COASTAL CONDITIONS

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an endless horizon, soaring seagulls, the gentle rhythm of rolling surf, a refreshing sea breeze – life’s a beach and you’re alive. But is your garden? That warm, enveloping – but salt-laden – breeze can be brutal and destructive to your inland favourites. Here’s how to turn a breeze-burnt, sun-scorched, salt-sodden patch into a robust and gorgeous coastal garden.

Sandy soil along our coastal suburbs means water and nutrients quickly drain away. Sea breezes keep the air dry and can stunt or twist growth. Salt spray can be toxic to plants. But coastal plants have adapted to these elements – often they are smaller and more compact than when grown inland. Foliage is where you see the most obvious adaptations. Leaves can be smaller or produce fine hairs to reduce moisture loss, they may be shinier to reflect heat, or be leathery as a breeze buffer. They can also thicken as protection against sun, salt and wind, and to store water.

2 plonk in poles – precious!

Enhance your environment and lay crushed gravel – a sand lookalike, but bigger and tougher – for paths and create a visual barrier of weathered paling planks or naturally sculptured driwood picked up from your beach (check with your local authority if this is allowed).

3 the cushion effect

Sit in a beanbag, look on and love the silvery, spider-webby cushion bush (Leucophyta brownii) with its volume and texture a contrast to chalk sticks (Senecio sp), beach grass (Ammophila arenaria) and limey Irish rose (Aeonium arboreum).

Rock on with sea kale (Crambe maritima) – the flowers are so pre but underneath, the leaves are full of voluptuous curls. As if you don’t get enough sun, there’s more in the floral bursts of co on lavender (Santolina chamaecyparissus). Blanket flowers (Gaillardia sp) are also known as beach blankets. Just their glow makes you feel

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y, warm! Coastal rosemary (Westringia fruticosa) is a natural on the coast. Let it grow as a bush, or shape a series of plants into a hedge. You’ll still get the flowers! A lace to love, dusty miller (Senecio cineraria) casts a coastal charm. If you have a damp, freshwater spot, plant the startling star grass (Dichromena colorata).

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