Extreme Horticulture

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American photographer John Pfahl has an ongoing fascination with man's complex interaction with nature. This is a photographic survey of gardening at its boldest, most bizarre and most exuberant. Among the plants featured are vast flowers, terrifying sculptural cacti, outlandish topiary and extraordinary these gardens were planned and planted by true eccentrics, with surreal creativity and great humour. Subjects include huge bright orange Japanese maples, Jeff Koons' monumental "Puppy", a giant pumpkin, other-worldly cacti and "The Largest Fig Tree in the United States". Each photograph is accompanied by a detailed caption with information about the quirky gardens, the plants and their strange cultivation. Rebecca Solnit's introduction sets the plants in their historic and cultural context.