If you are lucky enough to have a sea view or garden where there is a lot of salt spray, there are still many opportunities for creating windbreaks, hedges, havens….If you click on the coastal planting category you will see examples of more dramatic rocky outcrops in Southern Tuscany, where I am from…On a recent trip to the UK south coast, facing the Isle of Wight, we saw fabulous examples of naturalization of salt tolerant plants and succulents, – incredibly -flourishing on a windswept and generally very exposed site.
I think this rugosa rose amongst Phragmites australis reeds is really poetic, and shows how this tough plant withstands high levels of salt in air and the swampy ground…
Wild rosa rugosa in the midst of Phragmites australis
Succulents need very free draining slopes such as these to cope with cold wet winters: below a lovely example of texture, where the large green angled leaves form a carpet, mixing with grey saltbush and wild grasses.
Succulent plants and atriplex
armeria maritima, atriplex species, grasses
Armria maritima, or sea thrift, is a remarkably adaptable plant, which in some european cities such as Paris and Berlin has recently been used to help with green mats and high tolerance planting schemes in urban greening projects. It survives in poor soils and being rolled over by trams!
Paris tramways- image:urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com
Armeria maritima
Armeria and Saltbush, atriplex species
