The Beach is Good. Make it Better.
Life is better at the beach, but when you combine beach life with a beach garden it doesn’t get any better.
Liz DiMauro. Manager at Hands Garden Center located in Little Egg Harbor, NJ agrees.
“Gardens and beaches go hand in hand because they provide places for people to relax,” she said. “There’s something about salt air and sandy soil that just goes together.”
DiMauro said the esthetics of a beach garden compliment a shore lifestyle perfectly.
“You can’t beat the look of a beautiful beach house with blue hydrangeas looking out over the beach and the water,” she said. “Relaxation goes with a beach lifestyle! Beach gardens make people feel good, feel happy, and they provide the best place for a private retreat.”
The secret to a stunning garden DiMauro said is selecting the right plants that will take to coastal living. Plants that require minimal maintenance are the varieties to look for. “Roses and hydrangeas pack a punch, but they are hard to take care of.”
Instead, she recommended that gardeners consider plants that are salt tolerant, drought resistant, and provide connection to a balanced, natural ecosystem.
“Try thin ornamental dune grasses which are pretty to look at and help with flooding,” DiMauro said. “Their root systems are good for flood zones and for preventing erosion which is important to Long Beach Island.”
“Beach gardens are designed with all of us in mind. Why not have a garden when you’re at the beach? It’s your chance for a little piece of something that can benefit everything.”
-Liz DiMauro
Reblooming day lilies she said are another good garden idea that goes with shore living.
“They are fantastic little flowers and they’re super easy,” DiMauro said “They propagate themselves and spread out but not too much that they are invasive. You can plant them whenever. May is good. Then maybe wait until fall, September, when the ground gets cooler.”
DiMauro said another important benefit to a beach garden is how well it works to bring life to the island.
“Birds and bees, native wildlife and hummingbirds are good for the beach,” she said. “Pollinator gardens provide food for them from spring until fall. In general, its just the right thing to do.
Hand advises her customers to go native when choosing plants for a pollinator garden. “Lavender, butterfly bushes, viburnum, russian sage, cat mint are just a few ideas to consider,” she said, “And plant clover, not grass for ground cover. Grass isn’t really sustaining things. Clover is low maintenance, better for the environment and great for pollination.”
DiMauro said there are some crucial things to keep in mind when creating your garden by the sea. The first is one is watering.
“It sounds simple but it’s a huge part of gardening,” she said. “Plants are dependent on us, especially on the island in July and August.”
When and how to water is also equally important.
“Water early in the morning before the sun gets really hot,” DiMauro said. “And remember there are certain plants like roses, dogwood and even crepe myrtles, which there are a lot of on the island that do not like overhead watering and don’t love water on their leaves for a long time.”
Shade is another important component for successful beach garden.
“Please keep your plants shaded, “said DiMauro. “They could use a break. I tell my customers plants are very similar to us. April, May and June we love being out in the sun, but in July and August, just a little bit.”
One misconception beach gardeners have with their gardens is fertilization. “You don’t fertilize in the summer,” she said. “Maybe just a little if you have to.”
DiMauro pointed out that vegetables and herbs don’t mind sharing a bed with flowers. “Especially with the wind of the ocean cooling things,” she said. “Vegetables like cool temperatures. And for herbs raised beds are best. They will not handle the salt water.”
People who take care of beach gardens also grow better.
“Beach gardens are designed with all of us in mind,” DiMauro said. “Why not have a garden when you’re at the beach? It’s your chance for a little piece of something that can benefit everything.”
Contact Information
Hands Garden Center
300 US-9 S Little Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08087
ha***************@***il.com
(609) 296-5858
Instagram @handsgardencenter