Shingle / Beach

It’s easy to think of shingle gardens as being by the sea, but not all shingle gardens are coastal. Sometimes the smooth and rounded stones of the shingle may have been created not by the action of the sea but by a river. However it has been formed, the shingle banks will have their own microclimate. A garden made here will need to cope with dry and very free draining conditions plus large temperature fluctuations as the sun heats the stones during the day, with this being rapidly lost overnight. There tends to be little soil, and the loose packed stones can be unstable, but of course, there are plants that have adapted to these conditions, and their roots will find their own way amongst the shingle. For the gardener, it’s sensible to give your cherished new plant a head start, so dig and scrabble a hole in the shingle, and add some compost to the planting hole. This is an occasion to pay particular attention to the root ball and to be very sure that it is thoroughly watered before planting. Water your plants for a while afterwards, but they will adapt and thrive.