Coastal / seaside gardens
Strong winds, salty air and difficult soil (clay, chalky, sandy or acidic) can make coastal gardening a challenge. But there are things which you can do to help. Most importantly create a windbreak to filter the wind. The best windbreaks "filter" the wind rather than blocking it completely. You can of course use man-made structures such as a fence but equally a living windbreak works well. If your garden gets the wind straight off the coast you will ideally need a fence (60% solid, 40% open). Next a living windbreak comprised of a hedge or dense groupings of tough trees or large shrubs. You can have a further living windbreak of smaller trees or shrubs. Within this protective border you can add plants that cope with your soil type and be protected from the worst of the coastal environment. ; Top tip: Reduce wind rock by staking new plants really well, in particular trees, shrubs and some perennials, to protect them from the wind as they get established and their roots a chance to develop. Also prune appropriately and at the right times of year, to reduce wind rock.
Best coastal & seaside plants
18 plants
Coastal garden - acidic soil
4232 plants
Coastal garden - chalky soil
3169 plants
Coastal garden - clay soil
1447 plants
Coastal garden - sandy soil
1466 plants
All plants (4733)
Callistemon rigidus
Stiff bottle brush
Callistemon viminalis
Weeping bottle brush
Callistemon viminalis 'Little John'
Weeping bottle brush
Calluna vulgaris
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Alexandra'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Alieke'
Heather, Ling, Scots heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Beoley Gold'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Bonfire Brilliance'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Boskoop'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'County Wicklow'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Cuprea'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Dark Beauty'
Heather, Ling, Scots heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Darkness'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Dart's Flamboyant'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Dart's Gold'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Elsie Purnell'
Heather, Ling, Scots heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Fairy'
Heather, Ling, Scots heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Firefly'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Glencoe'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Gold Haze'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Golden Carpet'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Golden Feather'
Heather, Ling, Scots heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Grey Carpet'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Hammondii Rubrifolia'
Heather, Ling, Scots heather
Calluna vulgaris 'J.H. Hamilton'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Joy Vanstone'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Kerstin'
Heather, Ling, Scots heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Marlies'
Heather, Ling, Scots heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Melanie'
Heather, Ling, Scots heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Orange and Gold'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Pennyacre Lemon'
Heather, Ling, Scots heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Peter Sparkes'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Prostrate Orange'
Heather, Ling, Scots heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Robert Chapman'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Ruth Sparkes'
Heather, Ling, Scots heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Schurig's Sensation'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Serlei Aurea'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Sesam'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Silver Cloud'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Silver Knight'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Silver Queen'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Sir John Charrington'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Sirsson'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Sister Anne'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Spitfire'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Spring Cream'
Heather, Ling, Scots heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Sunrise'
Common Scotch heather
Calluna vulgaris 'Sunset'
Common Scotch heather