. These will be planted directly into the ground.
That covers the long run of the enclosure. Each short side has three areas that need to be planted. One area on each side will eventually have ZZ plant, or Zamioculcas zamiifolia. I have some wonderful specimens that have been growing in pots for a long time, that will be transplanted into the ground once I put a cover plant in to provide shade for them. It’s another drought-tolerant plant, fitting into the scheme nicely.
I’m thinking of specimen hibiscus going into another area on each side. Not something that would be found in a big box store. They would have to be curated plants. Still in the thinking stages for them.
In the last area, a red copperleaf, or Acalypha wilkesiana, also known as Jacob’s Coat, will make a striking display. Sun-loving, their color intensifies based on the amount of sun they receive. That area has plenty of sun, so I’m expecting quite a show!
Low areas will be filled with black mondo grass, or Ophiopogon planiscapus. I expect the digging of the beds and the plantings to take me several weeks, due to the heat, rain and general life events. I hope to have pictures for you in the next column!
Meryl O’Rourke, a UF/IFAS Master Gardener, volunteers at the Berne Davis Botanical Garden and the Goodwill Pathways to Opportunity Food Garden.