The top five plants for autumn

Phormium, rubus cockburnian: Not so popular now but there is a place for these striking, architectural plants in many gardens.

When looking for suitable plants for a garden and in particular, in a challenging site such as a coastal situation, one of the first things to do is to look at the surrounding landscape and at plants growing in nearby gardens. 

These will give a good indication of what tolerates the local conditions and challenges, be they exposure to wind, water table, soil type or environmental factors such as pollution.