Although our "Aquascape" Garden is a garden of terrestrial plants, it looks like it's been lifted right out of the ocean from one of Key Largo's spectacular coral reefs. Coral stone forms the foundation of the garden and along with the plants, which are meant to resemble a diversity of aquatic organisms found in reefs, there are a number of sea creatures interspersed throughout.
This mini-tour of the Aquascape Garden showcases some of the plants and their "aquatic equivalents." Although none of the specific photos of undersea plants below were used in planning the garden, it sure seems like they could have been; Veronika has done a great job picking plants. In the photo pairs below, a plant from the Aquascape Garden is featured first and its aquatic equivalent immediately below it.
Enjoy your "snorkel!"
Manfreda undulata 'Chocolate Chips' and an octopus
Echeveria rosea and lettuce leaf hard coral
Fenestraria aurantiaca and sunflower mushroom hard coral
Gymnocalycium mihanovichii 'Hibotan' and sea anemones
Euphorbia lactea f. cristata and elkhorn coral
Stapelia gigantea and finger staghorn coral
Senecio mandraliscae and an unidentified coral
Sedum praealtum f. cristata and an unidentified soft coral
Mammillaria gracilis and an unidentified soft coral
Euphorbia trigona and an unidentified coral
Stapelia gigantea and a sea star
Mammillaria 'Red Cap' cristata and developing brain coral
Orthophytum navioides and sea urchins
Sansevieria trifasciata and seagrass
Two seahorses in their respective habitats
Fish swimming through the garden and on the reef
Euphorbia obesa and a sea urchin test
Dyckia 'Cherry Coke' and a hermit crab
For more information on the inspiration and development behind the Aquascape Garden, check out our blog entry from July 2012.