Plant by the sea, by the beautiful sea.
Elevate an already-stunning ocean view by creating a showstopping seaside garden. These coastal perennials, annuals, and shrubs will put on a showstopping display of colour from spring to fall, despite sandy soils, salt spray, and strong winds. Because they're so tough, these plants also would be good choices for just about any yard, whether your view is a beach, prairie, or mountaintop.
Daylily
Thriving just about anywhere you plant them, daylilies make a reliable choice for seaside gardens. They bear grassy foliage and flowers in a wide range of shades, from bright reds and deep purples to golden-yellows, eye-catching oranges, and creamy white.
Name: Hemerocallis
Size: To 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide
Growing Conditions: Full to part sun in moist, well-drained soii.
Thriving just about anywhere you plant them, daylilies make a reliable choice for seaside gardens. They bear grassy foliage and flowers in a wide range of shades, from bright reds and deep purples to golden-yellows, eye-catching oranges, and creamy white.
Name: Hemerocallis
Size: To 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide
Growing Conditions: Full to part sun in moist, well-drained soii.
Sea Oats
Native to North America, this ornamental grass thrives just about anywhere you plant it (even in shade). Plus its name is a big clue that it works well as a coastal plant. Sea oats bears unique seed plumes that seem to dance in the breeze and attractive bronze foliage in fall.
Garden Tip: Sea oats can be an aggressive spreader in the garden; prevent reseeding by cutting off seed stalks in late summer.
Name: Chasmanthium latifolium
Size: To 5 feet tall and 30 inches wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil; drought tolerant once established.
Native to North America, this ornamental grass thrives just about anywhere you plant it (even in shade). Plus its name is a big clue that it works well as a coastal plant. Sea oats bears unique seed plumes that seem to dance in the breeze and attractive bronze foliage in fall.
Garden Tip: Sea oats can be an aggressive spreader in the garden; prevent reseeding by cutting off seed stalks in late summer.
Name: Chasmanthium latifolium
Size: To 5 feet tall and 30 inches wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil; drought tolerant once established.
Red-hot Poker
Add some vertical interest to seaside gardens with red-hot poker. This stately perennial offers strappy leaves, topped by spikes of red, orange, and yellow flowers in summer. It's an especially good plant for salty soil, but it's also heat- and drought-tolerant, plus it's a favourite of hummingbirds.
Name: Kniphofia
Size: To 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun in moist, well-drained soil
Add some vertical interest to seaside gardens with red-hot poker. This stately perennial offers strappy leaves, topped by spikes of red, orange, and yellow flowers in summer. It's an especially good plant for salty soil, but it's also heat- and drought-tolerant, plus it's a favourite of hummingbirds.
Name: Kniphofia
Size: To 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun in moist, well-drained soil
Gaillardia
Grow bold gaillardia (a tough perennial also known as blanket flower) for its long bloom season in seaside gardens; it flowers nonstop from summer to frost. It's also drought-resistant, so it thrives in the sandy and salty soils around lakes and oceans. Want more reasons to love it? Gaillardia is great for cutting and attracts scores of butterflies.
Name: Gaillardia
Size: To 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in average soil; can tolerate poor soils and drought
Grow bold gaillardia (a tough perennial also known as blanket flower) for its long bloom season in seaside gardens; it flowers nonstop from summer to frost. It's also drought-resistant, so it thrives in the sandy and salty soils around lakes and oceans. Want more reasons to love it? Gaillardia is great for cutting and attracts scores of butterflies.
Name: Gaillardia
Size: To 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in average soil; can tolerate poor soils and drought
Yarrow
Easy-growing yarrow is the perfect coastal plant for any sunny garden. It's virtually pest-free, makes a sturdy cut flower, and holds up to cold, drought, and windy conditions. Look for selections with blooms in shades of rich yellow, terra-cotta orange, deep red, bright pink, and pure white.
Name: Achillea
Size: To 3 feet tall and wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun in well-drained, average soil; can tolerate drought
Easy-growing yarrow is the perfect coastal plant for any sunny garden. It's virtually pest-free, makes a sturdy cut flower, and holds up to cold, drought, and windy conditions. Look for selections with blooms in shades of rich yellow, terra-cotta orange, deep red, bright pink, and pure white.
Name: Achillea
Size: To 3 feet tall and wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun in well-drained, average soil; can tolerate drought
Gazania
Gardeners cherish gazanias in coastal gardens as much for their cheery, daisy-shape blooms in glowing shades of yellow, orange, red, pink, and white as for their tough nature. In warm-climate areas, these plants for salty soil are evergreen perennials, but they also can be used as seaside balcony plants for container gardens.
Name: Gazania selections
Size: To 1 foot tall and wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun in well drained soil; drought tolerant once established
Gardeners cherish gazanias in coastal gardens as much for their cheery, daisy-shape blooms in glowing shades of yellow, orange, red, pink, and white as for their tough nature. In warm-climate areas, these plants for salty soil are evergreen perennials, but they also can be used as seaside balcony plants for container gardens.
Name: Gazania selections
Size: To 1 foot tall and wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun in well drained soil; drought tolerant once established
Lavender
Double your pleasure by planting lavender in front of roses in seaside gardens. Both will fill your garden with scent. Lavender is an easy-care sandy soil plant that grows well along the beach.
Name: Lavandula angustifolia
Size: To 3 feet tall and wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun in well-drained soil; can tolerate drought
Double your pleasure by planting lavender in front of roses in seaside gardens. Both will fill your garden with scent. Lavender is an easy-care sandy soil plant that grows well along the beach.
