Balloon flower - Platycodon grandiflorum

In his articles and in best-selling books such as The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan has established himself as one of our most important and beloved writers on modern man's place in the natural world. A new literary classic, Second Nature has become a manifesto not just for gardeners but for environmentalists everywhere. Chosen by the American Horticultural Society as one of the seventy-five greatest books ever written about gardening, Second Nature captures the rhythms of our everyday engagement with the outdoors in all its glory and exasperation. With chapters ranging from a reconsideration of the Great American Lawn, a dispatch from one man's war with a woodchuck, to an essay about the sexual politics of roses, Pollan has created a passionate and eloquent argument for reconceiving our relationship with nature.

Perennial Combinations features plant medleys that bring color, texture, and excitement to the garden in every season. The book features 130 of the best pernnial combinations with photographs of each grouping, along with a numbered photo key and plant list. Each grouping features just two to six plants; gardeners can plant the combinations as they appear for small garden spaces or they can repeat or mix the combinations for large beds and landscapes.

Available for the first time in paperback, with a new chapter of plant combinations featuring today's big, dramatic perennials, backyard gardeners will find the best choices to accent wide open spaces, marry slopes and high foundations, and make an impact on the landscape with impressive and showy plants. From tall plumes to bold foliage, many of these plant combinations create a living privacy screen and offer a bounty of bloom for those looking to make an "architectural" statement in their perennial beds. Plant cultivar names have been updated throughout the book so gardeners can choose perennials that are readily available at local nurseries.