Beach garden in a pot

Create a coastal feeling anywhere with a miniature sandy scene. Here's our simple step-by-step
Kathleen N. Brenzel

If you yearn for the beach but live miles inland, you can re-create the look easily in a pot.

What you’ll need:

  • Low, wide pot or bowl, approximately 14 inches in diameter
  • Potting soil
  • Three small, slow-growing plants in 4-inch nursery pots
  • Horticultural-grade washed sand (a 1-qt. bag is enough for a 14-inch pot)
  • Small pieces of driftwood or other found objects

Step 1: Partially fill bowl with potting soil.

Step 2: Set the plants (still in their nursery containers) atop the soil, adjusting their position as needed until you’re happy with the arrangement.

Step 3: Knock the plants out of their pots, gently tease apart any coiled roots, and plant; fill in around them with more potting soil up to within an inch or two of the pot rim. Tamp the soil to firm it; water to thoroughly moisten.

Step 4: Carefully pour a mulch of washed sand atop the soil. Finish with a piece of driftwood or other beachy treasures.

Step 5: Set the pot on a sunny patio (light afternoon shade in hot inland areas). Irrigate once a week or so using a gentle stream of water from the hose or a watering can with a narrow spout. 

Gardening at the beach: Nine seaside stars