Going native is key to vibrant, thriving coastal and waterfront gardens

Those privileged enough to live in coastal areas and waterfronts often accentuate their homes with flourishing gardens.

But not all plants can handle the briny sea breezes, prodigious fog and regional soils. Native gardens, gardens planted with flora indigenous to the area, beautify a coastal garden in a sustainable way.

“For coastal and waterfront gardens, you need plantings that can stand up to the salty sea air,” said Ive Haugeland of Sausalito’s Shades of Green Landscape Architecture,

These flowers, shrubs and trees can attract pollinators while beautifying their surroundings.

Plants who naturally call the landscape home are more likely to establish quickly and be hardy and healthy, according to the American Society of Landscape Architects.

They can enjoy deep root systems which help prevent water run-off and they play a role in the larger ecosystem.

Expect more birds, butterflies and bees in gardens with native plantings, along with life forms you can’t see with the naked eye. Microscopic organisms in the soil contribute to the garden’s symbiotic relationship with nature.

California is no stranger to drought and water shortages, and native plantings can require less hydration to survive.

Hate mowing the lawn? Replace it with an arrangement of drought-tolerant, native plantings. Not only will you decrease carbon emissions by not running the mower, bu native plants can pull and store excess carbon from the air.

Something is always blooming in a native garden. While some plants may be dormant during winter or summer months, others bask in the season and delight the eye with a variety of colors, heights and textures.

Haugeland suggested filling your coastal or waterfront garden with the following native plantings.

•Leymus condensatus: ‘Canyon...