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Seaside Gardening: 10 Ideas for Serene Coastal Landscapes

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Muhly GrassesIssue 25 — Nautica

Seaside Gardening: 10 Ideas for Serene Coastal Landscapes

August 13, 2019

Seaside gardening comes with challenges: salt spray, sandy soil, and wind. But you can overcome them, with hardy plants and clever hardscaping ideas such as wind breaks and weatherproof materials.

Don’t fight the sea, work with it. For coastal gardening ideas, we’ve rounded up 10 of our favorite serene seaside gardens around the world, from Sweden to Hawaii:

Little Compton, Rhode Island

Dara and Dan Brewster&#8\2\17;s kitchen garden is adjacent to a shingled seaside cottage in Little Compton, Rhode Island. Photograph by Nathan Fried Lipski of Nate Photography.
Above: Dara and Dan Brewster’s kitchen garden is adjacent to a shingled seaside cottage in Little Compton, Rhode Island. Photograph by Nathan Fried Lipski of Nate Photography.

For more of this project, see Rhode Island Roses: A Seaside Summer Garden in New England.

Provincetown, Cape Cod

&#8\2\20;Few would dare to work with the acid yellow of Patrinia, but against this chocolate door on Cape Cod it really works,&#8\2\2\1; says Justine. &#8\2\20;In this clamshell driveway, where this perennial self-seeds to wild effect, designer Tim Callis paired Patrinia with fennel and oregano.&#8\2\2\1; Photograph by Justine Hand.
Above: “Few would dare to work with the acid yellow of Patrinia, but against this chocolate door on Cape Cod it really works,” says Justine. “In this clamshell driveway, where this perennial self-seeds to wild effect, designer Tim Callis paired Patrinia with fennel and oregano.” Photograph by Justine Hand.

For more, see 10 Garden Ideas to Steal from Provincetown on Cape Cod.

Fjällbacka, Sweden

A seashell path leads to the front door of a renovated white clapboard captain’s villa and boathouse on the harbor in Fjällbacka, a remote resort town on the western edge of Sweden. Photograph via Anna Ski.
Above: A seashell path leads to the front door of a renovated white clapboard captain’s villa and boathouse on the harbor in Fjällbacka, a remote resort town on the western edge of Sweden. Photograph via Anna Ski.

For more of this garden, see From Sweden with Love: A Captain’s Romantic Seaside Villa.

Cape Cod

When the New Dawn roses that climb her porch are at their finest, Justine likes to harvest them along with honeysuckle and grapevines. Photograph by Justine Hand.
Above: When the New Dawn roses that climb her porch are at their finest, Justine likes to harvest them along with honeysuckle and grapevines. Photograph by Justine Hand.

For more, see Climbing Roses: From Trellis to Vase on Cape Cod.

Coast of Maine

 Massachusetts-based landscape architect Matthew Cunningham grew up in Maine. So when prospective clients contacted him about designing a garden for their coastal summer house, he understood the challenges: extreme temperatures, salt air, fog, and rampant deer and other wildlife to wreak havoc on a garden the instant you turn your back. Photograph by Matthew Cunningham.
Above: Massachusetts-based landscape architect Matthew Cunningham grew up in Maine. So when prospective clients contacted him about designing a garden for their coastal summer house, he understood the challenges: extreme temperatures, salt air, fog, and rampant deer and other wildlife to wreak havoc on a garden the instant you turn your back. Photograph by Matthew Cunningham.

For more of this garden, see Landscape Architect Visit: Clamshell Alley on the Coast of Maine by Matthew Cunningham.

Maui

Owners George and Angela Hensler worked with Rene Holguin of LA-based shop RTH and Roberto Sosa (then with Aero Studios) on a \1940s plantation cottage, restoring the wooden siding and painting the exterior in a custom dark green color. Photograph by Kate Holstein.
Above: Owners George and Angela Hensler worked with Rene Holguin of LA-based shop RTH and Roberto Sosa (then with Aero Studios) on a 1940s plantation cottage, restoring the wooden siding and painting the exterior in a custom dark green color. Photograph by Kate Holstein.

For ore of this garden, see Vacation Rental: Maui Beach Cottage with a Tropical Garden.

Jamaica

At the ocean&#8\2\17;s edge on the west coast of Jamaica, designer Sean Knibb designed an entry staircase of square concrete blocks and designed to mitigate storm damage. If waves crash, the stairs act as a buffer against water. Photograph by Art Gray.
Above: At the ocean’s edge on the west coast of Jamaica, designer Sean Knibb designed an entry staircase of square concrete blocks and designed to mitigate storm damage. If waves crash, the stairs act as a buffer against water. Photograph by Art Gray.

For more, see The Tropical Life: A Family Camp on Jamaica by Sean Knibb.

Oaxaca, Mexico

A cast concrete table extends from indoors to out at a tiny concrete casita near a remote stretch of beach in the surfers’ paradise of Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca, Mexico. Photograph via Airbnb.
Above: A cast concrete table extends from indoors to out at a tiny concrete casita near a remote stretch of beach in the surfers’ paradise of Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca, Mexico. Photograph via Airbnb.

For more of this garden, see One Bedroom, Desert View: A Tiny Casita in Mexico.

Lisbon, Portugal

The beach accompanies you indoors at Casas Na Areia, a compound of four cottages an hour south of Lisbon. In addition to the sand floor, construction materials include local wood and reeds. Photograph by Nelson Garrido.
Above: The beach accompanies you indoors at Casas Na Areia, a compound of four cottages an hour south of Lisbon. In addition to the sand floor, construction materials include local wood and reeds. Photograph by Nelson Garrido.

For more, see Hotels & Lodging: Portugal’s Casas Na Areia.

Long Island, New York

To save their home from the Atlantic Ocean, Stephen Perlbinder and his wife, Sandy moved it to a cornfield 400 feet away from the water. Landscape architects LaGuardia Design Group transformed the cornfield into a beautiful backdrop. Photograph courtesy of LaGuardia Design Group.
Above: To save their home from the Atlantic Ocean, Stephen Perlbinder and his wife, Sandy moved it to a cornfield 400 feet away from the water. Landscape architects LaGuardia Design Group transformed the cornfield into a beautiful backdrop. Photograph courtesy of LaGuardia Design Group.

For more, see Dune Story: A Postmodern Masterpiece Saved from the Sea.

Overhauling a coastal garden? See our 10 Easy Perennials for the Seaside Garden.

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