Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2007 | Page 73
GARDENING
inland you could opt for a
more glamorous variety such
as ‘Donard Seedling’ or ‘Apple
Blossom’– they all have a long
flowering season, all summer.
sculpted shapes. Recreate
the natural look of wilder
parts of the coast where the
sunbathers normally don’t
go – rugged shingle banks
sport horned poppies, sea
holly and wild seakale, rolling
sand dunes ‘landscaped’ with
marram grass, or cliff tops
studded with thrift and other
little gems that are adapted
to life in hostile conditions.
The great advantage of
NOT living by the sea is that
you don’t have to use real
shoreline plants at all; simply
cheat and use cultivated
plants to create the seaside
illusion instead. As for artistic
satisfaction, I can promise
you’ll have more fun designing
and creating a seaside garden
than almost any other kind.
But practically speaking,
there’s little to beat a heavy
mulch of sand, shingle
and pebbles for capturing
the restful holiday mood,
knowing that you don’t have
to worry about keeping up to
date with routine chores.
SEASIDE-STYLE
PLANTS TO ‘GET
THE LOOK’
GRASSES, SEDGES AND
REEDS are perfect for creating
a suggestion of seaweed or the
tussocky look of marram grass;
go for contrasting shapes,
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sizes, textures and colours
including some with seedheads
and others with coloured,
shapely or textured foliage.
Leymus arenarius is a sparse
steely blue grass that creeps
naturally alon rF