Creating successful coastal gardens
Planting in coastal areas can often be challenging. Typically the soils are poor and often dry out quickly. Winds can be severe and salt laden. All of these factors reduce the range of plants that can be used, especially in the early stages of garden development. Once a garden is established with larger trees around the periphery there tends to be micro-habitats that enable a wider range of plants to be selected. In some coastal areas our gardens are also subject to frost during winter which adds additional challenges for the gardener.
All the towns along the Kapiti Coast (Pukerua Bay, Paekakariki, Raumati, Paraparaumu, Waikane, Peka Peka, Te Horo, Otaki) and many in Horowhenua (Waitawere, Waikawa, Foxton) have coastal communities. My advice to anyone starting a garden on the coast is to spend time selecting the right plants for the site rather than trying to change the site to suit the plants. Often one of the best ways to determine which plants will work in your garden is to go for evening walks around the neighbourhood. The plants that work well in your neighbours gardens will probably work for you. It is also a great way to meet people and get helpful and free gardening advice!
Another good reason for taking your time in selecting the right plants is that you will reduce your need to water during summer. More and more areas in New Zealand are moving to water meters and most of us just do not have the time to spend watering the garden. So select native plants that are adapted to the conditions and will tolerate drought.
Low maintenance gardens can be achievable in coastal areas but they need to be well planned. My general rule for creating gardens that look good but do not take too much time to look after is "less is more". So plants need to be selected to create areas of interest among inanimate objects like rocks, stones and driftwood.
The following is a selection of plants suitable for coastal gardens. Please contact us for availability of these plants at Talisman Nursery. For more advice please feel free to contact us or pop in and see us at the Nursery.
Arthropodium cirratum and A. bifurcatum (Rengarenga lillies)
Asplenium oblongifolium (ferns)
Astelia banksii and A. chathamica
Atriplex cinerea
Blechnum penna-marina (fern)
Brachyglottis greyii and B. monroi (shrub daisy)
Carex buchaanii, C. testacea and C. trifida (grass)
Chionochloa flavicans (grass)
Coprosma acerosa, C. "Black Cloud", C. "Green Carpet", C. "Prostrata", C. repens and C. rugosa, C. "Taiko"
Cordyline australis (Cabbage tree)
Corokia cotoneaster, C. "Bronze King", C. "Emerald and Jade", C. "Frosted Chocolate", C. "Gentys Giant". C. macrocarpa, C. "Sunsplash"
Corynocarpus laevigatus (Karaka)
Disphyma australe (NZ Ice plant)
Dodonaea viscosa (Akeake)
Elingamita johnsonii (3-Kings Puka)
Euphorbia glauca
Fuchsia procumbens
Griselinia littoralis and G. lucida
Hebe ellptica, H. macrocarpa, H. speciosa and H. tairawhiti
Hibiscus trionum
Kunzea ericoides (Kanuka)
Leptospermum scoparium (Manuka) and all its cultivars
Libertia peregrinans
Melicope ternata (Wharangi)
Meryta sinclairii (Puka)
Metrosideros carminea, M. excelsa, M. kermadecensis and M. robusta
Muehlenbeckia astonii, M. complexa and M. ephedroides
Myoporum laetum (Ngaio)
Olearia angulata, O. dartoni, O. lineata, O. pachphylla, O. paniculata, O. solandri, O. traversi, O. virgata
Phormium cookianum and P. tenax (and their many cultivars)
Pimelea arenaria, P. aridula and P. prostrata
Pittosporum crassifolium, P. fairchildii, P. huttonianum and Pittosporum "Stephens Island"
Plagianthus divaricatus
Planchonella costata (Tawapou)
Pseudopanax crassifolius, P. ferox and P. lessonii
Selliera radicans
Sophora molloyii (Cook St Kowhai)
Streblus banksii, S. smithii
Tecomanthe speciosa
Vitex lucens (Puriri)
Xeronema callistemon (Poor Knights Lily)
All the towns along the Kapiti Coast (Pukerua Bay, Paekakariki, Raumati, Paraparaumu, Waikane, Peka Peka, Te Horo, Otaki) and many in Horowhenua (Waitawere, Waikawa, Foxton) have coastal communities. My advice to anyone starting a garden on the coast is to spend time selecting the right plants for the site rather than trying to change the site to suit the plants. Often one of the best ways to determine which plants will work in your garden is to go for evening walks around the neighbourhood. The plants that work well in your neighbours gardens will probably work for you. It is also a great way to meet people and get helpful and free gardening advice!
Another good reason for taking your time in selecting the right plants is that you will reduce your need to water during summer. More and more areas in New Zealand are moving to water meters and most of us just do not have the time to spend watering the garden. So select native plants that are adapted to the conditions and will tolerate drought.
Low maintenance gardens can be achievable in coastal areas but they need to be well planned. My general rule for creating gardens that look good but do not take too much time to look after is "less is more". So plants need to be selected to create areas of interest among inanimate objects like rocks, stones and driftwood.
The following is a selection of plants suitable for coastal gardens. Please contact us for availability of these plants at Talisman Nursery. For more advice please feel free to contact us or pop in and see us at the Nursery.
Arthropodium cirratum and A. bifurcatum (Rengarenga lillies)
Asplenium oblongifolium (ferns)
Astelia banksii and A. chathamica
Atriplex cinerea
Blechnum penna-marina (fern)
Brachyglottis greyii and B. monroi (shrub daisy)
Carex buchaanii, C. testacea and C. trifida (grass)
Chionochloa flavicans (grass)
Coprosma acerosa, C. "Black Cloud", C. "Green Carpet", C. "Prostrata", C. repens and C. rugosa, C. "Taiko"
Cordyline australis (Cabbage tree)
Corokia cotoneaster, C. "Bronze King", C. "Emerald and Jade", C. "Frosted Chocolate", C. "Gentys Giant". C. macrocarpa, C. "Sunsplash"
Corynocarpus laevigatus (Karaka)
Disphyma australe (NZ Ice plant)
Dodonaea viscosa (Akeake)
Elingamita johnsonii (3-Kings Puka)
Euphorbia glauca
Fuchsia procumbens
Griselinia littoralis and G. lucida
Hebe ellptica, H. macrocarpa, H. speciosa and H. tairawhiti
Hibiscus trionum
Kunzea ericoides (Kanuka)
Leptospermum scoparium (Manuka) and all its cultivars
Libertia peregrinans
Melicope ternata (Wharangi)
Meryta sinclairii (Puka)
Metrosideros carminea, M. excelsa, M. kermadecensis and M. robusta
Muehlenbeckia astonii, M. complexa and M. ephedroides
Myoporum laetum (Ngaio)
Olearia angulata, O. dartoni, O. lineata, O. pachphylla, O. paniculata, O. solandri, O. traversi, O. virgata
Phormium cookianum and P. tenax (and their many cultivars)
Pimelea arenaria, P. aridula and P. prostrata
Pittosporum crassifolium, P. fairchildii, P. huttonianum and Pittosporum "Stephens Island"
Plagianthus divaricatus
Planchonella costata (Tawapou)
Pseudopanax crassifolius, P. ferox and P. lessonii
Selliera radicans
Sophora molloyii (Cook St Kowhai)
Streblus banksii, S. smithii
Tecomanthe speciosa
Vitex lucens (Puriri)
Xeronema callistemon (Poor Knights Lily)