10 best coastal gardens to visit

Seaside gardens to see

From sparse grey leaves emerging through shingle to spectacular terraces carved into steep-sided cliffs, be inspired by these perfect examples of seaside planting.

By Vanessa Berridge

Seaside gardens: bleak beauty

Prospect Cottage, Dungeness, Kent

The late Derek Jarman found this fisherman\'s shack when he was filming on the beach here in 1986, and was attracted by the sheer desolation of the Ness. Although neither cottage nor garden is offi cially open to the public, there are no fences, so it is possible to wander around at will and look at planting set among driftwood and metal sculptures. Native seaside plants, such as sea kale, bugloss and poppies, grow through the shingle along with grey-leafed Mediterranean shrubs, such as lavender, rosemary and santolina.

Photo: Ron Strutt

Seaside gardens: sculpture trails

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, near Weymouth, Dorset

Bronze figures by leading British sculptor Jenny Wynne-Jones are featured on a trail throughout the 20 acres at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, overlooking Chesil Beach. Established in the 1760s as a kitchen garden by the first Countess of Ilchester, they have since been expanded. Hints of formality remain in the walled areas, but, beyond those, paths meander through glades and woodlands.

Open 10am-5pm (4pm in winter), daily except Christmas and New Year. Admission, £9 (www.abbotsbury-tourism.co.uk/gardens, 01305 871387).

Seaside gardens: spring scent

Exbury Gardens, Southampton, Hampshire

The sheltered gardens at Exbury run down to the Beaulieu Estuary, with views to the Isle of Wight. The micro-climate of the 200 acres and the sandy, acid, free-draining soil are ideal for the collection of rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias, begun by Lionel de Rothschild in 1919. In May, the scent of deciduous azaleas assails the senses; later delights include the Summer Lane Garden, planted in naturalistic prairie style.

Open 10am-5pm, daily until 8 Nov. Admission, £8 (02380 891203, www.exbury.co.uk).

Seaside gardens: sweeping vistas

Inverewe Garden, Poolewe, Ross-shire

On Scotland\'s west coast, Inverewe Garden is surrounded by mountains, moorland and sea loch. It was founded in 1862 by Osgood Mackenzie, who
realised that the gulf stream would enable him to grow exotics in his walled garden.

Open 10am-3pm, daily, Nov-March; 9.30am-9pm, April-Oct (or sunset if earlier); visitor centre, 10am-5pm, April-Sept. Admission, £8 (0844 493 2225, www.nts.org.uk).

Seaside gardens: woodland wanderings

Greencombe Gardens, Porlock, Somerset

Greencombe looks over tilled fields to the sea, and is whipped by north-west winds off the Bristol Channel. But the quality of light and the
setting give it a certain magic. There is interest throughout the year, from the first cyclamen and hellebores, shy erythroniums and camellias. Summer roses bloom up the house walls, while in autumn the trees are spectacularly coloured, before the winter berries of vacciniums appear.

Open 2-6pm, Sat-Weds, April-July. Admission, £6 (01643 862363, www.greencombe.org.uk).

Seaside gardens: royal colour

Castle of Mey, Thurso, Caithness

When the late Queen Mother bought the Castle of Mey in 1952, she reclaimed the two-acre garden from wilderness. It is protected by a 12 foot-high wall that creates a warm micro-climate. A south-facing bench in the Shell Garden was the Queen Mother\'s favourite place to sit.

Open 10am-5pm, daily, May-Sept (closed 30 July-11 Aug). Admission, £3.50 (garden and grounds only, 01847 851473, www.castleofmey.org.uk).

Seaside gardens: spectacular terraces

Coleton Fishacre, Kingswear, Devon

This South Devon garden was created in the 1920s in the Lutyens-Jekyll style by the D\'Oyly Carte family. It lies within a steep-sided bowl of cliffs, protected from the salt winds by a belt of Monterey pines and holm oaks. The sea is glimpsed through trees and shrubs as paths snake down to Pudcombe Cove, past banks of wild garlic and bluebells in spring.

Open 10.30am-5pm, Weds-Sun and bank holidays until 1 Nov. Admission, £7 (01803 752466, www.nationaltrust.org.uk).

Photo: David Nickells, PicturesofEngland.com

Seaside gardens: theatrical effect

East Ruston Old Vicarage, East Ruston, Norfolk

Hewn from a barren coastal landscape, the 32-acre garden at the Old Vicarage entices visitors through stepped Mediterranean terraces, the stony ‘desert wash\', sunken areas and green corridors with glimpses of
Happisburgh Lighthouse. Open 2-5.30pm, Weds, Fri-Sun and bank holidays, 29 March-24 Oct. Admission, £6 (01692 650432, www.e-ruston-oldvicaragegardens.co.uk).

Seaside gardens: spiky planting

Trebah, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, Cornwall

Laid out in the 1830s by Charles Fox, Trebah on Cornwall\'s south coast is in a steep ravine and has year-round colour and scent. Fox positioned
every tree exactly, creating a woodland setting for exotics such as phormiums, agaves, yuccas and aloes. A stream cascades over waterfalls, plus there are ponds full of Koi carp and two acres of massed blue and white hydrangeas. Visitors can enjoy sea views from the award-winning Planters Café.

Open 10.30am-4.30pm, daily. Admission, £7.50 (01326 252200, www.trebah-garden.co.uk).

Seaside gardens: an international vibe

Ventnor Botanic Garden, Ventnor, Isle of Wight

Ventnor Botanic Garden is one of Britain\'s youngest and has areas of planting from all over the world. Evening primroses, rock roses, palms and
echiums grow in shallow soil on bare stone that mimics the harsh landscape of the Mediterranean. In the Americas Garden, a totem pole stands among cosmos, bamboo and salvias. The New Zealand Garden is a sunlit glade, with senecios, palms and phormiums. At the garden\'s edge are clifftop walks.

Open daily, 10am-5pm, café and greenhouse (admission, £1), March-Oct (01983 855397).

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