"This is a love story about a couple and their relationship with an acre-and-a-half of land. . . with exceptional plant descriptions that read like character references for old friends. . . . beautiful photographs and prose await." -Library Journal Marietta and Ernie O'Byrne's garden-situated on one and a half acres in Eugene, Oregon-is filled with an incredible array of plants from around the world. By consciously leveraging the garden's many microclimates, they have created a stunning patchwork of exuberant plants that is widely considered one of America's most outstanding private gardens. In A Tapestry Garden, the O'Byrnes share their deep knowledge of plants and essential garden advice. Readers will discover the humble roots of the garden, explore the numerous habitats and the plants that make them shine, and find inspiration in photography that captures the garden's astonishing beauty. There is something here for every type of gardener: a shade garden, perennial borders, a chaparral garden, a kitchen garden, and more. Profiles of the O'Byrne's favorite plants-including hellebores, trilliums, arisaemas, and alpine plants-include comprehensive growing information and tips on pruning and care. A Tapestry Garden captures the spirit of a very special place. Equal parts inspirational and practical, A Tapestry Garden will help you weave your own incredible garden. Ernie and Marietta O'Byrne are the owners of Northwest Garden Nursery in Eugene, Oregon. Formerly a retail nursery specializing in unusual plants, it is now a wholesale nursery specializing in hellebores. The O'Byrne's garden is renowned for its stunning combinations and variety of habitats, which allow Ernie and Marietta to experiment with a huge palette of plants. Marietta speaks regularly to audiences of passionate gardeners and has written for a number of gardening publications. Visit the nursery's website at northwestgardennursery.com. Preface As a young girl in northern Germany, I played farm with little ceramic pigs and sheep and took loving care of cacti and cyclamens on the windowsill. What a thrill it was, watching little seedlings develop from the brown seed capsules of last year's pansies on the balcony. My favorite outings were to the botanical garden, Planten und Bloomen, and the Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg. My family had fled from Pomerania (now Poland) in 1944 when I was two years old to the heath country south of Hamburg with relatives and other refugees toward the close of WWII, and we all lived together on a large estate. My earliest rural memories from that time are of hunting mushrooms, collecting beechnuts, and picking wild blueberries. I clearly recall the excitement and pleasure of gathering food, still a lifelong passion. Five years later we moved to the large city of Hamburg. As long as I can remember, I yearned for the spaciousness of the countryside. City life, with its man-made environment of stone, asphalt, and cement, oppressed me. Realizing this, my parents offered me a chance at a rural life. Friends of theirs owned Corvey Castle, which had an enormous ancient park and a farm. Their two children were the same age as I. Gladly, I went. The park, as usual in those days, also contained a large kitchen garden to feed family and staff. We three children were each allocated a little plot to grow anything of our liking. As my two friends were not budding gardeners, I quickly appropriated their plots also. The head gardener provided me with my very first plant starts. So, at age eleven in 1953, I proudly wrote to my parents about the sowed spinach just breaking ground, my six tomato plants, and strawberries that would be put in the next day. I was allowed to sell my harvest to the head cook, Herr Wanke. (I don't think the strawberries ever made it to the kitchen.) So, I turned proud commercial vegetabl

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