The Top 10 Plants for Seaside Gardens

This vibrant flower adds an unexpected touch of the tropics to Northern gardens. When winter arrives, pots can be tended as houseplants indoors in a sunny spot.

Allium's includes purple and sky-blue varieties, as well as chives. Because their scent is oniony rather than floral, they repel animals. Good drainage is important.

This flower attracts butterflies with its licorice scent and violet hue. The 3- to 5-foot-tall, drought-tolerant trouper thrives in full sun or partial shade in well-drained soil.

Belying its delicate appearance, Bleeding Heart holds up well in winter. Plants prefer sunlight to partial shade and can be cut back midsummer, after foliage fades.

Technically a tender perennial, Flowering tobacco can be grown almost anywhere as an annual. It lends grace and fragrance to beds and borders all summer.

Snip off blossoms before they mature to keep this prolific self-sower in check. Afternoon shade will help prevent leaf scorch.

They self-sow reliably wherever the sun is ample and the drainage is good. Seeds dormant in the soil can re-emerge unexpectedly years later.

Russian Sage stands tall—up to 4 feet. The lilac-blue sun worshipper, neither Russian nor sage but instead a Himalayan mint, yields four months of flowering.

If deadheaded faithfully, these flowers will bloom May through October. Divide it every three years and share the wealth with friends.

When knitting a garden to the uncultivated landscape, Ornamental Grasses are useful. They dance in the breeze, lending extra dimension. Full sun required.