i have been gardening on emerald islen.c for about 12 years have sevev acres part woodland have three ponds one is salt water have planted every thing i could get my handa on and have bgeen suprised as to what will groe in this hot spot soil was very sandy and i amended it with loads of wast mgt. mulch 18.00 really great mulch i grow all types day lillies they dont seem to need much help hostas in a semi shaded area under my deck on a terraced slope they grow great sollamans seal and endless summer hydranges about six and various others also climing hydranges and oak leaf all of the above get mou good moisture and drainage rning sun and afternoon shade holly fern seems to love the shade and does very well have weeping youpon in the sun and wild youpon thrive along side my ponds als american holly trees native to this area reseed thenmselves and besides the berries their bark i\looks like some one splatered pink red green paint on them in the sun ive got native sea shore mallow and cardinal flowers and americfan beauty bush come up on their own iplant lantana several types and they come back each year have carpet roses allover and they bloom no black spot really do great have different types of rose of sharon in the sun and pernial hibgicus about 15 inches tall whit large flowersd and they come back every year ali\ong with the large red and whit hibiscus cottoneaster grows on my berms in the sun also six lilac bushes miss kim are just finishing bloming correopsis cone flowers white and maroon penstemon dahalias come back every year tree peonias and reg peonies the tree peonies blomed the others are growing good but no blooms yet encor azellas in shady areas with drainage are doing very well as well as formosan have wild native dog wood reseed themselves crape myrtles tall types and one that look like their weeping china girl and china boy holly in sun do very well as do chinese holly olleanders seem marginal the some times come bacdk and do great this season i have not seen any groeth yet sago palms wind mill palms and butia palms do nicely as long as the temp does not drop below 20 also palemeto red but trees do very well as do eastern red buds i could go on listing the shrubs and perrinals that are growing here but its my belief that coastal carolina you can grow almos any plants for zone 8 ans some zone 9 now if you like fishing and hunting as i do youu have no time to grow old.LOL

I am new to gardening, and I am trying to start a garden on Bald Head Island, NC with my dad. We have planted lantana in the past, but it has never come back. Do you do any special soil preparation that might encourage the lantana to come back every year? Lantana grow on the island, but they all seem to be under mulch. Would this make a difference? I have several other perenials I want to plant. Do you have any other planting suggestions for coastal gardens? Thanks!