Hey Elisa ! Great project there you're participating in ! There are projects like that on our coasts too. There's one I'm familiar with and much bermuda grass has been planted. I can provide with that, I've got quite a lot in my garden, but then so has Tox and I guess he won't mind sharing ;-) The bermuda is growing right there in the sand, sometimes in a mat of dead algae full of salt, no much rain and when there is it is a lot, and this grass is doing a good job rebuilding the dunes. There's also a nice bush that is used which is sea buckthorn, or scientific name hippophae ramnoides. It's a real nice bush with orange fruits in winter, and it grows in sand and doesn't mind salt. On top of that sea buckthorn fixes nitrogen like legumes so it helps the grass underneath. If you're the one with the cash then you can choose to hold the dune and feed the birds with nice bushes ! Only downside of sea buckthorn is that it is a dioecious bush, you need males and females to get fruits, and I think it must be watered the first year it is planted so as to settle properly in the sand. As for building houses where they're going to be washed away or flooded... not really dumbness, but rather greed ;-)Those nice views of the sea from the windows are worth millions aren't they, until it's the underworld and the fish one can see from the windows !

Camellia are noted to have a low salt tolerance, both aerosol and soil borne. I would never recommend them for a dune-al planting, or ocean front situations. I have seen them do reasonably well in protected locations away from salt laden winds, however. Are you looking for an flowering evergreen with salt tolerance, or do you have your heart set on Camellia?

They are short-lived plants. Mine usually last about one year--from germination to death. This is to say, the seeds sprout--by the hundreds--in January or Feb. Around April or may they start filling out the bed. By mid summer they're ready to take over. By the time the temps go down in Nov. they're looking a bit ratty and by Dec. or Jan. it's time to pull 'em. Maybe others can make them last longer. I haven't been able to. This schedule will probably be different in different zones. There are two types of this plant. One is low and sprawling and the other is somewhat higher and sprawling. You can trim them and keep them neater than they would be otherwise, but they are aggressive sprawling plants that reseed all over the place. The humidity never hurts mine. In fact they like it, but 15 or 20 inches of rain like we've had lately can set them back and even kill them. Bill

ZKathy, it is interesting that you can "sleeve" your Nefertiri and the rain or other water will drain out the bottom. Now that is truly sandy! In my place, nothing even close to sand. We have almost a rich heavy loam with a tad more clay than I'm used to. I've always had a fertile well draining soil before. But this little cottage of ours sits on the highest point around the neighborhood, at 22 feet above sea level. What keeps it higher than the spots down on the river is the presence of a clay mound. Yep, only place I've lived in Mobile that is not a nicely acidic soil, we have to balance the pH for my shrubs even the azaleas and camellias. No problem with the hosta, since they are primarily potted. If I put a pot w/in a pot like you are showing, it would take 90 forevers to drain. I appreciate seeing how you did it. Now I understand how it is supposed to work.