![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/NC-Coastal-Landscaping-Designs_web-2-1.png\")
<\/a>\u201cThese templates can be adapted to fit various yards and gardens, from the coast to the piedmont,\u201d says North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s coastal resources and communities specialist, Gloria Putnam, who oversaw the project.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, two CLI members \u2014 North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s coastal economist, Jane Harrison, and sustainable\u00a0waters\u00a0and communities coordinator, Christy Perrin \u2014\u00a0held a webinar<\/strong><\/a> offering tips on creating coastal landscapes that will benefit both local ecology and the surrounding community.<\/p>\n
Coastal Landscaping also was the topic of conversation during a recent N.C. Museum of Natural Science\u2019s Virtual Science Caf\u00e9<\/strong><\/a>, hosted by Chris Smith and featuring guests Harrison, Perrin, and Putnam. The team described how several CLI design templates can be applied to a yard along a tidal creek in Carteret County, as well as ways to reduce stormwater runoff, among other topics.<\/p>\n
Another CLI resource released this year was an interactive map<\/strong><\/a> marking the location of various gardens along the coast that demonstrate environmentally friendly landscaping practices. These sites are generally accessible to the public, although visitors should check on COVID-19-related restrictions.<\/p>\n
A companion demonstration garden checklist<\/strong><\/a> also is available for anyone interested in creating their own model site.<\/p>\n
In addition to these resources, last year CLI published a booklet<\/strong><\/a> featuring 34 native N.C. plants \u2014 including trees, shrubs, grasses, vines and flowers \u2014\u00a0that flourish along the coast. The booklet provides brief descriptions of each plant and its ideal conditions. A companion brochure<\/strong><\/a> offers plant snapshots for easy reference.<\/p>\n
![\"Book](\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Hosier_Seacoast_cover_website.jpg\")
<\/a>For anyone who wants to learn about more species that thrive in coastal sun and salty air, a comprehensive native plant guide is available. Published by North Carolina Sea Grant and the University of North Carolina Press, Seacoast Plants of the Carolinas: A New Guide for Plant Identification and Use in the Coastal Landscape<\/em><\/strong><\/a> covers more than 200 species, with color photographs and details about their value to wildlife, relationship to natural communities, propagation, and landscape use. Author Paul E. Hosier is a founding member of the CLI as well.<\/p>\n
For more information about the Coastal Landscapes Initiative and for additional resources, visit go.ncsu.edu\/coastallandscapes<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n