Sunset, anyone? Landscape designer Steve Dewald kept this amazing ocean view intact, choosing to frame, not obstruct, the horizon line.

“When it comes to amazing scenery, you can’t compete with the North Shore,” says landscape designer Steve Dewald, of Steve's Gardening Service. But when it comes to landscaping, you can’t compete with Mother Nature, either. Here, 30-foot winter swells bring whipping wind and some serious salt air. “That burns a lot of leaves and foliage,” says Dewald.

What to do?

The view from the backyard draws the eye straight to the ocean. A mix of salt-tolerant and more delicate plants embellish the walkway.

“Anytime you’re planting by the ocean, be smart and plant what works in the environment,” he says. For this space, Dewald incorporated hardy, protective plants that could withstand the elements without overpowering the vista.

When Dewald began the project, there were already a few workable elements in place. Two large sea grape trees framed the backyard ocean view and cast plenty of cool shade. “They were already climatized, and they actually do afford really good protection,” he says. The east side of the property was lined with panax trees as well. “It’s where most of the wind comes from,” says Dewald. “So those two things created a semi-natural barrier to begin with.”

Adding more ground cover, Dewald chose El Toro zoysia grass. “It has a very high salt tolerance,” he explains. “Then, we added more beach-type plantings—spider lilies, wax ficus and akia,” he continues. “They are all salt-tolerant plants.”

On the west-facing  side of the home, which catches the least amount of sunlight and wind, Dewald made a few riskier choices. “Some of the plants don’t really thrive by the beach, but we planted them in such a manner that they’d be sheltered,” he says.

Dewald designed a layered plan to help shield the plants. Against the barrier fence, he planted rafus palms. “They aren’t super salt-tolerant, but we’ve got them in the shade,” Dewald explains.
“They’re semi-protected there and also thick enough to create a wind barrier for the more delicate things further in.” A funky, three-stemmed monstera grows right up the middle of the fence, adding both character and more protection. Song of India and additional monstera surround the smaller, more delicate anthurium and spatha phylum. Though the mix is eclectic, the end result looks great. 

And what about that view? Dewald didn’t let anything get in the way. “We tried to accentuate the big trees and just do some underplanting there, in order to let the lawn carry your eye out to the ocean.”

He continues, “A lot of times you’re better off accentuating the existing rather than competing with it. It’s an unobstructed ocean view. Keep it simple. Let it be.”