Many crassulas and flaxes are suitable for coastal environments.
Despite living on an island large enough to be considered a continent, a massive 85% of Australians live within 50km of the coast. With the popularity of seaside living and the capacity of salt spray to travel 6km inland, many of our gardens are affected by the sea.
The main challenges for coastal gardening are wind, sandy soil, and salt.
Managing wind
First things first - if you don't already have any, you may need to provide some shelter for your soil and plants. There are a variety of different ways to deal with and reduce the impact of high winds on your garden - to find out more, read our article on gardening in windy areas.
Gardening with sandy soil
Once shelter is established, it’s time to build up your soil. All soil is made up of a mix of:
- large particles (sand),
- fine particles (clay),
- organic matter,
- air, and
- water
When these elements are present in the right amounts, the soil is referred to as loam, and will support a range of plant life. Coastal soils normally contain too much sand and liable to erosion and nutrient leeching.
If you’re looking to grow a variety of plants, you’ll need to improve the soil structure with clay and organic matter. Clay can be added by mixing it with water and applying it in much the same manner as you would fertiliser - this will ensure an even spread.
There are a few different ways to introduce more organic matter to your garden. Digging in compost and well-rotted manure will help, as will mulching (which will also help the soil to retain moisture and prevent more nutrient loss).
Dealing with salt
Other than establishing a windbreak, there’s not a lot you can do it reduce the amount of salt in a coastal garden. Some plants react badly to salt by drying out and displaying black marks on their leaves. You can, however, select plants that will tolerate and even thrive in coastal conditions. With such a long coastline and so many local microclimates, it’s hard to recommend the best plants for every Australian coastal garden.
But by studying the structure of the plant, you can gain insight into its likelihood of its survival. Keep an eye out for features such as:
- Tiny hairs that give the leaves a furry texture
- Waxy or leathery leaves, and
- Narrow, tough leaves
By displaying any of the above characteristics, a plant is demonstrating its ability to shrug off salt, leaving the leaves unblemished.
Look around, talk to the locals
If you spot a healthy, thriving garden in your seaside neighbourhood, be sure to have a chat to the owner, as this is often the best way to find out what thrives and what suffers where you live.
A few well placed compliments will draw them out, and they’ll normally be happy to pass along the knowledge they’ve gained in establishing their slice of coastal Eden. Another good local resource is a nearby nursery. The staff here should be able to recommend plants that will delight in the local climate – and provide them to you.
