Spring 2010 Cornish Gardener 5

Beating salty winds

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eadland Garden was developed from the mid seventies on the

windswept corner of the headland, surrounded by sea on three sides. Even on sunny summer days there is often a wind and yet the garden is lush with flowers and foliage, carefully chosen to beat the elements. Although this is a private garden it is open to the public on selected days through summer for the RNLI and others.

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It has also attracted much national publicity for its uniqueness.

The planting is all tried and tested for coastal conditions. There are plenty of wind breaks, low hedges of escallonia, little rock walls and arches, niches where tender plants are sheltered, a vegetable garden right on the top of the garden above a

steep cliff, and plenty of colour through the seasons provided not just by flowers but by contrasting foliage. The garden is a miracle of intelligent planting. It is open from May to August from 2pm to 6pm. Over the years the Cornish Gardener has featured many gardens which fight the elements.

One idea, from a garden, which which although inland is directly in line with winds from the sea, is to put in a sunken garden. By digging down several feet the area becomes a sun trap and the wind goes right over the top. It’s a big job to do, but it provides a good seating area and protects tender plants.

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everal gardeners and garden designers give the advice: ‘Look

around other coastal gardens before you plant to see what is doing well.’

THE Canna Lily, hardier than it looks and ideal for summer planting

Garden designer John Moreland designed a garden right on Land’s End a few years ago and showed the Cornish Gardener some of his innovative ideas. As well as planting tough wind-break plants, in his case emulating the surrounding landscape with brooms, buckthorn and blackthorn, which all survive well in the wild. Other planting included several kinds of Salix, S albavitellina, britzensis and caprea; Acer pseudoplatanus, Crataegus mongyna, Prunus spinosa, Fuchsia ricartonii (which is seen in bloom all over this area and is very tough), Bergenia, Hippophae rhaninades, Pittisporum, Eleagnus, Rosa rugosa, Ceonothus thyricflorai, Alder Calnus cordata and Ilex. These will provide colour in

HARDY fuchsias which can withstand the wind and the salt on the coast

their leaves, stems and berries as well as some flowers. Protection from sea wind included walls built up of earth as a sort of amphitheatre, rocks for sheltering plants and wind-breaks made from railway sleepers up-ended and set into the earth to filter the strong gales.

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n summer he planned hardy fuchsias, which grow wild around the area, Monbretia, hardy geraniums and plenty of the tougher and hardier grasses.

Finally, anyone in doubt about what to plant in their coastal garden should have a look at municipal planting in the various seaside towns around the county.

This is tough planting, built to withstand not only the weather but pollution from cars and vandal attacks. In Penzance, for instance, they favour exotic looking Canna lillies which are hardier than they look, phormiums and a good mixture of palms, which stand up to any kind of punishment.

HAPPY in a coastal setting, from left to right, the herb Rosemary, one of the sedum family, the wonderful Tamarisk, tougher than it looks, one of the thymes, all of which enjoy hot dry conditions and love the coast Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32