Snorkeling in the Aquascape Garden


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.