Two of the biggest names in contemporary garden design team up to explain their innovative ideas about garden design. The central focus of the book is an examination of the general principles behind creating successful and beautiful plant combinations in both time and space - working with perennials in the context of trees, shrubs, and the surrounding landscape. The authors suggest looking across, into, and through the landscape. They ask the reader to consider the rhythms and connections in their designs, through such elements as echoes, linkages, and repetitions. More than just theory, "Planting Design" includes practical discussion of topics such as soil preparation, plant selection, and garden maintenance. Exceptional illustrations use superimposed garden images to show growth of a designed landscape over time, opening the gardener to new ways of seeing and thinking about their landscapes.