Our First ID Bed
One of my hobbies is gardening, something I learned growing up in the Midwest and having a mom with a very green thumb. So I was thrilled when I got the chance a few years ago to begin working with the SeaWorld landscaping team. For those of you that like to garden, you know that although our area has a rather long growing season, it is tempered by the many challenges that the South Texas climate provides us. However, none of us have to deal with the added challenge of having thousands and thousands of guests visiting our gardens day after day, nor is our back yard 265 acres, but our SeaWorld Landscaping team is more than ready.
To maintain the grounds at SeaWorld including almost 1000 pots and hanging baskets, is a very dedicated team of about 50 team members at summer's peak. We do everything in-house, from design to construction and maintenance, even growing a good bit of what we use. But the number one most frequently asked question is "what is the name of that plant?" We try to use a wide variety of plant material , looking for eye catching color, easy care and something that holds up to our sometimes very harsh climate, including many native varieties. Most are available at local nurseries, but sometimes we get creative and use something that is new or in a different way and our guests want to be able to do the same thing at home.
On a busy day it is not unusual to be stopped 2 or 3 times to identify a plant; we use hundreds of different kinds and I hate to admit it, but I don't know them all. So, this year our landscape manager Frank Jonas came up with the idea of creating flower beds with signs to ID all the plants. Of course that is not really a new idea, but what Frank did was create a small detour path out of the main traffic flow and filled it with a wide variety of different plants, naming them all. He even included a bench for guests to rest while they take notes on the plants. One of my favorite things is the Spanish moss display, explaining that although somewhat unsightly the ball moss does not hurt the tree, a common misconception.
Our first Plant I.D. bed (PID for short) is located just before you get to our Dolphin Cove area and has been so popular that just this week, Frank designed and installed a second PID near Shamu Theater, with some different plants. The plan is to change them seasonally and hopefully add at least one more. I still try and answer any plant questions, but now I can also direct them to the nearest PID. So, be sure to stop on by, get some ideas for your next garden project and if you see a team member with a large hat on, ask him a plant question, it might just be me.
Gotta go, burning daylight!
See more of our garden on our Flickr page.
