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Articles by Marta McDowell
Beatrix Potter’s Botanical: The Art of Flowers and Fungi
. Oct. 2026. 304p. ISBN 9781643264851. $30. GARDENING COPY ISBN McDowell’s ( Gardening Can Be Murder) love and respect for Beatrix Potter as an artist, mycologist, botanist, and beloved children’s author comes through every page of this remarkable compilation of botanical drawings. McDowell explains how botanicals factor into larger stories about Potter’s life. Organized alphabetically, from apples to water lilies, the botanical drawings are exceptional in their own right.
Grow This, Not That
Here’s your weekly Hort Report - the round-up of industry news, retail insights, home gardener gossip, influencer spotlights, social media news, and so much more. Grab a warm drink, and catch up on the latest below… NEWS FLASH A breakthrough by scientists at the John Innes Centre could help save Britain’s Ash trees from the devastating Ash Dieback disease, which has already killed millions of trees across the UK.
Gardening Can Be Murder
Gardening Can Be Murder By Marta McDowell Author and plant mom Marta McDowell offers gardeners and mystery lovers an informative and fascinating look at the influence of gardening on the mystery genre. Settings, motive, and modus operandi — gardens are a tried-and-true mystery motif. Perfect for the green thumb or mystery fan in your life. Miranda, R.J. Julia Booksellers, Madison
From Gunpowder to Greenery
As soon as he arrived in the Brandywine Creek valley of Delaware in the early nineteenth century, Éleuthère Irénée du Pont saw the need for a garden on the property he would call Eleutherian Mills. He built a gunpowder manufactory along the banks of the creek, and the family house on the slopes far above. He could picture a garden, productive and rich, stretching in front of the site of that new home.
An Appreciation of Gardening Detectives
Gardening detectives, both professional and amateur, abound in crime fiction and they appeared early on. Wilkie Collins introduced the first horticulturally inclined investigator in The Moonstone. The serialized story first appeared in the United Kingdom in January 1868 in Charles Dickens’s periodical All the Year Round and simultaneously in Harper’s Weekly in the United States. That summer, it also appeared as a “triple-decker,” a three-volume set published by Tinsley Brothers in London.
Frances Hodgson Burnett Really Loved Gardens-Even Secret Ones
In 1904, Burnett interrupted an interviewer. “Can’t we talk about gardens?” she asked. “I love them.” Then she predicted, “I’m going to write a garden book someday.” It took her twenty years to fulfill her pledge, and she did not live to see it in print. She had gotten an assignment from The Country Gentleman, a popular magazine, for a series of six gardening essays called “Gardening for Everybody.” She began as her health was failing.
Unearthing The Secret Garden
“Blooming with photos, illustrations, and botanical paintings, McDowell’s gorgeous book opens an ivy-covered door to new information about one of the world’s most famous authors.”—Angelica Shirley Carpenter, editor of In the Garden New York Times bestselling author Marta McDowell has revealed the way that plants have stirred some of our most cherished authors, including Beatrix Potter, Emily Dickinson, and Laura Ingalls Wilder.
10 North American Homes That Are Fabulously on the Water
Did Sleepless in Seattle stir romantic thoughts about living in a floating house like the one Tom Hanks shares with his lovable matchmaking son? It was my first introduction to the on-the-water lifestyle, and the idea has fascinated me ever since. Whether it’s a float house like the one Hanks’ character lives in, a houseboat, a converted barge or a trawler, the thought of watching from the sofa as the wildlife swims or flies by, water just beneath my feet, is dreamy.
Two new books every gardener (or gardener wannabe) should have this holiday
Here are two last-minute gift suggestions for gardeners or for anyone that wishes they had a garden. This year more than ever we need to grow together and staying home has reminded many of us of the importance of finding the simple joys in life. A warm drink, soft blanket and good book may not replace a holiday party but if you use this winter to educate yourself and learn new skills, then the spring celebration, when we break free of our confinement, will be that much more festive.
Book Reviews
“OKAY OKAY Holy Sh*t Vietnam” By Fred Krebsbach The Write Place 190 pages The platoon to which Fred Krebsbach was assigned had just returned to base — mud-caked and foul-smelling — for a few days of “stand down.” Only hours later, however, they were sent back out as much-needed replacements to an area of heavy fighting. After finding reasonable cover, they set out the requisite claymore mines. Then they heard it — a strange, rushing sound so loud it mimicked the noise of a freight train.
Madam C.J. Walker and Her Villa Get the Hollywood Treatment
Oscar winner Octavia Spencer and Netflix will bring the story of the trailblazing African American entrepreneur to life Gwendolyn Purdom26 minutes ago Lover of architecture, history, dogs, the Chicago Cubs, crowded bookshelves, and homes with a story. Former editor at Preservation mag and Culturess.com. More When America’s first self-made female millionaire, Madam C.J. Walker, built her sprawling New York estate on the banks of the Hudson River in 1918, she wanted it to be seen.
How to Prune Your Fruit Trees in Winter
Garden chores may slow down this season, but pruning your fruit trees now means healthier plants that will produce more Noelle Johnson44 minutes ago Houzz Contributor. Horticulturist, freelance writer and Certified Arborist who loves living and gardening in the desert Southwest. She loves creating gardens that are beautiful, yet low-maintenance. Vegetable gardening are her newest passion. Her motto is, "Gardening in the desert isn't hard...it's just different".
