Elliott, an American who works in London and gardens in Wales, has written a charming set of essays about gardens, plants, plant hunters, and exotica.  An enormous fund of knowledge, a clear and humorous style of writing, and a fascinating choice of topics from Meriwether Lewis to earthworms, from stretch gardening (living in Boston, gardening in the Berkshires) to the relative merits of various manures (and guano!), Elliott has written an entertaining book, just perfect for curling up in the Adirondack chair in front of the new perennial bed.