Country diary: There's a party vibe on the sand dunes | Phil Gates

The Bents sand dunes, Whitburn, Tyne and Wear: Among the muted, pastel tones of sea rocket and frosted orache, non-native escapees bring some brillianceThis little dune system, raised a few feet above sea level, hugs the promenade along Whitburn beach, tapering away into bare sand where high spring tides lap against the seawall. It's a treasured local wildlife site, the only dune habitat in the borough. Meandering paths, made by walkers, are testament to its popularity. One section is temporarily enclosed in a chestnut paling fence, to allow local rarities such as small-flowered cranesbill to recover from excessive footfall.It's home to signature plants of sand dune communities. There's sea rocket, whose pale mauve flowers produce inflated pods that act as seed lifeboats, carrying them on coastal currents until they make landfall on a strandline. Frosted orache, with grey-green foliage dusted with excreted salt crystals, edges dunes bound together with creeping rhizomes of toffee-coloured sand sedge and carpeted with restharrow's pretty pink and white pea flowers. Muted pastel colours harmonising with sand, sea and sky. Continue reading...