Gardening on the Outer Banks
The residential backyard is starting to take on a different purpose all over the country. Backyard edible gardening is becoming quite the trend and hopefully will never fade out. They are popping up all over the place from New York City rooftops and balconies to big downtown restaurants hanging on their upcycled wall towers. In Coastal North Carolina, The Outer Banks is no exception.
Who would have thought that a coastal community where sand is one of the main elements and makes up many people’s backyard could have a successful garden? Over the years a larger number of residents and local restaurants have been trying their green thumb too much success and with the increase of new backyard gardens more people have joined in on what was mainly only done on large acres in farming communities.
Gardens attract one of the most important givers of vegetation….the Bee! Bees are sometimes regarded as a little bit scary by my children in the backyard. However they are almost always all buzz and no bite. The truth is that bees are one of the most important factors to the productivity of your garden. Bees are considered the number one pollinator. I have spent many hours in my garden doing everything by the book for my fruits and veggies, but if bees do not visit….our garden is in trouble. Over the last two years I noticed a significant decline in the bees in our yard and also a significant decline in the yield of my garden from lack of pollination. After doing some research and hearing from other gardeners I started to understand why they were disappearing….our pesticides!
In the name of profit with no care of the recourse or side effects large corporations have disregarded the harmony of our ecosystem and environment with the creation of neonicotinoids. This chemical is sprayed all over crops across the US in order to eliminate several types of pests. Unfortunately it is ingested by the Bee and has been reducing their numbers in the millions. If we plan on living in Harmony with Nature- our world needs to change the way we farm.
Let’s take Nature back on the Outer Banks and across the globe for our families and future generations. Please look into the items you use in your gardens and yard to keep away pests and see if there is a natural solution…there almost always is. Here is to a successful and high yield Garden!
Keep on Buzzing!
For more information about gardening on the Outer Banks or if you are interested in buying or selling real estate on the Outer Banks, feel free to contact Shane directly with the OBX Island Guys of Outer Banks Blue. Please feel free to call Shane (252) 202-1193 or email at shane@outerbanksblue.com.
