Editor’s note: Earth Day weekend activities continue today (April 21) with most activities in the Ocracoke Community Center due to rain. See updated schedule below. The Waterfowl Festival continues from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Ocracoke School Gym.
By Kane Lawhorn
With spring here, many of us are looking to start our own gardens on Ocracoke.
Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or new to the gardening game, the NC State Cooperative Extension Service has plenty of resources, tips and qualified professionals to help gardeners of all levels.
Gardening on Ocracoke is no small feat. We are constantly battling the elements (e.g., wind, flooding, heat), making it difficult to grow healthy, thriving plants.
Hyde County horticulture extension Specialist Gene Fox visited Ocracoke in March and provided bountiful tips for gardening on the island. Hosted by the Ocracoke Library, the talk drew gardeners of all ages and experience levels.
“Find the right plant for the right place,” Fox said. “Thoughtful selection of plants leads to their long-term success.”
Planting native plants—ones that have co-evolved in this region without human intervention—is one way to increase your chances of growing a successful garden.
Ocracoke rests snugly within the Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain ecoregion. This region is defined by its sandy soils—of which there are 11 types.
“Ocracoke has six types of sandy soil…and another five types of sandy soil,” joked Fox. Selecting native plants that are well-adapted to these soils is essential for gardening success.
Just because a plant is native to North Carolina doesn’t necessarily mean it will thrive on Ocracoke.
A plant native to the Blue Ridge ecoregion of western North Carolina may not fare well on Ocracoke. So careful planning and soil testing must be done prior to planting “native” vegetation.
While gardening can certainly be harder on Ocracoke compared to other parts of North Carolina, there are many resources available to help folks start a new garden (or revitalize an existing one).
The North Carolina State University extension service provides at-home soil testing kits that determine what nutrients your soil is lacking. Simply take soil samples in your garden, place them in a pre-requested soil box, and ship to NCSU soil lab. This service is free from April-November, but otherwise inexpensive at $4 per sample.
Once your soil’s needs have been addressed, the next step is deciding what plants to grow.
The NCSU cooperative extension has a free “Plant Toolbox” with detailed descriptions and photographs of over 4,600 plants that grow in and around North Carolina.
Through their “Find a Plant” tool, you can input your garden’s attributes (e.g., soil type, light availability, etc.) and it will match you with native plants that would grow well in your specific garden area.
Another option for native plant selection is the “NC Coastal Landscaping” plant guide provided by the Coastal Landscapes Initiative. This handbook is filled with shrubs, trees, vines, grasses, and flowering perennials that are adept at growing in coastal North Carolina and includes pictures, growing conditions and highlights for each listed species.
Why should I garden? Why plant native? What does a garden do for me? These are all questions about the gardening process.
One of the primary benefits of gardening is providing habitat to wildlife.
With native insect pollinator populations declining worldwide, native-plant gardens provide an excellent opportunity to conserve pollinators such as solitary bees, butterflies, and moths. If you grow it (native plants), they (native insects) will come.
Another benefit to gardening is improved mental health.
Being outside and interacting with nature satisfies our innate desire to connect with the natural world.
Kane Lawhorn is a Ph.D. candidate, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, at the University of Louisville, and is living on Ocracoke for the year with his wife, Bevin Hardy.
For more information on coastal gardening, and where to buy native plants, see the following resources:
NCSU Plant Toolbox: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/
NCSU Soil Testing: https://gardening.ces.ncsu.edu/soils/soil-testing/
Coastal Native Plant Guide: https://ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/coastal-landscapes/
Hyde County Cooperative Extension: https://hyde.ces.ncsu.edu/
Ocracoke Garden Center: https://www.facebook.com/Ocracoke-Garden-Center-205453329652842/
Retail Sources for Coastal NC Native Plants: https://www.nccoast.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Eastern-North-Carolina-Sources-for-Native-Plants-6.25.20.pdf
Updated Earth Day Festival activities April 21:
8 AM ~ Yoga (Now at Community Center)
9 AM ~ Island Gardening (Now at Community Center)
10 AM ~ Fig Talk (Community Center)
11 AM ~ Shores of Resilience Navigating Climate Change in Coastal Communities (Community Center)
Noon ~ Island Pollinators (Community Center)
Noon ~ Trash to Treasure (Library)
1:30 PM ~ Springer’s Point History Walk & Nature Talk (Community Center)
2 PM ~ Trashion Show (Library)
3:30 PM ~ Beach Bonfire will be cancelled if raining
Will you have some plants for sale?
Plants are for sale at the Ocracoke Garden Center.
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