Fernline 04 7 min read Guide
Planting that survives salt, sand and a westerly
A short field guide to local plants for Beaches gardens. Sorted by spot and soil, with the 12-week start plan that keeps them alive.
Short answer: coastal gardens fail when plants are picked by the render, not by salt, soil and wind. The fix is a plan keyed to your block, planted in the right month, with a 12-week start plan.
Four spots, and what survives each one
- Headland, fully exposed: coast banksia, coast tea-tree, dune correa, pigface, lomandra "Tanika"
- Front row, partly buffered: westringia, grevillea "Robyn Gordon", correa alba, dianella, hardenbergia
- Suburb with an afternoon westerly: the standard Sydney sandstone palette, plus echium, lavender, salvia
- South side or sheltered courtyard: ferns, ornamental gingers, philodendron under a tree canopy
Soil: sand drains, clay does not
Most blocks on the Beaches are sand over sandstone over clay. Every street is a different cut. Sandy topsoil drains too fast and burns young plants in summer. Clay holds water and rots roots in a wet winter.
The right move is not to fix the soil. It is to pick plants that match what is there. We test soil on the design visit. We plant to the soil, not against it.
The 12-week start plan
- Week 0: plant in the right season (autumn or spring, never summer for tubestock). Mulch at 75mm with hardwood chip, not pine bark.
- Weeks 1 to 4: deep water twice a week, 15 to 20 minutes per zone, early morning
- Weeks 5 to 8: once a week unless rain
- Weeks 9 to 12: weekly or with rainfall
- Month 4 on: on its own roots, extra water only in summer dry
Every Fernline plan ships with this in writing. Any plant from the list that fails in the first season, we swap. Book a design visit when you are ready to plan your block.
Common questions
Why do gardens on the Beaches keep dying back in year two?
Usually one of three reasons: the planting was chosen by render, not by soil and exposure; the establishment watering stopped at week four when it should have run for twelve; or the species is fine 50km inland but cannot handle salt-laden onshore wind. The fix is a planting schedule keyed to the actual site, planted in the right season, and an establishment plan that does not stop at handover.
What is the difference between native and locally native?
Native means it occurs somewhere on the Australian continent (a Queensland banksia is "native" but will sulk in Sydney sandstone). Locally native means it occurs naturally in the Sydney Northern Beaches plant communities. Locally natives need almost no inputs because they evolved for this soil, this rainfall and this wind. We default to locally native for at least 60% of every schedule.
How long until a new garden looks established?
A well-planted garden with the right species reads as "established" at 18 to 24 months. The first 12 weeks are the establishment phase: deep watering twice a week, mulched at 75mm, weeds pulled by hand. From month four it should be on its own roots. Anyone who tells you a garden looks finished at six months is selling you advanced stock that will fail at month nine.