by Tina McCloud
Anyone with waterfront property knows of the continual battle with the forces of nature to take it away. Sometimes the solution can be beautiful as well as effective, with prolific native flowering shrubs, trees and grasses retaining the soil, filtering runoff and delighting the eye.
That’s what has happened at the demonstration garden/living shoreline for the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum (RFM). The Northern Neck Master Gardeners, through their Shoreline Evaluation Program, began the project in 2005. A barren eyesore on Cockrell Creek gradually blossomed into a sight to behold.
Toward the land, yellow wild indigo and blue false indigo are covered in vivid blooms. Bluestars (amsonia) are pale blue now; their greenery will turn bright yellow. Several wax myrtles and a stunning fringe tree….
