A Tapestry Garden: The Art of Weaving Plants and Place

The O’Byrnes lead an awe-filled tour of the singular Oregon garden they’ve cultivated over 45 years, a 70-acre site with multiple functions and habitats. From a chicken yard through several rockeries to an ambitious arboretum with dogwoods, redwoods, and more, the O’Byrne garden is richly varied. Thanks to the variety of beds and borders­—a map on the inside cover provides a helpful overview­—and the owners’ expertise, the plant selection is adventurous, offering special inspiration for shady areas. The O’Byrnes’ nursery specializes in hellebores, with an area set aside for these early-flowering woodland jewels. Gardeners who want to geek out over uncommon woodland plants such as trilliums and Jack-in-the-pulpits will enjoy the chapters spent on each. The book is illustrated with full-page landscape photos as well as detail shots, and the photography pairs well with the authors’ ruminative prose, which describes the garden and the thinking that governed its evolution. Most gardeners won’t work on this scale, but every green thumb can find inspiration in this stunning and imaginatively cultivated garden. Color photos. (May)