1st and 2nd Line Coast

The making of plant lists for these situations is trickier than I thought. Where does 1st line coast begin and end? The Australian Plant Society has decided that the sea front is 1st line coast. This could be a distance of 50-100 metres from the water. Plants that can be grown need to have tolerance to salt laden winds and salt soil. More tender plants could be planted  with the protection of wind break plantings which are tolerant of 1st line coast conditions.

The second street back from the coast is the beginning of 2nd line coastal plantings. The further back from the coast the garden is, the plants can be less tolerant of the salt laden winds, especially with good protection from wind breaks or other barriers.

In some instances, the nature of the soil will also determine the plantings. For example, the soil could be rocky and gravelly, or pure sand dune sand.