Why bulbs suit a seaside garden

Coastal plots have a reputation for being difficult, but bulbs quietly thrive in them. In a rounded bulb, a plant stores next spring's energy underground, protected from salt-laden wind and the salt spray that scorches tender leaves. What bulbs cannot abide is sitting wet through winter — and that is exactly the problem most coastal gardens don't have. Free-draining sandy or gravelly soil, mild winters and a long, bright growing season are close to ideal.

The catch is the flip side of that drainage. Sand dries out fast in April and May, just as leaves are fattening the bulb for next year, and salty gales can shred early foliage. Choose bulbs that evolved on cliffs and mountains, plant them generously and deeply, and the same conditions that defeat so many herbaceous perennials will give you a spring display that returns stronger each year.

Daffodils: the backbone of a coastal spring

Narcissus are the most dependable bulb for exposed gardens. They tolerate wind, resent being waterlogged far more than they resent drying out, and their bitter sap deters deer, rabbits and most rodents. They also naturalise beautifully in rough grass, which suits a garden with a wilder edge.

• 'Tête-à-Tête' — short, wind-resistant and brilliant in pots or narrow gaps between paving.
• 'Thalia' and 'Actaea' — scented whites that shrug off weather and look wonderful in grass.
• 'Ice Follies' — larger and sturdy, good for a bold early splash.
• Narcissus pseudonarcissus — the native lent lily, perfect for a meadow patch you mow only in July.

Plant from September to November, setting each bulb about three times its own depth — roughly 12cm for big daffodils, 8cm for small ones — and 10–15cm apart in grass. In very sandy ground, drop a handful of leafmould or garden compost into the planting hole so there is something to hold moisture in spring.

Snowdrops and alliums

Snowdrops (galanthus) enjoy the same free drainage but dislike baking in summer, so they are happiest at the foot of a hedge or beneath deciduous shrubs, where the soil stays cool. Dry bulbs bought in autumn work, but planting "in the green" in late winter or early spring, as lifted clumps, establishes far more reliably. Set them 8–10cm deep and mulch with leafmould. Lift and divide congested clumps every few years when flowering starts to thin.

Alliums take over where the daffodils finish. Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation', the drumstick Allium sphaerocephalon and Allium cristophii all adore sharp drainage and full sun, sending up globes on bare stems in late spring and early summer. Plant them 10–15cm deep and 15–20cm apart in a gravel border or raised bed, and leave the seedheads standing — they hold frost beautifully and feed the birds.

Where to plant for naturalising

The rule is simple: bulbs need sun on their leaves while they grow, then drier conditions as they go dormant. Good spots include a south-facing slope, a gravel bed, a raised planter, the warm foot of a wall, and rough grass beneath deciduous trees that leaf out late.

• Avoid wet hollows, heavy north-facing clay, dense evergreen shade and any bed that is irrigated through summer — the bulbs will rot or simply fade away.
• Mark your plantings with small stakes or a scatter of grit, so you don't spear them with a fork in autumn.
• Work in groups. Drifts of twenty or more bulbs shelter one another, look natural and are far more resilient to wind than single specimens.
• Use a bulb planter or lift a turf flap in grass, backfill, firm gently and water once.

Wind, salt and hungry wildlife

On exposed sites, plant tall daffodils and alliums in the lee of a hedge, wall or windbreak of hardy shrubs rather than on the seaward side, where the full force of the gale arrives. A shelter belt filters salt and takes the sting out of the wind for everything behind it. If you garden right on the front, stick to shorter varieties and plant them deeper than usual for extra anchorage.

Squirrels and mice dig up tulips and crocus, but they generally leave daffodils and alliums alone — the taste is unpleasant. If digging is a nuisance, plant deeper, lay a sheet of chicken wire just below the surface over the planted area, or tuck bulbs among established plants where the soil is already riddled with roots.

Feeding, tidying and letting them return

Spring bulbs are not greedy, but a little help pays off. Give them a potassium-rich liquid feed as the leaves emerge and again a fortnight after flowering, watering it onto the foliage as well as the soil. Deadhead the flowers so energy goes into the bulb rather than seed, but never cut or tie the leaves. Leave them for six weeks after the last bloom, until they yellow and collapse, then mow or tidy. In rough grass, hold off the mower until July.

Lift and split crowded daffodil clumps in summer, when the foliage has died back and the bulbs are dormant, replanting the fattest ones. Refresh the surface with leafmould or compost each autumn, keeping it clear of the bulbs themselves. Do that, and each spring will come back a little thicker, a little brighter, and completely at home beside the sea.