Several of the Algarve properties for sale near the coast sit within a few hundred metres of the sea, close enough for salt to matter. Anyone who has gardened in Norfolk, Cornwall or the east coast of Scotland will know the problem. Wind carries fine salt spray inland, and leaves that were green in June turn brown at the edges by August. The solution is the same on both sides of the Atlantic: put up some shelter, choose tougher plants, and give the soil a rinse now and then.
What salt does to a plant
Salt on a leaf draws water out of it, so the tissue dries and scorches, usually on the side facing the wind. Salt in the soil makes it harder for roots to take up water at all. Young plants and plants with big, soft leaves suffer first. Plants with thick, waxy, hairy or silvery foliage cope better, because their leaves lose less water and hold on to less salt.
Shelter comes first
Before choosing individual plants, think about wind. A hedge or fence that breaks the wind does more good than any amount of watering. A solid wall isn’t ideal, because wind spills over the top and swirls on the far side. A semi-permeable barrier, such as a hedge or a slatted fence, slows the wind down gently and makes a calmer pocket behind it. In the Algarve, tamarisk, olive and oleander are used a great deal for this job. In a British coastal garden, escallonia, tamarisk and sea buckthorn do similar work.
Plants that cope
Agave and yucca look as if they were designed for the job, and more or less were. Rosemary and lavender are reliable, and sea holly, thrift and sea kale are native to British shorelines and suit a gravelly bed. Olive trees tolerate salt well. Grasses such as festuca and stipa shrug off wind and look better when it blows. Keep the more delicate plants, anything with large soft leaves, in the lee of the house or a hedge.
Looking after the soil
After a salty storm, a good soak with fresh water washes salt from leaves and moves it down through the soil. A deep watering is better than a light spray, because light watering leaves salt near the roots. Drainage matters as well, since salt builds up in soil that stays wet. Mulching with gravel or coarse bark protects the surface and slows evaporation, which in turn keeps salt from concentrating at the top.
Hard landscaping and fixings
Plants aren’t the only things that suffer. Ordinary steel screws rust within a season near the coast, so use stainless steel or properly coated fixings for fences, pergolas and gates. Choose hardwoods such as teak or iroko for outdoor furniture, or treated softwood that has been given a decent coat of oil, and check the hinges and bolts each spring. Powder-coated aluminium holds up well, though a scratch in the coating can let corrosion start.
A realistic plan for a new coastal garden
Plant the windbreak first and give it a year or two before filling the beds behind it. Water new plants well through the first summer, because even salt-tolerant species need help while the roots are getting established. Choose three or four reliable plants and repeat them, which looks calmer and makes the garden easier to look after. When something dies, take the hint and replace it with something tougher. Coastal gardening rewards patience and a willingness to be slightly ruthless.
