Oh, we do love to grow beside the seaside

The key to making a success of a garden on the coast is finding plants that will be happy whatever the wind, sea and sand throw at them. John Hoyland suggests some of the best to try

- John Hoyland

COASTAL gardens in Britain are as varied as the coastline itself. Those of south-west Scotland, Devon and Cornwall are bathed in the warmth of the Gulf Stream, which keeps temperatures high enough to grow exotic plants. With that warm air comes high rainfall, something that gardeners in the dry coastal gardens of Norfolk and Suffolk can only dream about.

In the North-East and in Lancashire, coastal gardens are exposed to bitterly cold winds. Even the coldest place, however, is likely to be warmer than those inland and all seaside gardens will have higher light levels, thanks to light reflected off the sea.

Growing conditions can vary enormously within one region. Inland gardens in a particular locality usually have minor environmental differences, but, on the coast,the differences can be extreme, depending on topography, the way the wind turns or where the sun falls. Taking time to become familiar with the microclimate of any garden is important, but in a coastal one, it’s essential and could mean the difference between a beautiful garden or a windswept, barren piece of land.

Although there is no generic British coastal garden, all have one certainty: wind. The more open to sea views, the more damaging the wind will be to the garden. It will bring salt to scorch leaves and sand to blast them. Plants will lose moisture through increased transpiration and establishing new plants will be difficult. A windbreak of some kind is essential.