Garden to the Max

“Teresa Woodard guides the reader on an exquisite road trip across America showcasing how gardening to the max can transform public and private spaces. With incredible storytelling and eyepopping photography, Garden to the Max is a maximalist journey into bold and innovative ways to create beautiful and vibrant places. Prepare to be inspired!”
 —Laura Kunkle, Executive Director of America in Bloom

“Gardening is rarely a casual occupation. As an art form, creating great gardens throughout history has resulted from of a sort of manic obsession. In Garden to the Max, Teresa Woodard captures the best diverse American examples of this passionate occupation. Gardens, and gardening are ascendant once again, especially in this post-pandemic world, and Woodard realizes importantly that gardens are best understood as self-portraits of their creators.”—James Brayton Hall, President and CEO, The Garden Conservancy

“To enter the pages of Garden to the Max is to enter realms of enchantment and personal expression. Enjoy each visit, absorb each space, and relax in the pleasure of each gardener’s passionate creation!”
 —Hutton Wilkinson, Owner and Creative Director, Tony Duquette Inc, Dawnridge Estate and Gardens

“The vibrant gardens in Garden to the Max, and the stories of the extraordinary gardeners who created them, bring to mind one word — EXUBERANT! Vastly different in style, each garden embodies their creator’s passion for color, creativity, innovative use of space and above all PLANTS!… all with a Maximalist’s embrace of abundance. Those that appreciate bold style partnered with good design will enjoy this book as much as I did. The wonderfully worded text describing the gardens and lessons from their creators, together with the spectacular photography, illustrate perfectly that good design comes in all forms and knows no bounds.” —Sean Conway, author, garden designer, and producer of the TV series Cultivating Life

“Gardens are as much about the people who create them as the plants that grow in them and the concepts behind them. Teresa Woodard expertly captures all of it in Garden to the Max, a book that celebrates exuberance and no-holds-barred gardening in a way that will inspire even the most timid gardener. And, the stories of 20 creative and joyful gardens and their gardeners are brought to life through Bob Stefko’s stunning photography.”—Erin Schanen, Creator and Head Plant Lover, The Impatient Gardener

“Garden to the Max is an amazing distillation of American horticulture that details the creativity of home gardeners throughout the country.  Each garden is designed with a dramatic flair that captures each individual’s personal approaches to plant collecting, design, and creating spaces with ecological capacity.  This book captures the “best-of-the-best” in American design with the Mountsier-Hardie garden of geometric whimsy; JP Malocsay’s pollinator wonderland perched above Pittsburgh; Irvin Ettien’s tropical oasis in the heart of Indiana, and the iconic work of Lauren Springer at high elevations in Colorado.  This work will inspire every gardener who believes that gardening is a dynamic act of artistic and personal expression.”
 —Andrew Bunting, VP of horticulture, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, organizer of the Philadelphia Flower Show

“Over the top, extravagant, lush, and breathtaking . . . In a much-needed counterpoint to stripped-bare minimalist garden design, gardening journalist Woodard and photographer Bob Stefko collaborate in this indulgent, cross-country catalog of… amazing, individually owned garden…This is both a lavish coffee-table tome and an invitation for garden innovation and thoughtful landscaping.” —Booklist

“Flipping through the pages of this beautifully designed book reveals a riot of color that fully supports its title—even the table of contents is printed on a neon-yellow background. The compendium of 20 big, bright, bold gardens from across the United States—and profiles of their creators—provides a wealth of inspiration to gardeners who believe that more is more.” —Newsday

“A celebration of gardeners around the country taking a more-is-more approach to planting.”  —Better Homes & Gardens

“If you’re craving inspiration or just want to immerse yourself in creative, more-is-more gardens from all across the country, Garden to the Max is your summer joyride.” —Digging

“Features 20 unique plant-packed gardens with nonstop colour and abundant layers, where more is more!”—People's Friend

“Garden to the Max is a fun and thoughtful exploration of maximalist gardening in all its forms…The book is rich with plant suggestions, hands-on tips and simple projects, making it suitable for gardeners who are ready to fully embrace maximalism and those who might prefer to "max out" a single container or corner. And it shows that maximal ism is not equal to excessiveness—it's a thoughtful curation of plants, objects and structure that builds atmosphere and meaning.”—Horticulture

“The book both inspires and instructs, with sidebars of tips and hand-on-ideas.”—Connecticut Horticultural Society Newsletter