Library News
Back in 1921, T.S. Eliot wrote in “The Wastelands” that “April is the cruelest month.” I would beg to differ. I believe that the last few days of October 2019 have a better claim to that title.
How to Plant a Garden Like Emily Dickinson’s
Every garden is anchored. It is tied to place—the lay of the land, the composition of the soil. At The Homestead and The Evergreens—the two homes that now comprise the Emily Dickinson Museum—they worked sandy loam, a soil formed over eons from the granite that seems to define the New England character. The swales and ridges of the properties whisper of ancient times, echoes of the last glaciation.
During National Book Month, Tour American Writers’ Homes
Houzz has explored a number of prominent American writers’ homes over the years, in features and on home tour road trip itineraries. And there’s no better time to round them up than October, which is National Book Month. So whether you’ll be nearby and can visit in person or you’d like to enjoy some virtual tours, take a look here and click on the links to learn more about these historic sites. They may inspire you to revisit a classic novel or favorite poem this month.
Timber Press - Workman Publishing
About Timber Press Timber Press is devoted to sharing the wonders of the natural world by publishing books from experts in the fields of gardening, horticulture, and natural history. Founded in 1978, Timber Press is internationally recognized as the leading gardening publisher. Its books and authors have received awards from the American Horticultural Society, the Garden Writers of America, the Garden Media Guild, and the National Garden Club of America.
'The Presidents’ Gardens' coming to Madison Library on Tuesday, Jan. 15
MADISON - New York Times bestselling author Marta McDowell is set to visit the Madison Public Library at 39 Keep St. at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15, to talk about the White House gardens. Patrons can learn about the history of the gardens, the presidents, first ladies and the gardeners who were involved in the changing face of the gardens throughout the years. McDowell’s recent book, "All the Presidents’ Gardens," is the basis for the presentation. This is a free program.
Deep Below Rockefeller Center Lies a Legendary Botanical Garden
Naturalists across the Atlantic considered Hosack a peer. Jefferson sent him seeds. An innovative medical practitioner, he was the friend and doctor Hamilton and Burr had in attendance on that July morning along the Weehawken cliffs for their ill-starred duel. Did Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” leave you with an appetite for more? “American Eden” will not disappoint. Tireless and gregarious, Hosack was a part of that productive generation of the first years of the new Republic.
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House in the Ozarks
The farmhouse at Rocky Ridge Farm in Mansfield, Missouri, circa 1915 House at a Glance Who lived here: Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder built this home on their property, Rocky Ridge Farm. Location: Mansfield, Missouri Year completed: 1913, with some remodeling and improvements in the late 1920s That’s interesting: Laura Ingalls was born in western Wisconsin 150 years ago, in a log cabin sheltered by two mature oak trees.
The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder
When I decided to write about Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House books, I didn’t mean to write about my father. Or mother, grandfather, or any other family member for that matter. Certainly not about myself. That I did has something to do with Wilder and her work. There are lots of Lauras. Your Laura might a composite of your own creation, a blend of images projected into your brain as you read her novels.
Sweet Potatoes and Pioneers
“Johnny fussed in the bedroom, and Laura quickly pinned her braids, tied on her apron, and said, ‘Let me fix the potatoes while you dress him.'” When you think of Little House on the Prairie, you may think of the covered wagon journey, Jack the brindle Bulldog’s loss and return, log cabin construction or fever ‘n’ ague. I think about potatoes. In a land that first appeared empty, the prairie bestiary in Indian Territory was so rich that Charles Ingalls saw a land of plenty.
Laura Ingalls Wilder the Naturalist
“Rabbits stood up with paws dangling, long ears twitching, and their round eyes staring at Mary and Laura.” On the Banks of Plum Creek I’d like to suggest a thought experiment. Instead of categorizing Laura Ingalls Wilder as an American children’s author, think of her as a nature writer as well. Take her titles. The Little House books announce specific places in the natural world. Each time the family moves in the series, the title of a novel unveils its new setting.
La Americana by Melanie Bowden Simón
“Beautifully rendered… evocative” (Publishers Weekly): Following her mother’s death, Melanie quit her job and left for Cuba — where she learned how much she was willing to sacrifice for love. “A romance, an adventure tale, and a raw depiction of loss that transcends place and time” (NPR).
13 Mother's Day Reads - Workman Publishing
This year, give your mom our idea of R&R: reading and relaxation. Whether she loves meditating, cooking, gardening, traveling, or just getting lost in a really good piece of fiction, here are the books she’ll want to curl up with long after Mother’s Day is over. Moms can feel as if they are sprinting through life, crashing at day’s end only to start again the next morning.
Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life
Richly illustrated and filled with quotations from her books, letters, and journals, Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life is essential reading for all who know and cherish Beatrix Potter and her classic tales. Uitgeverij Van Ditmar Boekenimport B.V. Imprint Workman Publishing Uitgegeven als Hardcover Eerste editie 01-01-2013 Laatste editie 01-01-2013 ISBN 9781604693638 Aantal pagina's 340 Taal Engels
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