With the beach in mind...

I've been asked by students and friends what books are good for inspiration on beachside gardening.

Plants that thrive on the sea are hard to come by. For one thing, you have high winds and a lot of salt in the air. Additionally, since most people are at the beach in the summer, you want to plant something that blooms around that time.

Here are a couple books that I think are good sources for beachside landscape design:

I've never worked at a residential office that practices in the Hamptons and doesn't have Seaside Gardening on the bookshelves. It's a pretty accessible and easy-to-use resource.

If you are working on gardens further south, say in Florida, this Gardens by the Sea: Creating a Tropical Paradise is an economical choice.

And finally, you have good old Taylors: Taylor's Guide to Seashore Gardening: From the Atlantic to the Pacific, the Best Plants to Grow on Every Coast (Taylor's Gardening Guides).

Enjoy the warmer summer weather (if it finally stays here with us!).