Garden Club teaches best practices for post-storm landscape restoration

Landscapes around Longboat Key will need some facelifts after last year’s hurricane season. 

Dead grass, changing beach vegetation and lost dunes are still reminders that Hurricane Helene’s storm surge had widespread effects on the island. 

On Dec. 19, the Longboat Key Garden Club hosted an in-person seminar for interested residents to learn how to restore plants after major storms. 

At the “Restoring plants after major storms” seminar, representatives from environmental organizations provided expert opinions about coastal vegetation landscapes and the importance of native plants. 

One of those experts was Ryan Gandy, the science and restoration manager of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program. Gandy said this time of restoring vegetation is a chance to plan more proactively. 

“I think what we’re seeing now is an opportunity to really look forward to what the state of our barrier islands are going to be, what our environment is going to be, and try to meet it at where it’s going to be,” Gandy said.

Ashley Ellis shared the same sentiment as Gandy about how barrier islands should restore landscapes after hurricanes. Ellis works with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences as a resident horticulture agent for Sarasota County. 

“When I think about landscaping, especially in what I consider a harsh environment…I’m thinking about what plants are naturally occurring here, what survived here after the storm and how we can incorporate those into our landscapes,” Ellis said.

Planting more native Florida plants in new landscapes will save time and effort in the future by minimizing future replanting needs, Ellis said. 

It’s not as simple as picking native Florida plants and putting them in the ground, though. Ellis said there’s a coastal plant community profile that can help guide homeowners in choosing suitable plants in certain areas. 

Working landward from the beach, the most landward area is called the “maritime forest.” This natural area is the closest to homes and other development, and is often lost because it’s the most desirable place to build, Ellis said.

In the maritime forest and most of Florida, coastal soils are sandy and alkaline, according to Ellis.

Plants that are native to Florida can withstand these types of conditions better than other plants. 

“They’re going to have a higher chance of survival in these conditions,” Ellis said.

With hurricanes, it’s not always about the storm surge. Many times, it’s heavy winds that deal damage. 

Some plants — like sand live oaks and bald cypresses — are “wind-tolerant,” and can withstand winds of up to 50 to 70 mph. 

“The reason why a lot of the native plantings are nice is that if you plant a majority of that in the landscape, it's going to withstand these extremes we’re going through,” Gandy said. “It’s going to look good, but it also fills in and saves a lot of money.”

When hurricanes reach Category 4 or 5, though, winds can get higher than 70 mph, and when surges like Helene come through and flood a barrier island with feet of ocean water, these extreme conditions will probably still cause damage to even the hardiest native plants. 

“Just keep in mind, with major storms, some things are just not going to do well,” Ellis said.

Dune damage repair 

One question asked at the presentation was about the town’s ability to restore the sand dunes lost or significantly impacted by last year’s hurricanes. 

Though the question could not be answered at that meeting, the topic was again raised at the town commission’s Jan. 6 meeting. 

The town does not have a scheduled beach renourishment until around 2029. Interim nourishments may be possible, but that would rely on reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and permits from organizations like the Florida Department of Environmental Protection — both of which are likely lengthy processes.

Photo by Carter Weinhofer

Assistant Town Manager Isaac Brownman shared with commissioners and staff — and later to homeowners and condominium associations — information about how beachfront properties could aid in restoring sand dunes in the meantime. 

“For storm protection, bigger dunes tend to be better, but that would have to be balanced with FDEP permitting and the property owners’ desire for first-floor beach views during most normal days of the year,” Brownman said in his email. 

Property owners can do simple beach work with a permit from the FDEP. These types of permits are a simple process with a field permit, according to Brownman. 

But if properties would like to take on larger dune restoration projects, it’s ideal to hire a coastal engineer to help with design and permitting, Brownman said in the emailed resources. 

When thinking about dune restoration, native plants play a vital role. One of the most important plants directly on the dunes is sea oats. 

“Sea oats are great because they stabilize sand dunes. Sea oats need to be there,” said Armando Ubeda, a Florida Sea Grant extension agent and one of the presenters at the seminar.

Plants like sea oats help to stabilize the sediment, creating networks of roots that make the dunes stronger.

Community collaboration

Toward the end of the Dec. 19 seminar, Gandy said the strong turnout the community had at the seminar amazed him, and he encouraged the Longboat Key community to continue collaborating and talking about how to restore the island’s landscape. 

“This is like a recipe. Everyone is going to go back and make the recipe a little differently based on the information you have,” Gandy said. “But if the base of that recipe is good, and you learn from everybody about who's doing a little bit better in the environment they’re in, that communication amongst yourselves can really help you along the way.” 

The Garden Club’s seminar was recorded and is available on its website, along with additional resources provided by Ellis and the other presenters. To access these resources, visit LBKGardenClub.org.