Oxalis

In1942 the Navy dredged Ocracoke's harbor (Cockle Creek/Silver Lake) in order to create a navigable basin for their vessels. In the process, they pumped many cubic yards of sand into adjacent yards and wetlands. This created what some of us jokingly call "nice high land."

My yard is the farthest extent the sand was pumped toward the southeast of the harbor. As a result, I have to dig down ten or so inches to find darker, richer soil, so it is difficult to grow much in my front yard.

Nevertheless, these hardy oxalis plants are thriving beside my fence.  

They go to sleep every evening, then wake back up in the morning to welcome the new day.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of traveling to the island on Frazier Peele's ferry in 1951. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news042114.htm.