Coastal haven is plain sailing
There’s never been a better time to enjoy the delights of the British seaside. And it’s not just the beaches that are beautiful. Look inland and you’ll see some amazing coastal gardens.
Known for their silvery foliage, grassy greens and bright flowers, whether on cliffs, seafronts or bordering salt marshes, there’s nothing more delightful.
The plants – full of colour, texture and movement and bringing a sense of wilderness and freedom – tend to be tough to survive strong sea breezes and salty air, often in poor soil. That means most coastal plants will thrive in any garden with well-drained soil and a sunny spot… so you can make your own coastal garden at home.
Whether you live on a windswept cliff or in the suburbs, clever planting can be used to create an illusion of salty air and sunshine.
She sells seashells
Mix colours, shapes, and textures together in your border, leaving everything to grow and get jumbled together. Embellish the beds and borders with plenty of gravel, shells and pebbles to give that nautical feel. All that’s left is to pick plants suited to the seaside.
Start with Echium vulgare (viper’s bugloss) which is a tall, self-seeding plant which makes it really low maintenance. The upright spikes of tiny purple flowers will add height to your borders in summer when positioned in a sunny but sheltered spot. The bees and other pollinators love it, too.
Another coastal contender is rose
Most coastal plants will survive in any garden with well-drained soil and sun
Bring the bright beauty of the seaside into your garden – no matter how far from the beach you live
mary because it is incredibly hardy. The evergreen structure of this woody Mediterranean herb is joined with blueish flowers in the summer.
Plus, it smells delightful, so plant it next to your doorway or on your patio near a seating area so you can enjoy the aroma, and have it at perfect picking height to take straight into the kitchen to cook with.
Armeria maritima (thrift) is a seaside classic with its cup-shaped pink flowers that are instantly recognisable. These are evergreen and low growing to around 15cm, making them perfect for the front of a border or to bring colour to a rockery.
Sea kale is a fabulous foliage plant, with wrinkled, silvery green leaves which are edible. Young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked just like spinach.
It dies down over winter but regrows in spring, fresh and green. It’s great for filling gaps between rock features.
Coastal classics
The long-flowering plant, Erigeron glaucus ‘ Sea Breeze’ has rich green foliage and cheery, daisylike blooms throughout summer which butterflies love. It self-seeds to fill cracks and crevices and will grow in any freedraining soil.
Tamarix tetrandra is a deciduous shrub with arching branches and plumes of pink flowers in spring. They’re low maintenance and a classic coastal pick.
Although it may look delicate, the deceptive Limonium latifolium, or sea lavender, is a very tough plant. The wiry stems bear masses of tiny pinkpurple flowers from July in a sunny spot and though it is drought-tolerant and likes sandy soil, it is still quite happy in moist conditions too.
For a striking evergreen, try Cordyline australis, which has the appearance of a small palm tree and will add an exotic atmosphere.
Young plants look great in containers but remember to protect them from harsh winter weather. Sitting under this palm looking up at the sky will transport you to a holiday haven right in the comfort of your own garden.
Sea sense
No seaside garden would be complete without grasses to bend and whoosh in the breeze. With its evergreen foliage, Festuca glauca – known as Elijah Blue – is equally happy in containers or rockeries and adds fun texture and interesting silvery-blue colour to flower beds. It’s also striking when clumps of it are planted separately among gravel and pebbles.
Finally, Verbascum ‘Gainsborough’ is the ideal coastal plant for poor soil, as long as it is free-draining.
If grown in fertile soil, it can grow up to 1.5m tall, so may need a little support. It has fluffy silvery leaves and yellow flower spikes that loom out of flower beds in a sunny, exposed site. But it doesn’t self-seed, so you will need to propagate by root cuttings in winter.
Propped up
Embrace the coastal style and add plenty of props to complement your planting designs. Get hold of fish crates, anchors or even an old boat.
You can use these as planters and props to complete your coastal look. Get creative and get the kids involved with painting some of the pebbles.
With sweeping textures, silver foliage and vibrant blooms alongside nautical props, your garden can be transformed into a seaside haven even if you live miles inland.