Get a gander at those 'Hamptons Gardens'

Could there be a better canvas for green thumbs than the East End of Long Island? After all, the Hamptons possess the essential trifecta of real estate, money and scenic natural beauty. (An abundance of good taste doesn't hurt, either.) "You cannot throw a trowel without hitting an accomplished gardener or designer, or without it landing in an amazing garden," writes Jack deLashmet in his new coffee-table book, "Hamptons Gardens" (Assouline, $150), with photographs by Mary Ellen Bartley and Doug Young (a Newsday contributor). DeLashmet, a landscape architect, celebrates the varied man-made landscapes that grace private estates such as the Slifka Beach House in Sagaponack, Calf Creek in Water Mill and, of course, Grey Gardens in East Hampton. Some are classical and manicured; others wild and romantic, or austere and Asian-inspired. Leafing through the pages of this lavish tome is the next best thing to a stroll through one of these real-world Edens.