Rather than fighting against sea spray the trick with coastal gardening is to choose plants that have originated in coastal zones around the world.
There is something for everyone's taste that will not only survive but thrive as well. You may prefer a native feel that will blend in with remnant bushland in your area and provide a wildlife corridor for you to observe and enjoy.
Trees such as coast banksia (Banksia integrifolia), Norfolk Island hibiscus (Lagunaria patersonii) and weeping myrtle (Agonis flexuosa) are ideal for providing front line protection while shrubs such as coast rosemary (Westringia fruticosa) and coast tea tree (Leptospermum laevigatum) will provide a dense storey. Native ground covers such as fan flower (Scaevola aemula and S. albida), and strawflower (Bracteantha ‘Diamond Head’) will provide colour for most of the year.
There are also a host of exotic species that will perform well even in the harshest of coastal conditions. The spectacular New Zealand Christmas tree (Metrosideros excelsa) is smothered in bright red around December and January.
The Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) is ideal as a shade or screen tree for larger gardens. Colourful shrubs such as hibiscus, oleander (Nerium oleander) and Indian hawthorn (Raphiolepis x delacourii) can be complemented by lower growing favourites such as marguerite daisies (Argyranthemum frutescens), jonquil (Narcissus jonquilla) and pelargoniums in all manner of colours.
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