suitable plants for a windy garden

Please can somebody help me?!! After only having gardened in lovely sheltered gardens I now find myself with the large garden I always dreamed of, but it suffers from high winds. It's at the top of a valley (with the sea about a quarter of a mile away) and the first thing the wind gets to is my garden. After three years looking,wondering and planning I'm now in a position to begin the garden of my dreams, but as money is a big hurdle, does anybody have any advice as to what I can plant, that will withstand the wind and not take over?
I have a fantastic view so can't succumb to Leylandii or anything too dense, but I long for a beautiful herbaceous border. Am I merely dreaming the impossible dream?
The wind is really severe in the Winter but can happen sporadically any time of year.
Please, does anyone else have this same problem who can advise me on suitable shrubs/small trees to form the backbone of my dream?

 

I suffered a similar fate Windy. The forst thing that I did when we moved in was to get posts up and some wind netting attatched to it. It reduced the wind buy up to 50% and gave the plants time to establish. I also plan to plant some escallonias along the fence (prevailing wind side) to help with buffering the wind a bit. Escallonias love coastal areas, they are ever green and they also have lovely little flowers, deep pink light pink or white (think there is a pink and white apple blossom one)

 

Hi there Windy and welcome to GC!

Leylandii wouldn't take the salt air and wind anyway so you would be wasting your time with them - besides they are a menace and only fit for chainsaw practice

Don't despair. We have a member who is helping his Mum set up a garden on Barra! Cornwall should be a piece of cake in comparison, at least the climate is a lot milder.

First off you need a hardy wind break so go native and think of things like Hawthorn, Gorse, Broom and Blackthorn (Sloe) etc. Once you have the wind a bit more under control you can then get denser shelter from hardy fuschia (I've seen it grow in Ireland on a very exposed hillside with very little other protection).

The trick with an exposed hedge is to break up and filter the wind, not stop it dead with a solid fence. Solid barriers cause severe scouring and back eddies under gale conditions and you don't get the full benefit. Also you will probably spend as much time re-erecting fences after the gales as you do gardening :D

You will have to sacrifice a few feet off your garden for a hedge but it will be worth it in the long run.

 

Thanks Mims,
Escallonias are just the type of thing I'm looking for. Was also pondering bamboos but their invasiveness bothers me. The wind here can be really severe and has been known to move a half full coal bunker so I'm not sure netting would survive. After 3yrs doing the house I need a garden, I will have a garden and dammit, gales will not stop me!!(But the budget might!)

 

Wow, thanks Frogesque and thanks for the lovely welcome.
Gorse was on my definate list and have been looking at various suppliers but when would be the best time to plant to ensure it survived? This wind thing is new to me and I can't afford too many mistakes, but once I get the wind tamed the garden is my oyster!

 

Windy, not sure what sort of look you're trying to acieve but if you like Cordylines they do really well in my (very small) garden which is in an extremely exposed coastal location. My pampas grass, potentilla and honeysuckle grow really well too and they're all in containers.

 

Windy, have just noticed your mention of gorse. I've just started to think of planting some bushes(there are lots growing round about here and the smell is beautiful at this time of year)and wonder whether there are any suppliers you would recommend -my local garden centre didn't have any when I went in a couple of weeks ago

 

For gorse I would grow it from seed unless you are really desperate. Gorse (and broom) are leguemous so don't really like being moved too much although I have sucessfully 'rescued' small seedlings from waste ground in the past. Sloe will sucker from any thicket and this is probably easier than trying to grow it from a stone. Be warned though, those spines are lethal and the roots are deep! Hardy fuschia cuttings will root in yoghurt tub of water.

There are two ways to go, either dig deep into your pocket and get landscapers in to do the job or take your time and take cuttings, grow seed etc. etc. It's slower but mostly free! Once you have your basic barrier in place you can always trail climbers up through it for even more colour.

In the meantime if you want to plant something that will take scorching wind, baking heat, frost and grow on solid granite (just about) then Thrift (Armeria maritima) will fit the bill and there are a host of other coastal or alpine plants that will take nearly as much punishment including the humble wallflower.

 

Thanks everybody for your wonderful advice. I've been snooping round friends and neighbours gardens with the idea of taking cuttings, although none of their gardens recieve the amount of wind mine does.
Barneyb, have been googling at suppliers and found one that does wonderful natives, but unfortunately only delivers bareroots between Nov and April. No delivery for container-grown (doh!) It's English Woodlands Burrow Nursery . I'll google some more and let you know any others I find.
thanks again everyone. My family think Im mad to try and create a garden here, but you know how it is when it's in your blood!

 

Barneyb,
Just had a brief look and found a site for natives that includes a postcode search and links to suppliers. It's www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/plants-fungi/postcode-plants/supplies.html. Very informative website with loads of info on attracting wildlife. Hope it's some use.

 

Thanks very much, Windy. Look forward to seeing pictures of the new garden.

 

Hi Windy...you have a garden in my favourite english county (which i will be visiting 0n the 27th may!! we-hey St.Ives)but the wind must be a right bum.....! If your garden is big why not throw in a row of the dreaded fast growing laylandaii(spelling ???)...a good wind screen and you can keep it around 10 foot or so high.
Looking forward to my picnic on top of Trencrom hill in 2 and a bit weeks!!!!

 

you could build a windmill and sell local bread to tourists!!!

 

Steve,
As your coming down to Kernow so soon you really must take a visit to Trebah Gardens. It's the most fantasic garden on the planet and is looking spectacular at this time of year with all the Rhodis flowering. Went there yesterday for peace and inspiration and a picnic on the beach. We go there every couple of weeks and it never fails to please and amaze.
As for the windmill, was wondering whether I could get off the National Grid and build a windfarm to generate my own electric!! Think the Parish Council would have something to say!!