SITING IN SAND

Sandy soils are superlight and free draining, but they’re usually poor. The trick is to use plants that have adapted to hot or exposed areas and thrive with a minimum of watering or feeding. These often have silvery or fleshy leaves and many Mediterranean herbs and seaside-type plants will do well.

Lavender is a classic, with its elegant pink or purple flowers borne over ever-grey foliage. Or try rosemary, thyme, santolina or sage. If it can survive a sea-cliff, then thrift, Armeria maritima, will be a breeze in a sandy garden! With neat, evergreen clumps topped with perky, pink flowers over a long season, it’s undemanding and perennially pretty.

Silvery-leaved santolina has adapted to thrive with minimum water Seaside plant thrift should have no problem coping with sand! Sandy soils are light, warm and dry