TIMBRE — LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN
The Coastal Garden Guide Designing a garden that filters the wind, handles the salt, and still gives you the view - for Taranaki’s coastal terraces and foreshore sections. Daniel McEwan · NZILA Registered Landscape Architect | hello@timbre.nz | timbre.nz
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The Coastal Design Problem Every coastal garden is solving the same tension: you bought the section for the view and the sea air, but that same wind and salt is exactly what makes a garden hard to establish. Solve it badly and you end up with one of two failures - a wind-blasted, bare-looking section where nothing thrives, or a solid hedge/ fence that blocks the view you paid for. The fix isn't a fight against the wind, it's a filter. This guide sets out the layering approach that works on Taranaki's coastal terraces - from Ōākura and Ōkato to the New Plymouth foreshore and Waitara - where salt-laden onshore wind is the defining condition almost everywhere close to the coast.
The core principle: wind wants a gradual, layered slowdown, not a hard stop. Build your shelter as a series of bands - toughest, most expendable species on the outside edge, progressively softer species behind - so each layer takes the pressure off the one behind it.
What makes coastal conditions different Salt-laden wind
Free-draining soils
High UV, low shelter
Onshore wind carries fine salt spray that scorches foliage and increases moisture loss. Glossy or thick-leaved species handle this far better than soft, thin-leaved plants.
Sandy or gravelly coastal soils drain fast and hold little nutrient. Plants that evolved on dunes and coastal banks are adapted to this; most exotic garden plants aren't.
Open coastal sites get intense sun with no canopy cover until shelter is established - young plants need protection in their first 6–12 months.
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Building Shelter in Three Layers Think of your coastal garden as a sequence, not a single planting event. Each layer protects the one behind it.
Layer 1 - The front line Planted on the exposed, wind-facing edge of the site. These take the full force of salt and wind so nothing behind them has to. Species
Māori name
Form
Notes
Olearia solandri
Coastal tree tree daisy
Twiggy shrub, 2–3m
Excellent first-line wind filter
Coprosma repens
Taupata
Dense shrub, 2–4m
Glossy salt-tolerant foliage, takes hard pruning
Griselinia littoralis
Kāpuka
Shrub/small tree, 3–6m
Classic NZ coastal hedge, wind-filtering
Pittosporum crassifolium
Karo
Shrub/small tree, 3–6m
Thick leathery leaves, very salt-hardy
Layer 2 - The mid layer Planted once the front line has knocked wind speed down. Slightly softer species that still tolerate residual salt and wind. Species
Māori name
Form
Notes
Phormium tenax
Harakeke
Upright clump, 2–3m
Strong vertical structure, very hardy
Cordyline australis
Tī kōuka
Small tree, 3–6m
Wind-firm once established, good vertical accent
Corokia cotoneaster
Corokia
Small shrub, 1–2m
Textural feature planting behind the front line
Design note - avoid the solid wall
A solid barrier stops wind at the barrier itself, but the air has to go somewhere — it typically rolls over the top and drops hard just behind, which can be harder on plants than no barrier at all. A hedge or screen with some gaps through it slows the wind down gradually instead, which tends to protect a larger area more evenly.
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Layer 3 - The Sheltered Garden Once layers 1 and 2 are established (typically 2–3 years), this is where you can plant softer, more delicate species and the parts of the garden people actually spend time in. Species
Māori name
Form
Notes
Astelia banksii
Kōkaha
Architectural clump
Silver-leaved feature, needs some shelter to look its best
Libertia ixioides
Mikoikoi
Low clump, 0.4–0.6m
Border/mass planting once wind is filtered
Muehlenbeckia complexa
Pōhuehue
Groundcover/climber
Good bank and edge cover, low fertility tolerant
Coprosma acerosa
Sand
Low sprawling
coprosma
groundcover
Sand/bank binding in the more open parts of the garden
Working with the view, not against it The most common mistake on a coastal section is planting a shelterbelt at uniform height across the whole boundary, which either blocks the view completely or leaves it fully exposed. Instead: Keep shelter planting taller on the flanks and lower directly in the view corridor - a stepped profile filters wind while keeping a window to the water Use lower groundcovers and clump species (Libertia, Astelia) in the direct view line rather than upright shrubs Consider a slatted timber screen instead of planting where the view corridor is narrow - it filters wind without the bulk of a shrub Position outdoor living areas (deck, patio) behind the layer 1/2 shelter belt, not in front of it.
Establishment care
New plantings are most vulnerable in their first year, before root systems are established enough to cope with full exposure. Some form of temporary windbreak on the worst-affected side - shade cloth, sacking, or similar — reduces stress while roots take hold. If foliage looks scorched after a heavy salt-wind event, a fresh-water rinse can help limit lasting damage.
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Before You Plant — A Coastal Site Checklist Identify your prevailing wind direction and how directly it faces open water (line-of-sight to the sea matters more than distance)
Map where you want to preserve a view corridor before deciding on shelter heights Check soil — sandy and free-draining, or a heavier clay pocket? This affects plant choice and mulching strategy
Plant shelter first (Layer 1 and 2) and hold off on softer specimen planting until it's established Budget for losses in the first year — even hardy coastal natives can suffer establishment losses in a bad wind season Mulch new plantings with coarse bark, gravel, or shell to retain moisture and limit salt splash to the root zone Plan irrigation for the establishment period — coastal soils drain fast and dry out quickly.
Want a shelter and planting plan for your actual site? Every coastal section has its own wind lines, view corridors, and salt exposure. If you'd like a planting plan matched specifically to your property, Timbre offers fixed-fee site walkovers and planting plans built around exactly this kind of coastal design work.
hello@timbre.nz | +64 21 769 779 | timbre.nz
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