Owning a yard near the beach has its perks—until you try to grow something. Between the salty air, relentless wind, and soil that’s mostly sand, traditional landscaping feels like an uphill battle.

Grass struggles to take root, mulch disappears with the breeze, and anything you plant has to be tough enough to survive shifting ground. Raking feels pointless when the next gust of wind erases your effort, and before you know it, your yard looks more like a dune than a lawn.

The best approach? Embrace the coastal elements. Opt for hardy native plants, decorative gravel, and wind-resistant shrubs. Or just set up some beach chairs, call it a natural oasis, and let the sand win.