Make sunny days, holidays? David Domoney shows how you can live by the coast, wherever your home..

7 February 2022

A coastal garden

In this coastal inspired garden, Pavestone’s timber-effect plank paving adds an air of relaxation, and combining this foundation with the right plants can transport you to your dream holiday destination. With bright and breezy plants, nautical propping and embellishments, your garden can be transformed into a coastal haven. Consider natural materials and neutral tones that will open up the area for a seaside trip right on your doorstep.

 

Seaside Strolls

 

Rather than paving the whole area in the same paving, you can achieve a relaxed atmosphere by creating a walkway by diagonally laying Porcelain Deckwood Paving. This is a great way of bringing texture to your garden with because of the wood grain effect of the porcelain paving that gives the aesthetic of warm timber, with the endurance of porcelain. Cinder features warm brown, chocolate tones that knit together to provide a warm and natural appearance.

 

Stoney Borders

 

Laying diagonally in a pathway shape helps to create a journey through the garden whilst giving the illusion of more space. Alongside the path, position wooden posts joined by decking rope to create boundaries and barriers that will help to section the garden.

Further brighten up the area by bordering the walkway with white stones, light gravel, or slate to add more texture. Choosing white stones brings a brightness to the coastal style garden, having a wonderful effect when the sun glistens off them.

 

Coastal Contenders

 

The Deckwood is complemented beautifully by silvery tones and soft foliage for the airy seaside atmosphere. Plants full of colour, texture and movement bring a feeling of freedom to the space and add charm when they sway in the breeze.

 

 

Ornamental grasses such as Festuca glauca (blue fescue) are a must-have for a coastal-style garden. This evergreen grows happily in full sun in containers, borders, and rockeries, so embellish the base with larger pebbles and stones to get the beach look.

 

 

Flowering plants such as Limonium latifolium (broad-leaved statice) bring clouds of colour to the mix. The sprays of tiny purple flowers bloom in summer, and though they may look delicate, this plant is fully hardy and tolerant of any soil type. Pollinators are attracted to the blooms too, so you can enjoy the sight and sound of bees paying your seaside-style space a visit. Erigeron glaucus (fleabane) ‘Sea Breeze’ is a low-growing evergreen with grey-green foliage, joined by lilac flowers through summer.

To transport you to a holiday resort, plant up a Cordyline australis (cabbage palm) or two. The small evergreen tree will bring architectural interest and structure with the thick trunk and long, sword-shaped leaves that thrive in moist but well-drained soil. They will need winter protection when temperatures drop using horticultural fleece to keep them insulated.

 

 

Waves of Water

 

Whether you live near the coast or in an urban environment, bring the coast to you by introducing water to the mix. You don’t need to have a huge garden at your fingertips to enjoy this element in your garden.

In fact, water walls don’t need much floor space and can have a lovely effect as the water constantly cascades down into the reservoir. Use cladding such as Porcelain Wall Cladding as the backdrop for the water wall, where the waterfall can reflect off the stunning, contemporary finish. Bringing visual beauty, calming sounds and movement to the garden, this is a valuable addition to any garden wanting a coastal makeover.

 

Natural Materials

 

Natural materials Achieve the beauty of a coastal garden by incorporating natural materials into the design. When adding new elements, consider which materials will fit seamlessly with the coastal style. For example, create raised beds from sleepers to add space to grow fruit and veg in an accessible way, that adds to the aesthetic.

 

Seaside Styling

 

Opt for wooden, wood-effect or rattan furnishings for a seamless design and complement with nautical soft furnishings. Utilise light coloured planters with sandy, grey, and blue shades to enhance the colour of the beach and the calming tones.

 

Complementing Furniture

 

Think about how calming the sounds and sights of a seaside trip make you feel and use those elements in your garden to achieve a coastal look. From wood effect paving and the sandy hues of gravel to the tranquil sound of flowing water, these elements knit together to create the perfect seaside experience.

 

Here is the video of the above Coastal garden which I'm sure will give you as much pleasure as I get every time I re-visit it. In this particular case the homeowners actually lived by the sea, almost backing directly on to the beach. However, the concept could be achieved anywhere, even in a small city garden deep inland!

 

David Domoney, TV gardener, horticultural expert and Pavestone brand ambassador blogs monthly on the Pavestone website on all things landscaping related.

We look forward to seeing you back again next month.
 

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