With their deadly plants, razor-sharp shears, shady corners, and ready-made burial sites, gardens make an ideal scene for the perfect murder. But the outsize influence that gardens and gardening have had on the mystery genre has been underappreciated. Now, Marta McDowell, a writer and gardener with a near-encyclopaedic knowledge of the genre, illuminates the many ways in which our greatest mystery writers, from Edgar Allen Poe to authors on today's bestseller lists, have found inspiration in the sinister side of gardens. From the cozy to the hardboiled, the literary to the pulp, and the classic to the contemporary, Gardening Can Be Murder is the first book to explore the mystery genre's many surprising horticultural connections. Meet plant-obsessed detectives and spooky groundskeeper suspects, witness toxic teas served in foul play, and tour the gardens-both real and imagined-that have been the settings for fiction's ghastliest misdeeds. A New York Times bestselling author herself, McDowell also introduces us to some of today's top writers who consider gardening integral to their craft, assuring that horticultural themes will remain a staple of the genre for countless twisting plots to come. "This book is dangerous. A veritable cornucopia of crime fiction and gardening lore, it faces the reader with multiple temptations-books to seek out, plants to obtain, garden tours to book." -Vicki Lane, author of the Elizabeth Goodweather Appalachian Mysteries

Celebrates the Du Pont family heritage of land stewardship and horticultural creativity Renowned as the first family of American horticulture, the du Ponts created magnificent landscapes and gardens that complement the verdant, rolling lands of the Brandywine Valley. Five of their estates – Hagley, Nemours, Mt. Cuba, Winterthur, and Longwood Gardens – are open to the public, each a showplace of formal plantings juxtaposed with carefully nurtured natural woodland. Larry Lederman’s photographs capture the essence of these sites, moving through the seasons and through the day from dawn to dusk.

Emily Dickinson is among the most important of American poets, a beloved literary figure whose short, complex life continues to fascinate readers. But she was also a gardener and plant lover who studied botany and tended both a small glass conservatory and a flower garden. In Emily Dickinson's Gardening Life, Marta McDowell traces Dickinson's life as gardener and reveals the many ways in which her passion for plants is evident in her extensive collection of poems and letters. Organised seasonally, the book follows Dickinson through an entire year in the garden. Readers will learn that she forced hyacinth bulbs in winter, saved seeds in the summer, and pressed flowers year-round to include in her correspondence. They'll also find tips on how to plant a poet's garden and an annotated list of all of the plants Dickinson used. Packed with contemporary and historical photography, botanical illustrations, excerpts from Dickinson's letters, and some of her most cherished poetry, this revealing book is a must-read for Dickinson fans and a thoughtful gift for gardeners.

There aren t many books more beloved than The Tale of Peter Rabbit and even fewer authors as iconic as Beatrix Potter. More than 150 million copies of her books have sold worldwide and interest in her work and life remains high. And her characters Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle Duck, and all the rest exist in a charmed world filled with flowers and gardens. Beatrix Potter s Gardening Life is the first book to explore the origins of Beatrix Potter s love of gardening and plants and show how this passion came to be reflected in her work. The book begins with a gardener s biography, highlighting the key moments and places throughout her life that helped define her, including her home Hill Top Farm in England's Lake District. Next, the reader follows Beatrix Potter through a year in her garden, with a season-by-season overview of what is blooming that truly brings her gardens alive. The book culminates in a traveler s guide, with information on how and where to visit Potter s gardens today. Richly illustrated and filled with quotations from her books, letters, and journals, it is essential reading for all who know and cherish Beatrix Potter s classic tales."

Since 1800, the 18 acres surrounding the White House have been an unwitting witness to history. Kings and queens have dined there, bills and treaties have been signed, and presidents have landed and retreated. Through it all, the grounds have remained not only beautiful, but also a powerful reflection of American trends both horticultural and just plain cultural. In All the Presidents' Gardens, Marta McDowell reveals the untold history of the White House grounds through surprising presidential facts, historical and contemporary photographs, vintage seed catalogues, and rare glimpses into the lives of our leaders. History buffs will revel in the fascinating tidbits about Lincoln's goats, Ike's putting green, Jackie's iconic roses, and Amy Carter's tree house. Gardeners will thrill to the information on the plants whose favour has come and gone over the years and the visionary gardeners who have been responsible for it all. This revised and updated paperback edition brings the story of America's First Garden up through the present day, including the Trumps' controversial changes to the grounds and the Biden's aim to give the space a wider cultural resonance.

Marta McDowell returns with a beautiful, gift-worthy account of how plants and gardening deepy inspired Frances Hodgson Burnett, author of the beloved children's classic The Secret Garden. Marta McDowell has revealed the many ways gardening has inspired some of our most cherished authors, including Beatrix Potter, Emily Dickinson, and Laura Ingalls Wilder. In her latest, she does the same with Frances Hodgson Burnett, the author of the classic children's book The Secret Garden. Unearthing The Secret Garden starts by chronicling Frances Hodgson Burnett's childhood and early life, with a focus on her growing interest in gardens and her development as a writer. McDowell also shares details of three gardens Hodgson Burnett created in Kent, Long Island, and Bermuda. A guide to the plants featured in The Secret Garden will delight gardeners. And in a unique addition, McDowell transcribes Hodgson Burnett's delightful essay, "In the Garden," which was published shortly after her death. AUTHOR: Marta McDowell lives, gardens, and writes in Chatham, New Jersey. She consults for public gardens and private clients, writes and lectures on gardening topics, and teaches landscape history and horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden, where she studied landscape design. Her particular interest is in authors and their gardens, the connection between the pen and the trowel. 150 photographs and illustrations

Come into our garden! This book of twenty-six images and twenty-six essays is for all lovers of flowers and gardening. Two women, a digital artist and a writer, have created floral art and words that give a unique, personal tour of what it means to be a gardener.