The message
from "J Rogers" contains these words:

Hi

Are there any good books / leaflets with suggestions for a seaside garden.

You're just in time to ask Father Christmas for a recent book called
"Gardening by the Sea" by Barbara Segall. 25 pounds, ISBN 0 7112 1894 3.
An older book is Seaside Gardening by Christine Kelway; out of print but
I got one secondhand from a book dealer on the web for about 6 pounds.

There are also some good websites; try a search on "seaside gardens".

Garden is flat facing the sea looking southwest. On the 50 foot contour.
Obviously a problem with wind and salt but very mild. No trees within 2
miles.
Ground is soil to 3 foot over limestone.

I have been planting Oleria Haasti as a windbreak and to catch the salt, it
is thriving at 8 foot. Other plants have a chance behind it. Escallonia is
slow growing affected by salt I think. Rosa Rugosa does well.

I garden by the sea too, though we only moved here a year ago so I'm
still on a sharp learning curve. Here's a list of plants that do well
here (there are lots more)

Hebes, phormium, senecio, hydrangeas, cordyline, viburnum, alliums,
verbenas, gorse, griselinia, berberis, fatsia, mahonia, rosemary,
buddliea, choisya, corokia virgata, salvias, cotoneasters,fuchsias,
myrtle, ozothamnus, pittosporum, agave, ceanothus, holly,
hawthorn,elders, pampas, argyranthemum, cistus, miscanthus, skimmia; and
there are lots more olearias which all love seaside conditions.

Many of those have either very waxy evergreen foliage, or grey felty
foliage; both stand up well to salt and wind. Try mulching the
escallonia with rotted manure; that helped one that was struggling here.

As for fruit, it's too early to say much. There were two existing
stunted apple trees which fruited, but were rather dismal, I think
because they were in a windy damp spot and the roots didn't appreciate
being rocked. I notice apple trees don't feature in gardens here. The
rhubarb I brought with me has grown like mad,(okay, not a fruit, but I
always think of it that way) and so has a new strawberry bed.
Blueberries are growing well; black and red currants are still in the
pots I transported them in (shame on me) so haven't had chance to do
much.

I'm applying as much seaweed as we can collect, it's an excellent soil
conditioner.

HTH

Janet (Isle of Arran).