Seaside & Seashore Gardening

Flower & Garden Magazine, July, 2000 by Gretchen F. Coyle

Standing as sentinels, protecting man and structure against the forces of a sometimes-ravishing Atlantic Ocean, the sand dunes of New Jersey are a thing of beauty. Billions of grains of sand, some packed, some continually in motion, the stately dunes are abundant with American dune grass, dark green bayberry packed with silver berries, and many other native salt-tolerant foliage waving in motion from an east wind.

Dunes are indigenous to all sandy regions of our country, whether it be the desert or along our coasts near the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans or the Gulf of Mexico. Along the coastline, sand dunes offer protection, stop barrier island migration and form much-needed elevation. Overwash from storm waves are blocked by the dunes as well.

Years ago, barrier islands were developed without the knowledge or forethought to maintain our natural protective resources. Other than the beach, the dunes are the second line of defense against damage to homes and businesses during storms, such as nor'easters and hurricanes. When dunes are not properly sustained, the natural process is broken down.

* LIVING WITH SALT

Today all coastal residents are more knowledgeable about our dunes and the need for protecting them. Every beach community provides "restricted dune area" signs listing fines and penalties for desecrating these tender mounds. Additionally, concerned towns and homeowners are planting in the sand to preserve and replenish dunes, hoping they will hold together against some yet unnamed storm that will batter our coastline. Planting in the sand dunes or any sandy area should be done with native foliage, that is, species that may have been depleted at one time or another for various reasons but are slowly being introduced back into the landscape. These natives literally hold the sand together with their roots and covering foliage, thus preventing erosion and the ultimate moving of the dunes.

Salt can be a major problem along the coast, as no chemical or fertilizers will neutralize the effects of salt. After a major blow, it is best for seashore gardeners to put on their sprinklers, thereby rinsing off all their plants. Salt that covers the ground thanks to flooding is another matter. In this case sprinklers or soaker hoses must be left on for hours to leach the salt through the soil. This technique seems to save many plants after saltwater intrusion. It's easy to tell what has lived or died in a week or two. However, salt can be extremely beneficial to certain types of plants and shrubs that thrive in the sand, and salt spray can act as an anti-fungal and is even known to deter bugs.

Yet seashore gardening can be a rewarding experience. At our "Little Beach Farm" in Beach Haven on Long Beach Island, NJ, we grow many types of vegetables, herbs, annuals and perennials in raised beds in an area pretty much free from salt spray. Soil is originally trucked in, then enriched every year with mushroom soil as well. In addition, we are continually adding manure, turkey droppings, and what we call our "beach mixture," a combination of natural beach ingredients that wash up on the beaches. The "beach mixture" contains eel grass, seaweed, reeds, grasses and a few dead fish or crabs, all organic nutrients that are good for the soil.

The following are some excellent plants I have chosen conducive to seaside gardening.

* GOLDENROD

In the fall, the perennial seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens) pops up everywhere whether it is welcome or not. Goldenrod is blamed for everyone's seasonal hay fever, but I truly believe my allergies come from the grasses, which dry up and spread their "dust" in the windy fall air. Two to three feet of yellow spikes dot the seashore landscape, swaying in the breeze, our last bit of color for the season.

* BAYBERRY

Wild bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) thrives in the sand with almost no maintenance, will grow in full sun or partial shade, is not harmed by salt spray and is drought-resistant. Left alone in the dunes, this lush, green shrub may grow up to ten feet tall, and if long branches break off, new shoots can be seen springing up through the sand. We clip ours twice a year--midsummer and winter--to a level of about four feet The roots of bayberry go right to the water's edge, providing some erosion protection during winter months. Shiny green leaves, lasting well into late fall, are full of gray berries loved by the birds and occasionally used by ambitious souls to make wonderfully-scented bayberry candles. The durability of bayberry makes this native a favorite of seashore gardeners from North Carolina to Canada.

* BEACH PLUM

Beach plums (Prunus maritima) grow with vigor when planted in the sand and can reach about eight feet if left alone. These deciduous shrubs display snow-white flowers around the first week of May, and the leaves turn an interesting mixture of red and orange in the fall. It is important to plant beach plums in a place (sun or shade) where they can spread and will never have to be transplanted, as the tap root can be almost impossible to dig out after the bushes grow for a few years. It is thought that our natural salt spray acts as an anti-fungal agent for these popular bushes that grow along the mid-Atlantic coast. Additionally, jelly can be made from the small, tart purple plum.