Just because you have a challenging situation as a gardener, that does not mean that your garden cannot be beautiful. Coastal gardens can be a challenge on occasion, but these somewhat exposed locations can also be some of the most attractive gardens around. Choosing a range of hardy perennials for your coastal garden will allow you to enjoy an attractive and low-effort display that only gets better year on year. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started with making the right selections for your coastal garden:
Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)
Beautiful and abundant, these cornflowers can create a beautiful display each year. They will work well in a coastal garden and will also be attractive when used for cut flowers within your home. They work well in sandy loam and other free-draining soils and can cope with an exposed location.
Crocosmia/Montbretia
Crocosmia, also called montbretia, is a common flower selection for exposed locations and can thrive all over the place. The fiery flowers really add some flare and drama and can stand in beautiful contrast to the cool blues, greens and greys of a sea view.
Knipfofia
Another fiery flower for beautiful brightness and drama in a coastal garden, knipfofia is another hardy perennial that can cope with the weather and conditions of a garden near the sea. Knipfofia also looks lovely outdoors and in indoor displays.
Broad-Leaved Statice (Limonium platyphyllum)
If you are right on the shoreline and your garden is rocky and dry then one of the hardy perennials you may like to try is this attractive flower that is sometimes called sea lavender. Working with what you have you can create a beautiful rockery garden on the coast.
Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
Another dependable rock garden/ gravel garden type plant that will do well on the coast and pretty much anywhere is Lady's Mantle. It will tolerate any soil as long as there is some moisture and will happily self seed if left to its own devices.
Of course there are a wide variety of plants that are suitable for a wide variety of coastal gardens. As long as you plant for your particular situation and work with nature as a gardener then you should be successful in creating your own perfect coastal garden.