Today we're going to talk about a subject dear to the hearts of many Long Islanders, especially those fortunate enough to live in a place like Anne Halpin, author of "Seascape Gardening," (Storey Publishing, $19.95), does.
Halpin is a Hampton Bays resident who has written a dozen gardening books, including "Homescaping: The Year-Round Flower Gardener" and "Annuals, Perennials and Bulbs."
Roger Foley, whose photos enliven the pages of the book, is a prominent garden photographer based in Arlington, Va.
What could be more beautiful than the view from a cottage overlooking the crashing waves of the ocean? How about a mass of stunning blossoms spilling over the rocky ledge between you and the Atlantic? As anyone who lives seaside knows, it isn't as easy as it looks.
A glance at the USDA plant hardiness zone map confirms that coastal areas - including those on Long Island - experience temperatures 10 degrees warmer than those inland in the same region. But strong winds, salty air and sandy soil more than counter any benefit gained from the warmer climate. Regardless, as the magnificent photography featured in this book attests, a glorious garden can be had.
Halpin lists plants with high and moderate salt tolerance and points to others that can survive flooding. Once plants are selected, the seascape gardener needs to select the ideal planting location (not on dunes, but behind them, for instance). Next, the ground should be stabilized with ground cover or grasses.
Beachfront gardening is unique and complex, but Halpin guides her fellow Long Islanders, offering planting and design advice, maintenance suggestions, solutions to the biggest challenges and profiles of more than 100 plants, trees and shrubs that are suitable for oceanfront landscapes.
Here's a particularly interesting excerpt from the book:
"When choosing plants for your seaside garden, it is essential that you have a very clear understanding of the environmental conditions they will face in your garden or in their particular spot in your garden. Seashore conditions vary significantly from one property to another. The closer you are to the beach, the greater the variation can be. At the beach, growing conditions just a thousand feet apart can be totally different from one another."
