Coastal Garden Design Tips To Try Out This Summer
Coastal Garden Design Tips To Try Out This Summer
Where we live can have such an impact on how we feel. The design of our home spaces can really influence our own emotional and physical health and wellbeing. You’re probably all too familiar with how it feels to have a messy, untidy or dirty home and how, after a big clean, sorting out and decluttering your space, you feel lighter, unburdened and relaxed. That’s why interior and exterior design is so important. You need to love where you live and feel safe, comfortable, and at home there.
And your garden is no exception to this. It’s lovely to spend time outdoors, whether that’s playing with the kids, relaxing with friends, cooking a BBQ or celebrating a special event. Having a lovely garden is worth investing some time, effort and dollars into. And as we head into summer, now is the perfect time to rejuvenate your garden – especially for those who live by the coast and must contend with coastal climate considerations.
This helpful article is going to share some coastal design tips to try out this year, so continue reading to learn more.
Invest in New Fencing
Coastal winds can be particularly damaging. For starters, salt spray and moisture carried on winds has the potential to create rust or mould formations. So you’ll want to invest in property fencing that can contend against coastal elements in particular.
For instance, you could consider investing in PVC fencing panels as you look to refresh your garden space. PVC, or the chemical name of ‘polyvinyl chloride’ plastic fencing, is a tried and tested fencing solution for coastal gardens. Unlike metal or timber fencing, PVC is also resistant to rust or mould and other forms of decay caused by the harsh Aussie weather. It’s durable, will last a lifetime and is also affordable to supply and install.
Coastal Colour Palettes
You’ll want to take inspiration from the ocean and beach here when considering your garden’s colour palette. When planning your colour palette, consider silvers, purples, blues, yellows and olive greens - these are all colours found in native coastal plants. Look at the coastal sky, the sand and the ocean and take influence from the majestic beauty of this type of landscape.
You may also want to use sand for ground cover, as nothing signifies the beach more than a sandy area. A kid’s sandpit can also be an excellent garden feature for the little ones.
For an even more immersive, coastal-inspired garden, consider planting coastal flora too, like succulents or coastal woolly bushes. Not only will coastal plants be naturally resistant to the salty, windy, cold and dry conditions these geographical areas have; these plants will also effortlessly add texture, colour, movement and a pleasing vibe to your new garden landscape, tying your whole coastal colour palette together in a seamless way.
Use Locally Sourced Materials
When planning out the hard landscaping features for your coastal garden, where possible, use regional or local stone to increase the feeling of connection to the natural world. Local materials that share a colour scheme with the soil will sit quietly and nestle in nicely with your garden’s feeling. Add some boulders or other rock landscaping features to help you define areas, or act as seats and use local stones for garden path design.
And like all gardens, your hard landscaping features need to complement and contrast with the architecture of your home and should provide linkages to the local landscape. We recommend using found materials to accentuate this, such as sourcing pebbles, stones or gravel from the beach or from nearby parklands.
By using found, upcycled or recycled materials, you can effectively create a sustainable coastal garden that inadvertently helps to clean out the oceans and waterways that neighbour your green haven.
Set Up Plenty of Natural Wind Barriers
As mentioned above, a coastal garden can suffer from wild weather, such as salt-infused winds, intense storms and harsh sun. So alongside updating your fencing, consider planting a windbreak area of fast-growing shrubs and trees that can help shelter the smaller plants and flowers in your garden.
If you’re limited on space, consider planting a hedge to help filter the wind or even create mounds or sunken spaces in your garden to protect smaller plants. This can help to further protect your home and wider property from harsh coastal winds that may occur all year round. The more natural weather protection you have for your home, the better.
Install Sturdy Decking for a Coastal Feel
Nothing says ‘coastal vibes’ like a good backyard deck or a thoughtfully designed patio. But as we’ve mentioned, wooden elements are just as vulnerable to coastal winds and the salt or moisture they carry as metal elements.
Thankfully, with a little careful planning, you can install wooden decking that’s perfectly suited to coastal environments. Hardwood timber decking works excellently in a sunny location and will provide a great beach vibe as the weather slowly wears it and fades it. Even so, there are still several practical steps to take to ensure your decking survives the coastal weather. You’ll want corrosion-resistant metal fittings and fixtures, so marine-grade metal is best for screws, handrails and fittings. Treated hardwood is also the best choice of timber as well, being long-lasting and naturally rot-resistant.
And there you have it – our top coastal garden design tips that’ll help keep your beachside yard spaces looking picture-perfect from season to season. Try putting some of these tips into action in your own garden space over this summer.
