{"id":4321,"date":"2021-11-17T10:37:07","date_gmt":"2021-11-17T09:37:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gardensillustrated.com\/?p=61922"},"modified":"2021-11-17T10:50:15","modified_gmt":"2021-11-17T09:50:15","slug":"planting-for-a-seaside-garden","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/rss_feed\/planting-for-a-seaside-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"Planting for a seaside garden"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Katie Beale\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 17 November 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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KEY ELEMENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

What<\/strong> Coastal garden.\u00a0Where<\/strong> East Sussex coast.\u00a0Size<\/strong> 13.6m x 14.3m.\u00a0Soil S<\/strong>andy.\u00a0Aspect South-facing. \u00a0Special features<\/strong> Privacy with uninterrupted views. Designed by<\/strong> Jo Thompson (jothompson-garden-design.co.uk<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\""The\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The house and terrace, fronted by hummocks\u00a0of pine, grasses and evergreens, have uninterrupted views to the sea<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Imagine a garden built by a pop impresario with a penchant for 1980s Italian design, with harsh, white rendered walls, slippery decking<\/a> and artificial turf. No wonder the current owners\u2019 brief was for a comfortable spot, somewhere to protect them as they hunkered down from the elements that blow in from the beach just 20 metres away.<\/p>\n

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They needed a design that acknowledged the local topography\u00a0with plants that were natural, hardy and didn\u2019t require endless attention: bun- shaped dwarf pine (Pinus mugo<\/em>), scattered Erigeron karvinskianus<\/em> and fragrant rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)<\/em>, plus nooks and crannies to show off found objects from their beachcombing forays.<\/p>\n

\""The\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The sea-worn fence changes colour with the weather, providing contrast and shelter for the pines, grasses and the self-seeded fleabane Erigeron karvinskianus<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

So they called in designer Jo Thompson, who explains: \u201cThey wanted grass, not a bowling green, but somewhere to spread a picnic rug; they wanted storage, hidden away under the terrace, and they wanted to maximise the\nview and be linked with the landscape, but still have their privacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her aim was to create a sense of movement round the garden rather than just a static view from the terrace<\/a> and house; somewhere with a sense of fun.\u00a0A path conjuring the shape of an octopus with tentacles reaching out over the sea wall to the beach \u2013 just over the horizon\u00a0a shingle paradise dotted with hummocks of yellow horned poppies between breakwaters. The perfect spot for the owners, who like to swim in all weathers nd then nip back to the convenience of an outdoor shower.<\/p>\n

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Shelter is provided by boarded\u00a0fences: an outer and an inner protective boundary, worn and roughened by marine invertebrates and reclaimed from a derelict pier further down the coast, reflecting\u00a0the groins that stretch out along the\u00a0beach. The castellations are carefully and strategically placed to offer privacy to sit in sunny spots, while shade is provided by the giant fig tree, with its bounteous crop of delicious fruit (and attendant swarms of late-summer wasps).<\/p>\n

\""he\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The curved border backed by the timber palisade shields the outdoor showering and storage area under the terrace<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Easy, hardy shrubs and sub-shrubs, Ceanothus arboreus<\/em> and C. azureu<\/em>s \u2018Concha\u2019, English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia<\/em>) and Cistus x hybridus<\/em> are pierced with grasses: electric-blue dune grass Leymus arenarius<\/em>, orange-tipped Anemanthele lessoniana<\/em> and clumps of Festuca glauca<\/em> \u2018Elijah Blue\u2019. Beach plants Eryngium maritimum<\/em>, sea kale (Crambe maritima<\/em>), Armeria maritima<\/em> \u2018In the Red\u2019 and sea campion (Silene uniflora<\/em>) have slipped over the sea wall and feel at home.<\/p>\n

Texture comes from the weathered timber and stone, from dried grasses, from evergreen and coniferous foliage and from tiny thymes and Sedum album<\/em> \u2018Coral Carpet\u2019 growing between the cracks in paths. The limited colour is translated from the natural landscape, from the sandy yellow of the beach, the blue of the horizon and the sea on a summer\u2019s day,\u00a0in the green of the local countryside, and reflected close-up in the small flowers, the umbellifers, poppies and daisies that grow in this garden.<\/p>\n

The owners are so pleased, they have bought the house next door and Jo will extend the garden. \u201cThis is something all designers love: the chance to go back and look at the design again.<\/p>\n

\""Evergreens,\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Evergreens, conifers, herbs and grasses nestle against the inner curved fence<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Coastal hard-landscaping details<\/h2>\n

This coastal<\/a> area is often bombarded with winter winds of 90mph that scour glass, rust metals and rot wood, so outdoor materials must be chosen carefully if they are to last more than a season.<\/p>\n