Extreme Horticulture by Pfahl, John - 2003

London: Frances Lincoln, 2003. Very well illustrated, large horizontal quarto, pp 144, cloth very slightly worn, in a creased and slightly worn dustwrapper. [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 bonsai: 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.]. First Edition. Cloth. Good/Fair.