[Springlands]

Up to now I have concentrated on growing veggies and winter and summer flowers as well as having lots of shrubs which mainly bloom in the summer.

Has anyone any suggestions of shrubs which would give winter colour but which would survive in our garden which is exposed to salt laden winds especially during the winter. A tall order I know but hopefully someone can make some suggestions. 

[sunshineband]

Dogwood is pretty tough, and comes with either gorgeous red, yellow or lime stems. Lovely where the sun can shine through them too 
 
Winter flowering jasmine, if you have somewhere it can be supported, is evergreen and has very early yellow flowers

Mahonia japonica is tough and stands up to wind -- long yellow racemes of flowers that smell like lily of the valley.

Hope that helps for starters 

[arugula]

Before I read Sunny's reply, I was going to suggest red Dogwood. We have a couple and the bare stems are stunning in the winter sunlight!  I've even caught our summer flowering purple Hebe, flowering at all sorts of times of the year... autumn, spring.....  Its a very attractive evergreen anyway.

[tosca100]

For scented clusters of pink flowers for about seven months of the year you can't beat viburnum. Mine flowered all through last year's awful weather, but you will need to do a bit of research to find out if it will be OK by the sea.

[Springlands]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone - they all sound good. Like the picture Tosca.

[totalnovice]

my pyrocanthus looks fab in winter - boring green leaves but bright red gorgeous berries (not poisonous but really nasty tastying) which the birds love. Beware though it has realy nasty thorns an does jump out and bite if you get too close.

[Goosegirl]

Know all about salt-laden winds..!! I have dogwoods for coloured bark, Robinia (feed it well),  yew, some conifers change colour and I have a small Pinus and a golden Chaemaesyparus (wrong spelling - sorry) which do well, variegated holly, I found mahonias go brown and tattered; pyracantha (as said before), cotoneaster horizontalis or another small type for berries, beech is good for retaining their leaves which go a russet brown.

[Springlands]

Thanks Goosegirl - I already have a cotoneaster horizontalis but I will check out the other suggestions.

Totalnovice - do not have any pyrocanthus so will check that out as well.

Thanks again.

 

[arugula]

Springlands just a heads up, cotoneaster horizontalis wouldn't grow in our salt air laden garden. I know we've disucussed this before but I forgot, we're no more than 100 metres, are you that close? I was disappointed the CH wouldn't grow here as I remember a lovely area of it in the garden of the house I grew up in.

[Springlands]

Hi Argyllie - just a narrow road between us and the sea. When it is very windy the spray washes my windows.    My cotoneaster horizontalis seems to do very well but that is possibly because it is partially sheltered from the sea winds by a dry stone wall. When it is in flower the bees seem to really love it.

[arugula]

That's right! I thought you were even closer then me. Its a great plant, you're lucky to have it growing.

[sion01]

If you like variegated plants euonymus emerald and gold is good and tough as old boots.I love it but my wife hates it,it takes really well from cuttings taken now.Eleagnus too.