The New Smyrna Beach Garden Club selected the home of Sarah and Russell Othmer of Bonita Avenue, New Smyrna Beach (beachside), as the March Garden of the Month.
At the Othmers’ home, you will find a tropical coastal oasis designed by Sarah Othmer, who created a beautiful and functional yard by incorporating tropical plants and trees reminiscent of her childhood in Hawaii.
The Othmers purchased the property as an empty lot on which to build a new house. After completion, Sarah Othmer and her husband began planting in the front yard, where she wanted the design and plant selection to blend in and complement the other properties in Bethune Beach. Along the front facing the street, several Clusia were planted as a privacy hedge with Coontie and Dune sunflowers in the foreground for a layered effect, adding interest, color and texture. The lot corner features a grouping of Muhly grass and Dune sunflowers. Leading to the driveway and front walkway is a Century plant surrounded by Variegated Baby Sun Rose, a design feature repeated on the other side of the driveway.
Cabbage and Christmas palms in the front yard soften the house’s straight lines, while a Jasmine trellis, Ti plants and Foxtail ferns create a nice visual effect against the white wall. Additional Ti plants, Schefflera, Foxtail ferns and an evergreen tree add more height, color and texture along the rest of the front.
The backyard is Sarah Othmer’s favorite garden area, which she calls “wild.” It is an informal design that includes a mass planting of Dune sunflowers, with Cabbage and Christmas palms, Ti plants, and other plants interspersed along the gently sloping ground. The backyard is also an area where she can dig and try new varieties of plants.
Hidden behind tall Clusia plants and palm trees beyond the driveway, Sarah Othmer has created a space to sit and relax around a fire pit. She finds joy in cultivating a garden, composting and working in the raised flower and vegetable beds with her children, which brings back childhood memories of picking green peas and tomatoes from her grandmother’s garden.
Sarah Othmer has learned that certain plants are not salt-tolerant, and that the summer heat and sun can damage other plants as well. The recent freeze has been her biggest challenge. This attractive yard and landscape were completed in less than one year, quite an amazing task for the homeowners to be proud of and provide a lifetime of enjoyment and solace.
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