Garden to the Max

Every gardener is familiar with the impulse to buy more plants, any plants, all the plants. And, increasingly, gardeners and designers want to invite a plethora of beneficial insects, pollinators, and biodiversity to their gardens. Having a maximalist garden is definitely aesthetic; yet it also brings vitality back to the earth, in an abundant expression of more.

Garden to the Max celebrates 20 gardens from across the US that embrace maximalism through joy and wonder, nonstop blooms, and abundant layers. The book is a feast of gorgeous photography by Bob Stefko, showcasing individual quirkiness, wild collections, and bold, personality-packed plant combinations that amplify the grandeur of each garden's unique vision, packing in plants for their exuberant style and ecological benefits. Featured gardeners include an amateur ornithologist seeking to attract more birds, an event planner's tropical paradise, a pair of city dwellers reducing their carbon footprint, an urban garden pioneer promoting pollinator gardens, or a life-long biophilic propagating endangered plants to nurture insects.

Longtime garden writer Teresa Woodard shares stories of each garden and its fearless designers, the inspirations for their plant collections, and their hopes for our earth's future. Information-packed sidebars full of standout plants and growing tips will inspire dreamers and gardeners to embrace their own passions. Garden to the Max gives everyone permission to bring the exuberant interior style into the garden and develop a spirited reverence for plants, celebrating joy and personality in the garden-to the max!