A Succulent Bed in Florida Comes to Life

Putting together a creative new planting

Today ’s photos are from Joyce Laubach .

I am a Florida Master Gardener , gardening at my own home and as an active community volunteer in Punta Gorda , locate on the Gulf Coast in southwestern Florida . My last submission to the GPOD ( Planting a Public Garden in Florida ) described the creation of a succulent layer in our urban center ’s Nature Park , where the succulents joined over 20 themed garden bed plan to enthral visitant and inhale creation of Florida Friendly landscape painting .

Encouraged by electropositive feedback , we resolve to make a lush space in thePunta Gorda History Park , where several historical abode have been relocated within the park setting . The common garden beds had already been importantly update with an array ofcolorful plantingsthat are freshen every wintertime thanks to the unselfishness of helper Alan Schulman and with the assistance of wads of talented volunteer gardeners . The park is jaw day by day by people untried and old who take the air , garden in the community garden space , and attend the hebdomadal farmers market place .

I thought GPOD readers would appreciate see the stair - by - stone’s throw process by which the latestsucculentcreation learn shape . Because of the wonderfuldrought toleranceof these baffling plant life , we were able to locate them in a section of the park without irrigation . To give this relatively diminished distance a real presence , we knew we require to make tiered pinnacle .

We started with these large , sturdy sump heart barrels .

Volunteer John Iredale used great power tools to trend the barrels into slices of various heights .

John , Alan , and I design the organisation .

The next tone was to make trusted the barrel surfaces blended in and looked like planter . First , we painted them with glue .

Then we literally threw Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin against the surfaces to create grain . Our final gradation was to spray - paint them after the glued sand had set .

We then reassemble the circles on the ground and filled them with a custom mix ofgarden soil , perlite , and pea gravel — the type of well - draining substrate that succulents need .

The fun part for me was realize this stark design get to life with a pretty wide assortment of succulent . flora includedesert rose(Adenium obesum),Agave‘Ivory Curls’,Agave lopanthe‘Quadricolor’,Agave‘Blue Glow’,Mangave‘Indian Princess’,Kalanchoe luciae , Kalanchoe blossfeldiana , Echeveria‘Afterglow’,Echeveria‘Autumn Glow ’ , an unidentified ruffledEcheveriahybrid , Senecio mandraliscae , variousAloehybrids , Euphorbiatrigona‘Rubra’,Sedum‘Angelina’,Sedum‘California Sunset ’ , andPortulacaria afra‘Variegata ’ . Around the outside is viningCarpobrotus .

Over the form of about five calendar month , the plant have matured and knitted together . The plantation owner space is accented by a anchor ring of native coral stone and top - dress with several type of decorative gravel . Even though our showery season has set out , the skilful drain has allowed our plants to remain to thrive , to the point that we have lead off a new out doughnut of plantings that will eventually grow grandiloquent and punctuate the perimeter of the inner original design .

Have photos to divvy up ? We ’d sleep together to see your garden , a particular collection of flora you bang , or a wonderful garden you had the prospect to claver !

To give in , send 5 - 10 photos to[email protected]along with some information about the plant in the image and where you rent the photos . We ’d love to pick up where you are located , how long you ’ve been garden , successes you are gallant of , failures you learned from , hopes for the futurity , favourite plants , or amusing stories from your garden .

If you require to send photo in separate emails to theGPOD email boxthat is just fine .

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