Finding a space where life and garden intersect.
What’s New in My Garden at Oldmeadow
The Garden in July
July. The exuberance of spring is over, and gardeners are looking at the remains of a pretty good party. But whether your garden looks hungover or not depends on the planting you did in [...]
The Garden in May
May has symbolized rebirth and a definitive end to winter throughout the centuries. It is at once a vigorous month and a calming one, but we must calm our vigorous urges so we might see [...]
The Garden in April
The signs of spring right now are real, but can feel illusory when the wind begins to gust or the sun is covered by a passing cloud. But assuming that the earth has not fundamentally [...]
Oldmeadow
My husband, two children and I had been hunting for a rural way of life for years, and the first few weeks at Oldmeadow felt like a vacation. Reality kicked in a few months later when the furniture was moved, boxes were finally unpacked and we started to realize what Jeanne had told us with a grin at the closing table: “Nature wants it back.”
Gardening in the
Mid-Atlantic?
THIS MONTH’S GARDEN
The Garden in July
July. The exuberance of spring is over, and gardeners are looking at the remains of a pretty good party. But whether your garden looks hungover or not depends on the planting you did in the spring. Let's hope it included some flowering heat survivors such as echinacea, black-eyed susan, liatris, pelargonium, goldenrod, verbascum, daylily, gazania, helianthus, zinnia, teasel, etc...etc..etc... If you've got some foliage backing it all up (weigela, [...]
More Conversations in the Garden …
On Podcasts, Conversation, and My Column with The American Gardener
From Margaret Roach to Niki Jabbour, I’ve been asked to do many podcasts and radio shows over [...]
Tough Plants for Tough Places
Three warrior species are battling for dominance on the hillside outside my kitchen window. It is a [...]
Building Habitat Nests for Wildlife…and For Me
Over the last two winters, I’ve been engaged in a curious pursuit which has baffled some visitors [...]
Where’s Your Book? and Other Difficult Questions
“What’s up with your book?” I’ve fielded this question from many readers lately. If you pre-ordered Tropical [...]
The Bees are Dead, The Goldfish Are Not, and It’s Okay.
It’s the first day of spring and the bees are dead. After a long yesterday assessing the [...]
The Garden in March
Spring or Winter? March is of two minds. I understand completely. Although this month marks a significant [...]
Book Marianne
for Your Next Event
Whether it’s in-person or through the magic of virtual platforms, Marianne has spoken to hundreds of domestic and international audiences.
Her informative, motivational presentations on a wide range of topics both educate and energize gardeners — leaving them with fresh ideas and a fresh perspective to apply to their home gardens.
“Marianne Willburn’s talk was inspirational with practical advice on how to achieve the look you want by honing in on the qualities of what you love about a certain look, and then figuring out how to achieve that vibe while remaining within your budget or smaller space.”
Ruth G. – WNC Gardening Symposium
Flat Rock, NC
BUY BOOKS!
“We need more authors who meet gardeners squarely where they garden. Marianne’s honesty and conversational style don’t undermine her expertise – they enhance it.”
-Melissa A., St. Louis
“This playfully and passionately written book is filled with fresh ideas, not only for enhancing your garden and home with tropical plants, but for helping you adapt your own mindset so you can experience much more enjoyment from this exciting corner of the botanical world.”
―Viveka Neveln, Garden Editor
Better Homes and Gardens
Mungo : Diary of a Garden Dog
Some of Us Can Handle Middle Age
So I was reading over Her shoulder the other night by covertly inserting my small, flexible body onto the back of the couch (Bite it, Nessa), and instead of finding 101 Ways to Be a Better Dog Owner, or What Your Jack Russell Wants, or [...]
I’m Still Her Favorite
I bet you’ve been wondering. Nessa being a girl, and Her being a girl and the Girl being a girl and what with the way that kind all sticks together – Hell, I was wondering too. Top. Dog. But glad to say, I’m [...]
Nessa the Usurper
She got home this week. And if it hadn’t been for this 826-pound, six foot, hairy Muppet sucking up all the attention, I might have enjoyed three beautiful She-free weeks with Him. On the bed. In the bed. On Her pillow now that I think [...]
The Garden in March
Spring or Winter? March is of two minds. I understand completely. Although this month marks a significant change in the weather going forward, that change brings with it many tasks [...]
My Love Hate Relationship With Snow
There are few things more magical than a snowfall, and few terms more overused to describe it. Nonetheless, the cliché communicates the outright miracle of slowing a world that refuses [...]
Top Ten Reasons to Pre-order Tropical Plants and How to Love Them!
Much work, much love and not a few moments of sheer panic have gone into the beautiful book that you now see up on the website and on Instagram and [...]
Garden Resolutions: The Triumph of Hope Over Experience
The symbolic promise of a new year is not enough for me this time around. Normally happy to raise my glass and cheerfully throw out The Old as the clock [...]