The Beach Huts
Coastal Gardens often have a pre-established first line of defence, frequently Tamarisk. In the main, a garden on coastal property is usually set back from the view or even on the other side of the house from the sea.
This is not the case with the Beach Huts, a bijoux Hotel development in Felpham. You can go easily have a look for yourself. As you walk along the promenade, they are set very close to the sea view with two triangles of planting area, one on each side.
The area beside the gable end and Clyde Road has winds of 70 miles per hour rushing past in winter, sometimes higher.
This location is a real test for any planting and, as my Clients wanted to get large specimens in to soften the development immediately, an irrigation system was a must.
We sourced some beautifully worn sea defence timbers, each a unique sculpture in its own right. I kept the planting to range of evergreen shrubs, some of which produce fantastically strongly scented flowers in Summer. In fact, there are 3 different varieties of Pittosporum tobira. If a plant is worth using once, it’s worth using again!
Between the balconies we had pale grey tall containers made to order and made sure they were well secured in place. These are planted with Restios, a South African evergreen plant which is gaining popularity. Other Restios add to the coastal feel of the rest of the planting.
At the side of the buildings we sourced and planted an eight meter Holm Oak which required an experienced handler to do the lifting (by machine of course)!
The star of the show is a multi-stemmed Dwarf Fan Palm, Chamerops humilis. There are not many for sale at over three meters in height. Overall, the instant creation of a garden was just that!
