I can see your problems Shelley. I would not dig, I would build up flower beds like in a 'no dig garden'- layers of layers of different plant, manure and compost material with plantings on top. I know it will take lots and lots of products, however, I think it is the most sensible and easiest approach. We are on sand on limestone, drains very well (too well). We are 3K from the beach, it is a very windy site and originally only dwarf wattles and other scrub/dune bushes grew here. Over the last 20 years we have been gardening on this block we have added tonnes of manures and mulches of all sorts. When we moved here we were short of cash, with 3 kids it took much longer. I collected much of the mulching material from pine plantations, neighbours and anywhere I could see free stuff. Now the garden is self sufficient, we trim trees just before winter and shred the whole lot. It produces beautiful compost over winter. I add fish leftovers from local Action store (free) to heat the heap up and add a bit of nitrogen. It works just great. So far the neighbours have not complained that it smells and I do not think it does as I cover the fish part deep in the heap.

Well, happy gardening hope you will find something that will help you. There is a book about coastal plants of Perth:

Rippey, Elizabeth and Rowland, Barbara (1995). Plants of the Parth Coast and Islands. Perth: University of Western Australia Press. You might check it out, some of the plants listed there might be suitable for your area.

I can see your problems Shelley. I would not dig, I would build up flower beds like in a 'no dig garden'- layers of layers of different plant, manure and compost material with plantings on top. I know it will take lots and lots of products, however, I think it is the most sensible and easiest approach. We are on sand on limestone, drains very well (too well). We are 3K from the beach, it is a very windy site and originally only dwarf wattles and other scrub/dune bushes grew here. Over the last 20 years we have been gardening on this block we have added tonnes of manures and mulches of all sorts. When we moved here we were short of cash, with 3 kids it took much longer. I collected much of the mulching material from pine plantations, neighbours and anywhere I could see free stuff. Now the garden is self sufficient, we trim trees just before winter and shred the whole lot. It produces beautiful compost over winter. I add fish leftovers from local Action store (free) to heat the heap up and add a bit of nitrogen. It works just great. So far the neighbours have not complained that it smells and I do not think it does as I cover the fish part deep in the heap.

Well, happy gardening hope you will find something that will help you. There is a book about coastal plants of Perth:

Rippey, Elizabeth and Rowland, Barbara (1995). Plants of the Parth Coast and Islands. Perth: University of Western Australia Press. You might check it out, some of the plants listed there might be suitable for your area.

Thanks very much for that Meg. I spent a lot of time this week adding manure, straw and some orgaic loam, hopefully it will make things easier.Your garden sounds wonderful a place I want to get to.

Thanks for the book recommendation too.

Shelley