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Kip Tabb/Lisa Loy
The grounds of the vacation homes that line the beaches are typically serviced by landscaping companies as a practical matter for absentee homeowners. And while a fair number of year ‘round residents also rely on landscaping maintenance companies, or enterprising teenagers trying to earn pocket money, the majority of homeowners on the Outer Banks are do-it-yourselfers. When it comes to matters of the yard, there is always something new to learn, something new to try.
A healthy, good looking yard is possible no matter where you live on the Outer Banks, and using plants native to the area give the best results with the lowest maintenance.
“It’s hard to give a list of plants,” says Susan Ruiz-Evans, extension agent with the Dare County Cooperative Extension Service. “Proximity to the ocean and exposure to the salt seem to be the limiting factors.”
Mike Hayes owner of Mike Hayes Landscape Design and Installation agrees. The salt air creates unique challenges for every plant that sinks its roots into the sandy soil. Yet, somehow, plant life thrives on Outer Banks beaches.
“Anytime you get a wind off the ocean, it atomizes the salt into the air,” he says, but our native plants “have a great constitution to be growing and happy,”
Evans says there are three dominant zones on the Outer Banks and each zone has different conditions, and consequently, its own variety of plants.
“Near the ocean, grasses seem to be very successful. American beach grass, sea oats, bitter penicum,” she says. Seashore elder will also do well in this environment.
West of the beach zone, the maritime forest begins. Evans tells us that bayberry, yaupon, holly and a number of vines thrive here such as coral honeysuckle and plants of the smilax family. This is a natural habitat for live oak, and with some protection, young plants are susceptible to high winds and salt burn, they will thrive.
“The maritime forest area has the greatest diversity of plants,” Evans says.
The third zone, the marshes, appear intermittently along the sounds and creeks. Evans said grasses that thrive in this environment include spartina, also known as cord grass, and American beach grass.
Native plants thrive. The Outer Banks are home to numerous stretches of maritime forest, much of which is preserved in perpetuity thanks to refuge and conservancy programs––Kitty Hawk Woods, Nags Head Woods and Buxton Woods are extraordinary examples of the bio-diversity that can exist on a barrier island.
When the first settlers came to the Outer Banks, they were attracted to the woods for the shade, the windbreak, and for fertile albeit sandy soil. They became very successful subsistence farmers.
“When Daddy was growing up, he had a big garden down by where the (Kitty Hawk) Unitarian Church is today,” Cliff Perry, lifetime resident of Kitty Hawk and mayor of the town, recalls. “That was good fertile ground, but of course he hauled a lot of fish, and we had chickens and we used chicken droppings. That’s kind of what they used for fertilizer.”
Building on the beach was uncommon, but gradually, the Outer Banks evolved into a vacation community.
“The only time they would build on the beach was for a Coast Guard Station,” Perry says. “And there would be a couple of houses around that.”
But as houses have sprung up along the ocean beaches, many homeowners have come to expect green lawns and landscaped surroundings. Some of the newer developments even require it. The process can be a challenge.
“Even if you copy what you see works one year, that doesn’t mean that it will work next year,” Hayes explains. Wind erosion is the biggest issue when planting in sand.
“Sand is very unstable and will easily erode away with wind and water. Sand fencing, gravel and vegetation, properly used are good solutions.”
In addition, the natural vegetation that grows in sand is not always conducive to family fun. “ Spiny plants, cacti and sand spurs are abundant in our natural vegetation in sunny areas,” Hayes notes. These plants are especially resilient and they’ll keep coming back unless they are removed, roots and all, by hand.
Lawns can and do flourish on the Outer Banks. To be successful, a good plan can help.
“Landscaping is a fairly new concept on the Outer Banks,” Hayes says. “Ocean salt spray, poor sandy soil, intense sun and heat, lack of sufficient water, blowing sand, and browsing deer take a heavy toll on landscaping.”
In order to insure a healthy, thriving lawn, the homeowner can make some modifications to the grounds.
Begin by considering the best way to grade and contour the ground to encourage drainage away from the house and driveway.
Next, decide how you will water your lawn. If an owner can afford it, Hayes highly recommends an irrigation system. Check out the quality of well water. Cost saving well water is not a better option than county water if it comes up rusty and stinky. Well water quality differs dramatically depending on the location and depth of the well. It is not unusual to find better water quality along ocean side neighborhoods. Ancient peat beds buried deep in the ground of existing and long-gone maritime forests can wreak havoc on water quality. We’ve all seen the rust stained fences, homes, and driveways in many neighborhoods.
Take notice of your soil type, consider its ability to drain, it usually drains too well on the Outer Banks. How will you fertilize? If you decide to use a product, where will it run-off and what impact might that have over time.
When you are ready to focus on the types of plants you will cultivate, look around your neighborhood and notice what appears to be growing successfully. Day lilies, oleander, hydrangea, and crepe myrtle are standard flowering fare in many neighborhoods.
One of the unique characteristics of the Outer Banks is the variety of microclimates that can occur within yards of one another. A homeowner on the beach in Duck may experience very different growing conditions from a neighbor living just 50 yards inland, especially if there is even the smallest protective ridge between the two properties. There are plants that flourish in all of our zones and environments.
“All different types of grasses do really well,” J.P. Askew says. Owner of his self-named landscaping company grew up on the Outer Banks. “Beach grasses, sea oats, ornamental grasses, they thrive here.” Hayes concurs, pointing out that specific plants have evolved to grow in specific conditions.
“Plant choices are critical here,” he says. “There is a short list of iron-clad plants that work well here and the closer to the ocean you get the shorter the list becomes.” Hayes is cautious about recommending exotic ornamentals.
“Living, growing things live in an area because that is where their niche is.” Hayes says. Askew, citing some of the some of the extraordinary weather that has shaped the Outer Banks, agrees,
“You can have a nor’easter here and it will blow for three or four days. The salt burns every plant. The plants that are native, they come right back.”
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