Designing Native Coastal Style Gardens: An Expert Guide

Imagine having a garden that not only thrives in coastal conditions but also nurtures local fauna. Your dream can become a reality with a native coastal style garden.

This unique and beautiful approach to gardening embraces the seaside landscape, offering both aesthetic appeal and ecological benefits.

Principles of Native Coastal Gardens

Native coastal gardens are distinctive for their resilience in the face of windy, salty conditions and their stunning aesthetics using Australian flora. The key to this style is the careful selection of plants that suit these conditions and working harmoniously with the land, rather than against it.

You can choose to use locally endemic plants which have evolved in your local region, or you can opt for “native” plants from any coastal region around Australia. It’s totally up to you.

Benefits of a Native Coastal Garden

Native coastal gardens offer more than just beauty. They provide food and habitat for native fauna, contributing significantly to local biodiversity. Additionally, many native plants require less maintenance than some exotic species, making them an excellent choice for coastal conditions.

Beyond the environmental benefits, there’s also a personal advantage to creating a garden space that you love. It can serve as a sanctuary for stress relief, relaxing and mood boosting.

Practical Tips for Working with Coastal Landscapes

Managing Steep Slopes

Steep slopes can pose a challenge in coastal landscapes, but they are manageable with the right approach. Creating retaining walls can help manage soil erosion and prepare planting areas. However, this requires careful planning and construction to ensure stability and longevity.

Selecting Plants for Your Conditions

Choosing plants that suit your specific soil type is vital. Soil types can vary in coastal conditions, and selecting suitable plants can save you from costly and time-consuming soil amendments.

Many coastal gardens struggle with nutrient-poor and salt-rich sandy soil types, which easily become hydrophobic. Some plants can tolerate these conditions, but adding a kaolin clay like Soil Solver or a high-quality hydrogel like Terracottem can amend hydrophobicity in the long-term to ensure your plants receive water when it’s available.

Creating a Rain Garden

A rain garden serves as a natural water reservoir, absorbing runoff and preventing it from draining into the sea. This requires selecting water-loving plants and creating a suitable depression for water collection.

Instead of running back into the ocean, rain gardens allow that water to penetrate deeply into the soil where your trees are able to source it.

Designing Native Coastal Garden Layouts

Before you start planting, it’s important to have a thorough understanding of your garden site. This includes an analysis of sunlight exposure, wind patterns, existing vegetation, and soil conditions.

For instance, observe if existing plants are showing signs of salt stress. This could indicate a need to select plants that have a higher tolerance for salt sprays.

It’s always best to have a soil test done through a lab in order to get a full picture of the nutrient availability and quality of your soil. A home soil test kit will usually only tell you the pH which is a small part of the whole picture.

Site Analysis

A detailed site analysis is the key first step in creating a flourishing coastal garden. Start by noting the sun’s path across your garden to identify areas of full sun, partial shade, and full shade.

This will begin to change throughout the year as the sun moves further north in Summer, and south during Winter. (Technically the earth is the one moving and wobbling but from a gardener’s perspective we can treat the sun like it’s the one moving closer and further from the equator.)

Then, consider wind exposure; coastal areas often face strong winds that can affect plant growth and survival. Take stock of existing vegetation. Are there plants that are thriving? Or showing signs of stress from salt or wind?

Also, investigate your soil conditions. Is it sandy and well-draining or heavy and clay-like? Can you afford to do a scientific soil test? (Can you afford not to do one?)

Measure garden beds and calculate the amount of mulch/compost/pebbles you’ll need. Understanding these factors will guide your garden design and plant selection.

Understanding Design Principles

Design principles play a crucial role in creating a visually pleasing garden. These include:

• Colour: The choice of colour scheme can either soothe or energise the garden atmosphere.
• Line: Lines, both physical (like paths) and visual (such as a row of plants), guide the eye through the garden.
• Balance: Balance creates a sense of equilibrium between different elements in the garden. It doesn’t necessarily mean symmetry.
• Form: Form refers to the shape of plants and garden structures.
• Texture: Texture relates to the surface quality of leaves, bark, and flowers.
• Proportion: Proportion ensures all elements are in scale with each other.
• Unity: Unity suggests a harmony among all parts of the garden.
• Repetition: Repetition of plants, colours, materials, or shapes provides a sense of cohesion in the garden.
• Contrast: Contrast adds interest by introducing differentiating elements.
• Focal Points: Focal points draw attention and provide the landscape with a restful place for the eye to land. You may use lines or contrast to draw attention to a water feature or a particular plant.

Sketching Your Garden Design

Once you’ve analysed your site and considered design principles, it’s time to sketch your garden design. Start by drawing the boundaries of your garden, then add existing features like trees, paths, or buildings.

Next, consider where you’d like to add new features or plantings. Remember to consider your plant selections in relation to sunlight and wind exposure.

Now, using your measurements of beds, calculate the amount of inputs like mulch and compost you’ll need.

Use colour to differentiate areas, plant choices, inputs, etc. For example, sheoaks may be sketched in a blue-green, while correas may be sketched in an olive green. Mulch may be shaded in brown, while pebbled areas may be shaded in grey.

Choosing Suitable Plants

The success of your own coastal garden design largely depends on your plant selection. Choose species that are adapted to coastal conditions and your specific site conditions.

This will save headaches and wasted money because you’ll be less likely to dig out dead plants that failed in their positions. Some good examples include:

• Correas
• Westringias
• Banksias
• Carpobrotus (pig face)
• Chrysocephalum
• Sheoak
• Araucaria
• Pandanus
• Native grasses
• Club rush
• Dianellas
• Lilly pillies
• Callistemon
• Lomandra
• Salt bush

Remember that different varieties can perform differently, even within the same species level. The biggest killer of plants on the coast is the salt spray, so try to select plants that are listed as being salt tolerant.

At Ozbreed, we’ve tested a number of plants for their salt tolerance. See our research and best performers here.

Planting and Care Techniques

Planting Techniques

Proper planting techniques are crucial for plant survival and growth. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep. Place the plant in the hole, making sure the top of the root ball is level with the ground surface.

Backfill with soil (and compost), firming gently around the base of the plant. Water in well. Then add mulch to the soil’s surface without smothering plant stems and leaves.

Ongoing Maintenance

Regular watering, mulching, pruning, and fertilising will keep your native coastal plants healthy. Some native plants, particularly members of the Proteaceae family, prefer low-phosphorous fertilisers, so it’s important to check the needs of individual plant species.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Designing a native coastal style garden is a journey of learning. Some common mistakes include not preparing the soil adequately, choosing plants that aren’t suited to the coastal garden conditions, and not considering the full-grown size of plants when planting.

Daniel’s Wrap

Designing a native coastal style garden is a rewarding endeavour, bringing beauty to your outdoor space and contributing to local biodiversity. Embrace the challenge and enjoy the unique beauty and environmental benefits of a native coastal style garden.

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