If your looking for Milliways click here. Milliways nursery have a range of Coastal plants for sale by mail order at their online shop. All irish grown and lists can be filled.

 

PLANTS FOR SEASIDE & COASTAL GARDENS:

Many plants that succeed in costal locations have evolved adaptations to enable them tolerate the worst effects of the environment.

Plants that have gray or tough leathery leaves or are succulent, dwarf ground cover plants and hairy leafed plants survive best in these conditions. You can also be sure that a plant with "littoralis" (meaning of the shore) or "maritima" in its name will be in its element in the costal garden.  There are many to choose from, you need not fear having a go. You can have fantastic results and a semi tropical garden if you follow the rules and have some patience.

Seaside conditions can be very challenging for plants and trees. Strong Winds are often much stronger than inland and they also carry salt-spray that can be deposited on plants. This is particularly a problem for the first 300 meters from the sea but the spray can spread as far as six miles inland not to mention salty mists. At the same time, the soil can be very poor and light making it lacking in nutrients and trace elements and far too free-draining in summer resulting in drought and stressing plants, especially when young. Seaside conditions can also be a positive benefit.

 

Frost protection is common in near the coast. The coastal strip often escapes from cloud that builds up inland and when the sun shines, light is reflected off the surface of the sea making it much brighter than it would otherwise be. This combination of brighter and warmer conditions and well-drained soil make it possible for plants to come into growth much earlier and continue growing for longer extending the normal season.

As a result you will need to feed plants properly and regularly. You can also use tonics such as super thrive and or sequestered iron. Other tricks can be to mix a little peroxide about 5mil to 10 liters of 20% volume Peroxide (pharmacy / drug store) and even a little epson salts 1 tsp in 10 liters. Also a pinch of Borax in a can of water helps also. Some coastal land is also lacking in lime.


Only tough plants adapted to these conditions will survive with out intervention.

Plants that have a waxy cuticle on the surface of their leaves are also ideally adapted to coastal environments, as the salt spray cannot get a hold on the slippery surface.

These include Centranthus rubber coccineus (valerian), Euphorbia characias wulfenii (Mediterranean spurge) and Sedum ‘Herbstfreude’ (ice plant).

Leaves can cope with both salt-spray and intense sunlight becauset the silver effect is actually a coating of fine hairs on the surface of the leaves that traps the salt and keeps it off the surface, as well as reflecting back the high light levels. Examples include Brachyglottis Dunedin Group ‘Sunshine’ (daisy bush), Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ (English lavender), Santolina chamaecyparissus (cotton lavender) and Stachys byzantina (lamb’s tongue). Some plants have rough, hairy or sticky leaves that work in the same way, trapping salt away from the surface as occurs with Alchemilla mollis (lady’s mantle), Osteospermum (any osteospermum) (Swan River daisy), Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) and Silene dioica (red campion).

Glossy leaves also shed salt spray as the water droplets coalesce and roll off the surface and they also reflect back the sunlight, making them well adapted to hot, bright spots.

Examples include Astrantia major (masterwort), Bergenia cordifolia (elephant’s ears), Euonymus japonicus ‘Duc d’Anjou Carriere’ (spindle) and Geranium palmatum (Canary island cranesbill). Wind causes physical damage by abrasion and can shred larger leaves but plants with sword-shaped or thin leaves provide less wind resistance and many have tough fibres that run lengthways, making them much stronger. These include Carex testacea (brick-coloured sedge), Cortaderia selloana ‘Pumila’ (dwarf pampas grass), Iris sibirica ‘Silver Edge’ (Siberian iris) and Stipa gigantea (Spanish oats).

 

Small leaves also offer less resistance to the wind, as do leaves that are finely divided and allow the wind to travel through them. E include Achillea millefolium ‘Cerise Queen’ (lace flower), Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican daisy), Thalictrum delavayi (Chinese meadow rue) and Verbena bonariensis (purple top). Plants that hug the ground can often avoid the worst effects of strong winds as taller plants act as shelter belts for example, Carpobrotus edulis (hottentot fig), Erigeron glaucus (beach aster), Geranium sanguineum (bloody cranesbill) and Primula vulgaris (ditch primrose).

Great hedging plants can be escalonia, oleria, holly, crokia fuschia.

If you have the water you can spray plants in the evening to help wash some of the salt off when they are young and just planted.

The following plants are thought and hardy and should do well in coastal or sea side gardens in the Southeast. If you live right by the shore line let us know by email as this is a bit trickier

Any of the plants listed below can be used in many ways, we do sell lists of instant solutions. These lists have been complied and created to give you an instant solution to a problem such as a blank spot or potential border or containers, fruit gardens etc. They are cheaper then the pre made garden borderdesigns and can often be the easy way to not make costly mistakes.

All list have been developed and used in gardens for our clients, so they are proven methods and give great results. If you don't loose one plant by buying the right plants then the list will have saved you many times its price. They are in easy to use pdf files. Print them and use them to make notes and take them with you when you to to the garden centre, (if you don't buy our plants hehe)

This list is in alphabetical order and include many types of shrubs, plants , herbaceous, perennial, trees, fruit, bulbs, bedding, ect. Many don't have to be used in coastal areas so have look. If they are in stock there will be a price and quantity displayed the info link will bring you to a pop up windows with a picture and more information on the plant and how to use it.