Gardens here
Prom-fronted seaside town, mix of 1930s bungalows, modern flats and rebuild villas. Significant salt exposure throughout; wind off the Solent is the dominant garden condition. Gardens face directly onto the sea on the seafront, more sheltered behind.
Soil is generally light and free-draining over gravel beds — good for many plants but unforgiving of poorly-prepared turf.
Working the area
Twenty to twenty-five minutes from the studio. We're familiar with the coastal conditions across the Solent coast — same specification logic applies from Hill Head through Lee, Stubbington and the Gosport peninsula.
Material decisions
Vitrified porcelain rather than softer stone — sandstone weathers fast on a directly-exposed aspect. Marine-grade stainless throughout. Salt-tolerant planting palettes (Eryngium, Crambe, Stipa, Echium, Crocosmia, lavender, rosemary, sea holly). Hardwood structures over softwoods on exposed aspects. Lighting protected to IP65 minimum.
In practice
The studio archive doesn't yet feature a Lee-on-the-Solent project. The coastal-adjacent work in Garden composition, Warsash 2025 is the closest reference build for studio approach in coastal conditions.
Discuss a Lee-on-the-Solent brief