Hammock time
Prepare a coastal
landscape you can relax in and enjoy
June 23, 2005
Ah, warm tropical breezes, swaying palm
trees, the sound of lapping waves, the feel of salt spray on your face, but
wait - trouble in paradise? Is your new fern bed not looking too lush?
Are the small pots of begonias you left only
a week ago all dried up?
A little more planning will help you attain
your tropical garden, whether you live on the coast or have a vacation home
where you might live part time.
A frequent question asked local nursery
professionals and master gardeners concerns specific requirements for coastal
landscaping and low-maintenance ideas for people with vacation homes on the
coast. Although the coast is only an hour from
This allows for growing tropicals
and other plants that will not survive
Of course, we will begin with the things
master gardeners always stress - good bed preparation, smart plant selection
and location, location, location. If all of these decisions are made correctly,
the maintenance part will be much easier and you will have more time for lying
in the hammock, sipping your favorite cool beverage in a glass with a little
tiny umbrella.
If you live directly on the beach you may
want to incorporate windbreaks on your property. These can be live (rows of
grasses or hedges), natural (sand dunes), or man-made (fences).
The sandy soil on the coast will require
amending with more organic matter such as peat, rice hulls or compost than
traditional soils.
Topsoil should also be incorporated in your
bed preparation by making a gradual transition from sand to loam by mixing the
first layers of topsoil with sand.
Planting farther away from the water or on a
subdivision canal is easier, but you still need to contend with the wind and,
of course, salt spray.
According to local nurseryman John Fossati of
John is an expert on plumerias
and is especially excited to see the huge specimens growing in the Rockport area.
Because of the more temperate climate, the plumerias
stay in the ground during the winter and are taller and more
lush than those grown in
Other plants such as bougainvilleas, cape
honeysuckles, oleander and hibiscus grow to huge heights, are drought tolerant
and hold up to the wind and salt. Many also come in dwarf varieties if your
space is limited.
Other suggestions John made were the large
white bird of paradise, as well as the smaller blue and orange bird of paradise
and the colorful ixora. The ixora
is an especially good choice because its leaves are thick and hold more water
and the tight cluster of blossoms and strong branches stand up against the
wind.
More suggestions include blue plumbago, fire cracker fern, jatropha,
Indian hawthorne, crown of thorns, salvias, angelonia, pintas, butterfly
milkweed (a host and nectaring plant for the monarch
butterfly), and of course the palms.
There are many varieties of palms, all of
which do well on the coast and require very little water once they are
established. An especially interesting one to plant close to the house is the
soft, feathery Pigmy date palm. The Mexican fan palm and the
Among the many trees that seem especially
happy along the coastal area are the live oak, the ornamental Mexican olive and
the cypress.
The Rockport-Fulton area of the coast is
famous for its beautiful live oaks that have adapted to the wind by just
growing the way the wind blows. The graceful limbs of these oaks all stretch to
the north in an almost bonsai-like silhouette.
One of the largest oak trees in
The ornamental Mexican olive tree is an
excellent choice for a tropical landscape. Its gray gnarly branches, lush green
leaves and beautiful white flowers really stand out. It is especially
attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies and since it blooms almost year
round it is a constant source of nectar.
The cypress tree is used often as a windbreak
in the coastal areas. It is an evergreen that is hardy but adds a different
texture and shape to the landscape.
Ornamental grasses should also be considered
as a landscape element. Not only are there many varieties native to the coastal
area, which makes them especially easy to care for, but they also add movement
to the landscape as they gently sway with the wind. Sea oats are wonderful not
only as a valuable native and as a soil and dune stabilizer but this ornamental
grass can be dried and used in arrangements - a way of bringing the seashore indoors.
The best turfgrass
for coastal sites, according to Joe Janak, Victoria County Extension Agent, is
seashore paspalum. He has seen Extension research
plots as well as actual coastal sites that really look great with this grass.
It is a dark green grass that is coarser than bermudagrass
but finer than
You will occasionally have to get out of the
hammock to water, especially during the first year or two after planting. A
sprinkler irrigation system is especially useful for lawns, groundcover and
low-growing shrubs since accumulated salt spray can be washed off the plant
leaves. A drip irrigation system is an excellent way to keep up the watering and
keep down the work. An effective way to have showy pot plants when you aren't
around to keep them watered is to add drip irrigation emitters to all of your
large pots. Limiting the container grown plants to a few very large pots with
masses of flowers, palms, etc., in each one makes a statement without the need
for lots of small plants that need continual watering because they dry out so
quickly.
Keeping your beds mulched with shredded
non-floating mulch is important for your maintenance free yard, keeping in the
moisture and keeping out the weeds. Careful use of a slow-release or organic
fertilizer in the spring will help your plants along. Always be careful to read
all directions and not to overuse fertilizers or pesticides when you live on or
near the water to prevent water pollution.
By following these proven tips, you will have more time to enjoy your coastal landscape from the hammock.