Name: Lavandula angustifolia
Size: To 3 feet tall and wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun in well-drained soil; can tolerate drought
Hydrangea
Although they look delicate, hydrangeas can be included in your coastal garden inspiration. They don't mind sandy soil and hold up well to wind too, so they're a beautiful addition to partly shaded sections of seaside gardens.
Garden Tip: Most hydrangea varieties don't deal well with drought. Be sure to keep them well watered.
Name: Hydrangea
Size: To 7 feet tall and 12 feet wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun to full shade (depending on variety) in moist, well-drained soil
Although they look delicate, hydrangeas can be included in your coastal garden inspiration. They don't mind sandy soil and hold up well to wind too, so they're a beautiful addition to partly shaded sections of seaside gardens.
Garden Tip: Most hydrangea varieties don't deal well with drought. Be sure to keep them well watered.
Name: Hydrangea
Size: To 7 feet tall and 12 feet wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun to full shade (depending on variety) in moist, well-drained soil
Juniper
Enjoy colour and texture all year in seaside gardens with evergreen juniper. Happily, there's a wide range of these easy-growing coastal shrubs. Look for varieties with blue, green, or gold foliage, as well as low, creeping types; medium-size selections; and tall, narrow picks perfect for privacy.
Name: Juniperus
Size: To 65 feet tall and 20 feet wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in well-drained soil; can tolerate drought
Enjoy colour and texture all year in seaside gardens with evergreen juniper. Happily, there's a wide range of these easy-growing coastal shrubs. Look for varieties with blue, green, or gold foliage, as well as low, creeping types; medium-size selections; and tall, narrow picks perfect for privacy.
Name: Juniperus
Size: To 65 feet tall and 20 feet wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in well-drained soil; can tolerate drought
Portulaca
Drought-tolerant and tough-as-nails, portulaca (often called moss rose) is a perfect beach plant for salty soil. This coastal flower bears beautiful blooms on a low, creeping plant perfect for the front of the border or in window boxes, hanging baskets, and other containers in seaside gardens. It blooms in a range of shades from white and magenta to yellow, orange, and red.
Garden Tip: Although portulaca is an annual, it commonly self-seeds in the garden so you may need to plant it only once.
Name: Portulaca
Size: To 9 inches tall and 1 foot wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun in well-drained soil; can tolerate drought
Drought-tolerant and tough-as-nails, portulaca (often called moss rose) is a perfect beach plant for salty soil. This coastal flower bears beautiful blooms on a low, creeping plant perfect for the front of the border or in window boxes, hanging baskets, and other containers in seaside gardens. It blooms in a range of shades from white and magenta to yellow, orange, and red.
Garden Tip: Although portulaca is an annual, it commonly self-seeds in the garden so you may need to plant it only once.
Name: Portulaca
Size: To 9 inches tall and 1 foot wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun in well-drained soil; can tolerate drought
Geranium
Happy in any sunny spot, geraniums are an ideal coastal plant for seaside gardens. Look for varieties that have bright red blooms to catch the eye, or go with soft pinks or whites for a more soothing presentation.
Name: Pelargonium
Size: To 3 feet tall and wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil
Happy in any sunny spot, geraniums are an ideal coastal plant for seaside gardens. Look for varieties that have bright red blooms to catch the eye, or go with soft pinks or whites for a more soothing presentation.
Name: Pelargonium
Size: To 3 feet tall and wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil
Cuphea
Colourful cuphea blooms its head off all summer long, producing bright red, pink, or orange flowers, even in the hottest weather or in salty soil. It also holds up well to drying winds, too, making it the perfect coastal plant. Though it is perennial in frost-free climates, it is usually grown as an annual.
Name: Cuphea
Size: To 30 inches tall and 3 feet wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun in moist, well-drained soil; drought tolerant once established
Colourful cuphea blooms its head off all summer long, producing bright red, pink, or orange flowers, even in the hottest weather or in salty soil. It also holds up well to drying winds, too, making it the perfect coastal plant. Though it is perennial in frost-free climates, it is usually grown as an annual.
Name: Cuphea
Size: To 30 inches tall and 3 feet wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun in moist, well-drained soil; drought tolerant once established
Sea Pink
This adorable coastal groundcover has grassy foliage and round clusters of pink or white flowers in late spring and early summer, adding charm to seaside gardens. Sea pink, also called sea thrift, is a slow spreader, so you don't have to worry about it running rampant in sandy soil.
Name: Armeria
Size: To 1 foot tall and wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun in well-drained, moist soil
This adorable coastal groundcover has grassy foliage and round clusters of pink or white flowers in late spring and early summer, adding charm to seaside gardens. Sea pink, also called sea thrift, is a slow spreader, so you don't have to worry about it running rampant in sandy soil.
Name: Armeria
Size: To 1 foot tall and wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun in well-drained, moist soil
Allium
Available in all sorts of colors and sizes, alliums brighten up seaside gardens with their beautiful blooms in spring and summer. Also called ornamental onions, these bulbs prefer very well-drained soil so a sandy site is perfect for them.
Name: Allium
Size: To 5 feet tall (in bloom)
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Available in all sorts of colors and sizes, alliums brighten up seaside gardens with their beautiful blooms in spring and summer. Also called ornamental onions, these bulbs prefer very well-drained soil so a sandy site is perfect for them.
Name: Allium
Size: To 5 feet tall (in bloom)
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
