Landscape Architect Edmund Hollander’s New Book, The Good Garden, Celebrates the Quintessence of Summertime

Large or small, a pool under the sun is the quintessence of summertime in the Hamptons. In his new book, The Good Garden (Monacelli), Manhattan- and Hamptons-based landscape architect Edmund Hollander has gathered some of the memorable pools and adjoining gardens he and his firm have created during the past several decades. From an infinity-edge masterpiece with a glass wall overlooking the ocean to a simple in-ground pool, Hollander stresses “understanding the human, natural, and architectural ecology of a site,” he says. “Designing with that kind of knowledge is crucial to creating the best pool for a client.” As for new technologies and trends, “Saltwater pools are the industry’s biggest improvement. No more chlorine, and with the same salinity as your tears—they take you back to being in the womb. It’s like swimming in silk!” Hollander’s favorite pool in the world? His own, at his Sag Harbor cottage.

A version of this article appeared in the June 2015 issue of Hamptons Cottages & Gardens with the headline: Cool Pools.