Seaside Gardening

Rating:
Summary: An excellent book
Review: A great book on seaside gardening. I strongly recommend it

Rating:
Summary: Not for West Coast
Review: Altho this book has lovely photographcs, I never got into the text due to the fact that it focuses entirely on NorthEast Coast gardening and is of no use to coastal gardeners any where else. I should have paid attention to the pub synopsis. The pics are entirely of East Coast gardens and do not relate AT ALL to the more rustic coastal areas of the West. Just a warning that this book is only for those wanting to use it to garden in the East Coast area...I didn't know & incurred the cost to send the book back.Hence, only two stars.

Rating:
Summary: Gorgeous design and practical advice
Review: Showcasing the gorgeous gardens of Long Island and the rocky coast of central Maine, the book's 120 color photographs show how experienced gardeners have created beautiful designs working with rocky or sandy terrain, harsh sun and wind, salt air and the ever-present danger of devastating storms.

The first half of the book is devoted to design, including "The Water's Edge," "Seaside Landscapes," "Seaside Color," "Pools and Ponds," "Porches, Patios and Decks," "Paths, Fences and Trellises." Informative photo captions identify the plants, giving practical and/or design reason for choices, together with some idea of what the garden will look like at other times of the year.

There are gardens that frame views, give privacy, obscure the intrusive edges of swimming pools. Borders combine perennials, annuals and grasses; windbreaks offer beauty as well as shelter.

Among the Maine gardens pictured is the Thuya garden at Asticou Terraces in Northeast Harbor, a semi-formal herbaceous perennial garden in the style of Gertrude Jekyll which today is a 200-acre park open to the public. Mrs. Thomas Hall's garden in Northeast Harbor on Mt. Desert Island features woodland paths down to the water's edge and an Asian style garden amid outcroppings of rock. There's a lily pond from Bar Harbor and a vegetable garden overlooking the sea at West Point.

The second half of the book includes advice for various seaside terrains and weather conditions, including soil augmentation, pest control, mulching and overwintering and, of course, plant choices. James offers an extensive plant encyclopedic (with some illustrations) for annuals, bulbs, perennials, groundcovers, vines, roses and trees, including concise information about soil and sun requirements.