In this book, Pamela Harper takes us on a walk through thirty years of gardening in good conditions and bad; season by season, she unsentimentally describes the plants that did not live up to expectations, as well as those that exceeded all hopes. Above all, she focuses her attentions on those trees, shrubs, and perennials that have earned her trust and affection for a decade or more - plants that have stood the test of time. This is a photographed book, whose images document the charms of its time-tested plants. With only two exceptions, the 250 photographs are taken directly from the author's garden, adding to the book's value as a case study in plantsmanship.