| Planting and maintaining a garden near a large body of | | | | contaminate ground and ocean water. |
| salt water can be quite different from your average | | | | Ways to alleviate this problem include: |
| inland garden. | | | | Cover piles of organic waste, or other materials with |
| If your plants are yellowing, burnt, or hard to establish, | | | | tarps to prevent run off during rain and storms. |
| chances are they aren't the best choices for your | | | | Do all your excavating during dry weather conditions. |
| seaside growing conditions. You may have to make | | | | Make small dams or ditches to divert runoff from |
| some adjustments to your garden or re-think the type | | | | storm drains. |
| of plants that will grow successfully. | | | | Prevent erosion on your property by planting native |
| The five main challenges that confront oceanfront | | | | plants and grasses to bind the soil. |
| gardeners are: | | | | Don't overwater. Instead employ the use of drip |
| 1. Damage from strong winds | | | | irrigation or soaker hoses. |
| 2. Drought | | | | Do not blow or rake leaves into storm drains or on the |
| 3. High salt levels in the soil | | | | street. |
| 4. Sandy soil | | | | Use organic or non-toxic fertilizers. |
| 5. Contributing to ocean pollution | | | | Store chemicals in a covered area to prevent run off. |
| Dealing With These Challenges: | | | | Plants that grow well in salty, sandy soil, and don't |
| Wind and Salt Spray - Plant a natural wind guard using | | | | cower from high winds include: |
| a combination of trees and smaller shrubs in a front | | | | Trees |
| row. Do your research – you don't want trees that | | | | Acacia longifolia var. sophorae (Coast Wattle), Agonis |
| will grow large enough to block your view. | | | | flexuosa (Willow Myrtle), Allocasuarina littoralis |
| A man-made trellis may be required to supplement | | | | (Drooping She Oak), Arbutus unedo (Irish Strawberry |
| your natural wind break. Solid fences or brick walls | | | | Tree), Callitris columellaris (Coast Cypress Pine), Cocos |
| work well, but may also block your view. | | | | nucifera (Coconut Palm), Eucalyptus ficifolia (Red |
| Ocean or Seaside Drought - Combat this problem with | | | | Flowering Gum), Olea europea (Olive), and Phoenix |
| a thick layer of organic compost and use plants that | | | | canariensis (Date Palm). |
| do not require constant watering. | | | | Shrubs |
| Salty & Sandy Soil - Salt is the most common | | | | Banksia ericifolia (Heath Banksia), Brachysema |
| cause of severe leaf burn and shedding leaves. It also | | | | lanceolata (Swan River Pea), Dodonea viscosa (Hop |
| affects the plant's ability to thrive. Choose plants that | | | | Bush), Leptospermum laevigatum (Coast Tea Tree), |
| thrive in salty soils and use wind blocks to prevent the | | | | Murraya exotica (Mock Orange), Nerium oleander |
| passage of salt into the soil. (See list below) | | | | (Oleander), and Westringia fruticosa (Coastal |
| Mixing in plenty of organic compost with the soil will | | | | Rosemary). |
| help improve the quality and add much needed | | | | Groundcovers |
| nutrients. | | | | Alyssum maritimum (Sweet Alice), Cerastium |
| Using Green Practices to Reduce Pollution - Often | | | | tomentosum (Snow in Summer), Osteospermum |
| times the run off from ocean front gardens contributes | | | | cultivars (African Daisy), and Mesembryanthemum sp. |
| heavily to ocean pollution. This includes waste from the | | | | (Pigface). |
| yard, fertilizer, and other chemicals that seep into storm | | | | Beach wormwood (Artemisia stelleriana, Z3-7) |
| drains. In an effort to improve the quality of our | | | | Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa, Z4-9) |
| gardens, these pollutants can poison fish and | | | | Catmints (Nepeta spp. and cvs. |