Coastal Garden -
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Coastal
Gardens
This applies whether you have a
sheltered south facing plot where you can grow Mediterranean or exotic plants
or if your garden is exposed and open to the bitter Easterly and Northerly
winds. A variety of shrubs, hedges and trees
should be planted or added to if there is already an infrastructure in place
on which to build. Shrubs and hedges are essentially windbreaks in the
coastal garden as well as being decorative. Hedges are better able to
withstand gales than fences which get blown down and hedges filter the winds
through them thus remaining intact. An ideal hedge for a sheltered border is
Grisilenia Litoralis which looks very appealing even when just planted as a
2' shrub but comes into its own as a dense tallish hedge with light green
evergreen foliage. It is very salt resistant as is Tamarisk (Salt Cedar)
which is deciduous but very hardy with delicate feather like foliage with
rose pink flowers in late summer. Other windbreak hedges to consider are Sea
Buckthorn, Pittosporum and Escallonia or a mixture of all three. Many types of trees will prosper in a
seaside garden – Oaks, Sycamores, Horse Chesnuts and Walnut Trees to name but
a few. However, the best by far either in a widely spaced row of six or seven
or as one or two single specimens is Pinus Radiata (Monterey Pine). They are
majestic trees with dark green lustrous needles. Fast growing they reach
quite a height and once a few years old branches cut from them make excellent
Christmas Trees with negligible needle drop. As far as flower planting is concerned
choose plants with bold, vibrant colours to maximise the light effect from
the sea. Clumps of African Lillies (Agapanthas) thrive by the coast and self
seed. They are ideal as a backdrop for formal planting. Silver foliage is
excellent for coastal locations as the fine leaves of Senecio for example
trap the salt spray. Look out for any kind of silver foliage plants in the
garden centre as they will nearly all be of benefit. Hard frosts are rare but if some
delicate species are hit they will usually recover. Melianthus Major (the
Honey Plant) is an architecturally striking largish shrub producing brown
spikes in summer that are laden with a honey like nectar. Their cuttings are
easy to propagate and establish quickly once planted out in another area of
the garden. If you are looking for a formal
display in front of a garden room, conservatory or patio plant a row of
Hydrangea shrubs mulched in with decorative bark to conserve moisture (Hydra
– water in Greek) with a few palm trees at the back (Cordyline Australis )
for example. Once established this will create a Mediterranean ambiance. Do
remember however that winds are very drying and dependent on what rock base
your coastal plot sits water can drain away quickly especially on sandstone. Heritage Gardens has a new
range of Decorative Waterbutts for the Coastal Garden. As well as providing
storage for the much needed water referred to above they are stylish
Mediterranean garden ornaments. Introductory discounts available – call us
on 0800 694 1841. Copyright © Heritage Gardens 2012 |
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