Seaside Gardening [Hardcover]

Theodore James (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1995

Those who garden near the sea have learned much about their passion's unique challenges-and rewards-in the successful Seaside Gardening. This new, updated edition shows astonishingly beautiful spaces in a range of shoreline settings, including ocean dunes, rocky coasts, and wetlands. In addition to including 65 new photographs, this edition features a completely revamped and expanded Plant Encyclopedic, with a new section on tropical plants and tender perennials. The book's lush photographs of seaside oases from the New Jersey shore to Long Island to Maine offer gardeners ideas for using color; fashioning landscapes; creating patio and deck gardens; and constructing ponds, paths, and trellises. And a Practical Guide, comprising up-to-date information about sandy soil, salt water, deer, and other seaside predicaments, makes this a complete resource for anyone who gardens in this demanding environment.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

More than a handsome coffee-table book, this latest collaboration from James and Haralambou (Specialty Gardens) offers solid advice, especially for beginners. Lush photographs treat readers to some of the most breathtaking gardens along the Eastern Seaboard as James's detailed captions segue into basics on planning, propagating and planting. Drawing on years of experience gardening on Long Island, James is quite frank about the book's limited focus: the region stretching between southern Canada and North Carolina. Even so, gardeners plying their craft on either coast will find much of interest here. Numerous oceanside challenges are addressed, from erosion control to amending sandy soil; James includes a select but proven list of plants that will thrive under maritime conditions. Both inspiring and instructive, the book offers itself as a perfect gift for those hosts and hostesses generous enough to share their summer retreats on the shore. Garden Book Club alternate.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Coastal gardens of the Northeast are imbued with an undeniable magic. Bathed in evocative, virtually iridescent light and invigorated by the sea air, the gardens selected for inclusion--from Maine harbor locales to scenic Long Island villages--are blessed with a balmier climate than those in many other areas of the U.S. They also have their share of obstacles to overcome. At first glance, the wonderful photographs of the sublime landscapes simply captivate. But this is actually a practical guide as well. The notable gardens pictured provide useful design ideas, and James' friendly yet authoritative voice offers sound advice on how to deal with the salty, gusting winds and sandy soil. A list of drought-tolerant and native plants especially suited to seaside settings concludes. Alice Joyce

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (February 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810944510
• ISBN-13: 978-0810944510
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,503,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for West Coast, May 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Seaside Gardening (Hardcover)

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.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous design and practical advice, November 5, 2003

By 

Lynn Harnett (Marathon, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Seaside Gardening (Hardcover)

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.

5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly the way I want a seaside property to look., June 29, 2008

By 

lazy gardener (Long Island N.Y.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seaside Gardening (Hardcover)

This lushly illustrated book almost doesn't require copy. Full of perfect, appropriately informal and mostly easy maintenance seaside designs, this book is a standout. One tip, don't loan it out - it'll never come back! You'll return to it again and again, always finding a charming, practical solution to the challenges of a seaside climate.