HOW TO GET A LAIDBACK SEASIDE LOOK

 Try shingle, crushed cockleshell, gravel and pebbled surfaces for a beachside feel, with boardwalk or piano-key style paviours as stepping-stones. Self-binding stone gravel is easier for pushchairs or wheelchairs to navigate.

 Blue- and grey-leaved plants evoke the sea. Plant yellow or orange horned poppies, sea kale, Euphorbia myrsinites, lavender and sea holly mixed with sandy coloured grasses and the hardier succulents and sedums.

 Timber structures that are burned black or bleached white conjure windbreaks and groins.

 Avoid symmetry and go for a relaxed look with wandering paths and informal planting.

RAISED BEDS set among the GRAVEL are home to a wide mix of VEGETABLES