Norfolk Master Gardeners
830 Southampton Ave., Ste 2069
Norfolk, Virginia 23510-1045
Native Dune Garden
For those who love the beach and also love gardening, heaven and earth meet in the Dune.
The Dune is the magical place where plants grow in the sand, that is, those select few plants that love the wind and thrive in the salt air. Marsh elder, with its succulent leaves, is one of those salt tolerant plants. On a pleasant spring Tuesday morning, the "Dunies," those Norfolk Master Gardeners who tend the Dune Garden at 27th Bay Street in Norfolk, were cutting back the elder in a bit of spring cleaning to make room for new growth. Like the elder, the four gardeners were soaking up the gentle rays of the spring sunshine and inhaling the salt air. They may also have been daydreaming about the lunch they planned at the Surf Rider after the work was done.
The Dunies - Then and Now
Work days in the Dune are also a time to greet Bay visitors and show them around the garden if they are interested in learning how the plants not only beautify the area, but also help to hold the sand in place and slow down erosion. The foursome had already greeted two different groups of beach goers, but kept an eye out for others as they trimmed and stuffed deadwood and weeds into trash bags. Bending, cutting, and trying not to disturb the sand, one glanced up at an approaching visitor and did a quick double take. Yes, indeed; the visitor was a welcome sight for the Dunies as it was none other than Master Gardener Emeritus Tom Bolt.
In 2008 it was Tom who envisioned the Dune Garden. This original Dunie coordinated with East Beach Company and the City of Norfolk to establish the Dune Garden to be maintained by the Norfolk Master Gardeners. Tom came to check on his project and those to whom it has been entrusted and to pass on pictures taken in 2010. We had such a fun reunion and laughed in sharing the pictures from the early days of the dune. More current photos are included to show the progress we have made. It was a perfect day in the dune -- as much as we love the gaillardia, sunflowers, elder and others -- it is really about the people.
Thanks for your vision, Tom Bolt. We trust the garden is doing you proud!
The Dunies
Take a minute to enjoy our image slider below of the progression of the Dune Garden
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