Search for hardy plants/shrubs for a front garden

Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom

Hi
We need hardy plants/shrubs for a front garden, so
would anyone be able to recommend anything suitable? Area is quite big (nearly 9 meters long & split in to 2 sections and width of the flower bed is rougly 90cm/3ft). Shrubs/plants would need to survive in a direct and hot sun (that is when the sun is out which hasn't happened this summer so far :) !) and in the winter in rain and wind. We live in the North East and are very close to the sea so weather can be temperamental and often very windy. Soil is ok although hasn't been changed or fertilised since we moved to this new build house nearly 6 years ago. We just pulled out existing bushes planted by the building company and now would like to get something sorted quite soon. We would like evergreen with some colour or flowers. Would Hebe Autum Glory type of shrub be suitable or is there anything else anyone you could recommend? Combinations of different types of plants we could use?
Thank you so much!

9 Jul, 2012

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Answers

Ojibway93

Hebes are said to tolerate salty air well, so those should be good. Others here will have many more suggestions .......

9 Jul, 2012

Seaburngirl

my brother gardens 500m from the high tide point and he has acuba, skimmia a range of hebes, [the smaller leafed ones do better than the large leafed ones]. in the past he has grown lilac, philadelphus, fuchsia, roses, forsythia and ribes all successfully.

10 Jul, 2012

Kildermorie

You should be able to grow most things as long as it is sheltered from prevailing winds. If your garden is SW facing then you are looking at smaller leaved evergreen shrubs. If the house or a wall shelters the garden then that opens up options.

10 Jul, 2012

Inverglen

Following on from Kildermorie's suggestion if you scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on E and then on the menu Evergreen Shrubs there are loads of possibles there to choose from.

10 Jul, 2012

Steragram

Hydrangeas usually do well at the seaside, but they aren't evergreen. Long lasting flowers though. Its often good idea to have a walk round the neighbourhood and see what grows well in other gardens.

10 Jul, 2012

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