February 20, 2025

Late one summer season’s day in 2014, I fell right into a dreamworld often known as Bedrock Gardens. Set unfastened (with permission from the homeowners) to discover the 20-acre rural backyard in Lee, New Hampshire, I couldn’t consider my success. The backyard was pure magic, by turns serene, whimsical, colourful, mysterious, and goofy. Sure, goofy, because it included a few funhouse mirrors and pantless stump folks within the Darkish Woods.

Bedrock was, at the moment, a non-public backyard, the creation of artist and plant obsessive Jill Nooney and her can-build-anything husband, Bob Munger. At this time it’s a public backyard — a near-miraculous transformation meant to make sure the backyard’s survival for many years to come back. And it seems that Jill is as proficient a author and storyteller as she is a backyard creator. Her ebook Bedrock: The Making of a Public Backyard comes out on March eleventh. I acquired an early copy, which I lingered over, typically rereading paragraphs out loud to my husband. I can’t advocate it extremely sufficient.

And I’m freely giving a replica of Bedrock on the finish of this publish!

In Bedrock the ebook, as in Bedrock the backyard, Jill’s frank humor and a way of joyfully lived life shine by on each web page. I laughed over Jill’s retelling of gardening mishaps, whilst I marveled at her and Bob’s prodigious vitality and dedication to their backyard. For 40 years they’ve labored on it collectively, she because the self-described drawback maker and he as the issue solver. It’s a match made in heaven, leading to an unbelievable backyard that they constructed and maintained themselves for many years. In the meantime in addition they raised three boys and had full-time careers — how, I ask?

By no means thoughts. Some folks simply make extra of their hours and skills! I’m grateful to have met Jill and Bob and had the pleasure of seeing Bedrock twice, regardless of its distance from Texas. You may examine these visits right here and right here.

However for a lot extra element, learn the ebook. It’s much less about turning Bedrock right into a public backyard and extra of a love story about Jill and Bob’s inventive partnership and backyard making. In case you’re fascinated by the inventive strategy of gardening — obsessing over crops, developing with a brand new backyard thought, determining an ideal point of interest, making artwork out of discovered objects — you’ll love this ebook.

Jill tells the backyard’s story with an ear for anecdote, self-deprecating humor, and clear recollection of her motivations and design selections. The pictures inform the story fantastically too. I’m proud to say just a few of them are my very own, together with the quilt.

I’m additionally excited to announce that Jill and Bob shall be touring to Austin in October to talk for Backyard Spark! Native readers, you’ll have an opportunity to satisfy these dynamos, study extra about Bedrock, and revel in Jill’s storytelling in particular person. Extra data to come back. Subscribe to Backyard Spark for all of the information.

E book Giveaway

And now — I’m freely giving a replica of Bedrock to 1 fortunate winner, courtesy of creator Jill Nooney!

HOW TO ENTER

To be entered within the giveaway, all you want to do is depart a touch upon this weblog publish. One remark per particular person, please.

For an EXTRA entry, pop over to my Instagram and 1) FOLLOW @pamdigging, 2) LIKE my giveaway publish dated 2/20, and three) TAG a good friend within the feedback. Please embrace your personal identify if it’s not your Instagram deal with, so I can join you together with your remark right here.

Guidelines: The giveaway ends Thursday, 2/27, at 11:59 CDT. Open to U.S. state residents excluding Alaska and Hawaii, ages 18+ solely. No buy essential to enter or win. I’ll randomly draw a winner on 2/27 and call the winner by e-mail. The ebook shall be mailed from the creator after its publication on March eleventh.

Good luck, y’all!

Disclosure: The creator despatched me a replica of Bedrock, and I reviewed it at my very own discretion and with none compensation. This publish, as with all the things at Digging, is my private opinion.

I welcome your feedback. Please scroll to the tip of this publish to go away one. In case you’re studying in an e-mail, click on right here to go to Digging and discover the remark field on the finish of every publish. And hey, did somebody ahead this e-mail to you, and also you wish to subscribe? Click on right here to get Digging delivered on to your inbox!

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Digging Deeper

Attend the annual Budding Out Plant Sale & Competition on March fifteenth on the John Fairey Backyard in Hempstead. Store for uncommon crops from the backyard’s nursery and choose plant distributors. Native artists and artisans in addition to meals, drink, and demonstrations can even be featured. Admission: $5 for members, $10 for non-members, youngsters beneath 12 free. Hours: 10 am to 4 pm; members get early admission at 9 am (memberships out there on day of occasion).

Tour 5 distinctive Houston gardens on Saturday, April 26, from 10 am to 4 pm, in the course of the Backyard Conservancy’s Open Day Tour for Houston. Tickets have to be bought on-line upfront by the Backyard Conservancy.

Come study gardening and design at Backyard Spark! I manage in-person talks by inspiring designers, panorama architects, authors, and gardeners just a few occasions a 12 months in Austin. These are limited-attendance occasions that promote out shortly, so be part of the Backyard Spark e-mail listing to be notified upfront; merely click on this hyperlink and ask to be added. Learn all concerning the Season 8 lineup right here!

All materials © 2025 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized copy prohibited.