How to turn a plot of sand into a magical place
The garden site of Sunset Avenue near the Via Flagler by The Breakers is a work in progress earlier this fall
December 26, 2020
When the new Via Flagler by The Breakers opened off Royal Poinciana this fall, the construction staging area on Sunset Avenue still contained port-o-potties, Dumpsters and the detritus left by cranes, trucks, backhoes and other equipment used for the project. It wasn’t pretty.
Nevertheless, this was designated to be the site of a garden and I couldn’t wait to get started. It would include all-native plants and would be a safe haven for birds, butterflies, and an assortment of pollinators that I hoped would delight and (ultimately) educate my four young grandsons.
An elaborate plan with pathways and a fountain was scrapped for extra hardscape, so the garden became just native trees, shrubs and perennials surrounding an open area.
The live oaks are planted at the Via Flagler by the Breakers garden site
Live oaks, sabal palms, thatch palms and a gumbo limbo formed the backbones of the garden, surrounded by a tall hedge of Simpson's stopper, wild coffee and marlberry.
The sabal or cabbage palm is Florida’s state tree; its fragrant white flowers are an important nectar source for pollinators, and the clusters of black berries that follow provide essential food for birds and wildlife. On top of that, it’s a beautiful palm and easy to transplant.
Saw palmetto, a fabulous native and the host plant for palmetto skippers, serves as a colorful grey/green backdrop in all corners of the garden within the confines of the taller hedge. The clusters of tiny white fragrant flowers attract numerous pollinators and butterflies, including the rare atala butterfly.
Gumbo limbo has a place of honor on the southern border, surrounded by native frebush, Jamaican caper and the lovely quailberry.
Though the gumbo limbo most of the leaves with the transplant process, its flaky bark adds color and interest to the garden
The gumbo limbo was the hardest tree to find; we spent hours tromping through nurseries in some ferocious October downpours before we found the right specimen. It was definitely worth the trouble. Right now, it is partially exfoliated, probably due to transplant shock and the fact that it wasn’t in an optimal location when we found it; but the gorgeous cinnamon-colored bark and handsome shape make up for the current lack of foliage.
Ground cover plants in the garden include fogfruit
Twenty two Jamaican caper plants, which I consider one of Florida’s best native species, fill in open spots along the border. Drought tolerant and salt resistant, with a lovely pyramid shape, this ought to be a staple of every Palm Beach garden as either a tree or a shrub. The glossy evergreen leaves are bronze colored beneath, and amazing fragrant starburst-like flowers appear from April through June. These last only 24 hours, so they are a rare treat, but well worth the wait.
The caper is so beautiful the rest of the year, the flowers are a total bonus, attracting numerous pollinators and butterflies in the bargain. This is the host for the Florida white butterfly, and is loved by cardinals, mockingbirds, and blue jays. You will love it too.
Other shrubs mixed into the border include black torch, pearlberry, beautyberry, necklace pod, wooly teabush and bay cedar.
Black torch is a rarely seen native shrub with deep foliage, delicate white starlike flowers, and clusters of shiny black fruit
Black torch, Erithalis fruticosa, is a rarely seen wonderful native shrub with deep green foliage, delicate white starlike flowers and clusters of shiny black fruit. This is a dense, rounded evergreen perfect for an informal screen as it will grow to 7 feet.
Pearlberry, Vallesia antillana, is another rarely used native whose delicate white flowers and pearl-like fruits make it a standout specimen or dense screen.
The pearl berry sports delicate white flowers and pearl like fruits
Beautyberry, Callicarpa americana, is somewhat more widely used as it also thrives up north. This is great for shady spots where you want a burst of color: the bright purple berries are born in tightly packed clusters along the stems and resemble bunches of pearls. There is a white variety that is equally lovely.
Teabush, Melochia tomentosa, is a great shrub with soft, grey-green leaves and a profusion of small rose/lavender flowers that are a magnet for butterflies and other pollinators. Left alone, it can grow to 12 feet, but it’s easily kept to a smaller, more compact size.
And bay cedar, Suriana maritima, is one of the most delightful shrubs out there with clusters of beautiful soft fuzzy gray leaves and small yellow flowers that attract numerous butterflies. This tough plant will tolerate blasts of salt winds and spray and even short periods of salt water inundation.
The yellow flowers of the starry rosined make for a cheerful pop of color
Myriad natives fill in the rest of the garden, such as coco plum, snowberry, myrsine, Bahama senna, pineland croton, coontie, Lantana involucrata, sinnamon bark, and sword and shield ferns. Perennials include beach creeper, dune sunflower, rudbeckia, coneflower, starry rosinweed, salvia (red, white and pink), milkweed, blue pea vine and blue porterweed. Twinflower and fogfruit round out the groundcovers, with corky stem passionflower, coral honeysuckle and wild allamanda planted at the base of the palms for added color and as additional butterfly and hummingbird attractors.
Firebush attracts the eye, as well as myriad pollinators
Milkweed is a must-have for attracting the endangered monarch butterfly
Once the passionflower becomes established, I expect to be inundated with the wonderful zebra longwing and variegated fritillary butterflies.
When the last of the planting was finished, it was dusk and somehow there were already crickets humming. Within a few days I found monarch caterpillars on the milkweed and a pair of yellow breasted warblers were chirping from the branches of the live oaks. Some blue jays and mockingbirds arrived a bit later — and I noticed dragonflies all over the teabush. The garden was already alive and supporting wildlife!
The yellow flowers of thryallis contrast nicely with the red firespike
The secret to this, or any garden, is diversity of species — and to plant mostly natives. I will never need to spray toxic pesticides or add any fertilizer; these natives will thrive here simply because this is the environment to which they are adapted.
Thryallis, Panama rose, sweet almond bush, red firespike, Brunfelsia, blue plumbago and jatropha are mixed in for color and fragrance and because they are all great pollinator attractors.
The blue pea vine sports gorgeous flowers
But there isn’t a green island ficus, podocarpus, schefflera or jasmine minima anywhere to be seen. These alien plants that we continue to add to our landscapes cannot support our faltering planet.
In contrast, natives provide beauty, interest, color, and fragrance while attracting the insects and pollinators we need to sustain our world — along with the fabulous butterflies, birds and other creatures that give us joy.
And that’s the bottom line: Gardens should be joyful. I can’t wait to go out into this new magic space every morning and see what’s blooming, which birds are chattering, and whether I can find a chrysalis nurturing a stunning butterfly. What better way to start the day?
-Kim Frisbie
Original article on the Palm Beach Daily News is HERE.