SAND, SALT, SUN, AND SEAWEED...

...Oh, and then there is the wind...

It's challenging to garden here on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Before I moved to the OBX, I had a beautiful garden in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. After moving to the beach, I had to relearn everything I thought I knew about gardening. Twenty five years of learning down the drain. Oh well, my Mom once told me if you keep learning you will never get old. I must be getting younger every day!

Here is what I have learned about keeping things alive and thriving at the beach:

1. You can't bring your "old friends" with you. No matter how hard I tried to convince it otherwise, thyme hates it here. And lilacs and azaleas. I miss them but discovering new friends is fun too!

2. Learn to love Gaillardia. If it grows everywhere around you, with nobody taking care of it, take the hint. Grow what you see works!

3. Water is precious. It is all around us, but we are in the middle of a drought right now. Plant drought-resistant plants. If it won't survive without watering, don't plant it. It will die. Trust me on this.

4. Beauty is fleeting, especially when the wind blows. I love a pretty iris, and we have a few. But look quickly when they bloom. If the wind picks up they will be gone in a flash!

Here is a great place to make some "new friends":

North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Drought-Tolerant Plants for North Carolina Landscapes

Plant Finder

Salt Resistant Plants

Now, if I could just find that drought tolerant, salt resistant, wind resistant, heat loving, low growing blue flowering groundcover, my garden would be complete!

As much as I love doing research on the internet, I have found the best resource is local. If you need help, check out your local Master Gardeners group. Mine is Currituck Master Gardeners. Talk to the locals!