We were both brand-new authors at Ten Speed Press when I met Leslie Bennett during the 2013 Fling tour, a connection that immediately felt like a sisterly bond. Leslie was highly regarded as a designer, and I was intrigued by her background. A graduate of Harvard, Columbia Law School, and the University College London, she’d joined a law firm but then pivoted, following her heart to become a farmer and eventually a designer with a focus on edible gardening and environmental justice.
Today Leslie is the owner and founding principal of Pine House Edible Gardens in Oakland, California, designing luscious, beautifully designed gardens that incorporate plants for harvest as well as beauty, that reflect the owners’ cultural heritage, and that encourage a deep connection with the natural world. She also has a brand-new book, Garden Wonderland: Create Life-Changing Outdoor Spaces for Beauty, Harvest, Meaning, and Joy, co-authored with Julie Chai. I’ve been devouring it since it arrived, poring over the images of drool-worthy gardens designed for feeding not just the body but the soul. (And I’m giving away a copy at the end of this post!)
What I love about the book, besides the inspiring images, is how Leslie provides practical and easily digestible design advice. She explains concepts like triangulation and foliage contrast, which enhance the visual interest of a garden. She talks about ways to incorporate edible plants, whether mixed with ornamentals or in dedicated raised beds. She shares her ideas about creating gathering spots in order to relax in the garden, not just work in it. Above all, she discusses how to create a garden that’s meaningful in terms of plants you’d like to grow and how you want your space to feel.
For each featured garden in the book, Leslie tells the story of its owner(s) and how it’s a place of wonder for them. She also includes a design takeaway on topics like planting a hillside, using edible flowers, designing a cutting flower bed, making the most of a small space, creating a good mix of seating areas, and laying out a perimeter loop path. These lessons are perfect for the beginner gardener but also offer fresh ideas for the experienced gardener.
Leslie makes environmental justice a key part of her business model and commits to designing and installing at least one garden per year for Black women in the Oakland area. A portion of her client fees goes toward her Black Sanctuary Gardens project, and some of those gardens are featured in the book. Her goal is to create beautiful places for rest and connection in under-served Black communities. In addition, the recipients and their new gardens are photographed to “create imagery that more accurately and inclusively reflects the relationship of Black women and communities with plants and gardens.” Leslie is literally building the more equitable world she wants to live in — and for others to live in.
Garden Wonderland is an excellent book for drawing inspiration for your own garden’s design, for making even a small space more productive, and for thinking about the transformative power of gardens. I highly recommend it.
Book Giveaway
And now — I’m giving away a copy of Garden Wonderland to one lucky winner, courtesy of Ten Speed Press!
HOW TO ENTER
To be entered in the giveaway, leave a comment on this blog post. One comment per person, please.
For an EXTRA entry, pop over to my Instagram and 1) FOLLOW @pamdigging, 2) LIKE my giveaway post dated 4/25, and 3) TAG a friend in the comments!
Giveaway ends Wednesday, 5/1, at 11:59 CDT. Open to U.S. residents 18+ only. No purchase necessary to enter or win. I’ll randomly select and announce the winner on 5/1 and contact the winner by email. The book will be mailed directly from the publisher.
Good luck, y’all!
Disclosure: Ten Speed Press sent me a copy of Garden Wonderland, and I reviewed it at my own discretion and without any compensation. This post, as with everything at Digging, is my personal opinion.
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Digging Deeper
May 4: Explore “brilliant backyards, perfect pools and pergolas, and outdoor rooms and gardens” on the ATX Outdoor Living Tour on 5/4, 10 am to 3 pm. Landscape architects, designers, and builders will be on hand to answer questions. Tickets are $33.85 for adults, $17.85 for kids age 10-17.
May 11: Tour four Austin gardens on 5/11, from 9 am to 3 pm, on the Inside Austin Gardens Tour. Each garden “is created and cared for by a Travis County Master Gardener and demonstrates realistic gardening practices that inform and inspire.” Tickets are $20 in advance, available through May 5, or $25 on the day of the tour. Children 12 and under get free admission.
May 11: Save the date for Austin Home’s Great Outdoors Tour on 5/11.
May 18: Pop up to Dallas for the 2024 DCMGA Garden Tour on 5/18 from 10 am to 5 pm. Tickets are $18 if purchased online prior to 6 pm on 5/17, or $22 after 6 pm on 5/17 or at the event. For a sneak peek, click here.
June 1-2: Take a self-guided, 2-day tour of ponds and gardens in and around Austin on the annual Austin Pond and Garden Tour, held 6/1 and 6/2, 9 am to 5 pm. Tickets are $20 to $25.
Come learn about gardening and design at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events that sell out quickly, so join the Garden Spark email list to be notified in advance; simply click this link and ask to be added. Season 8 kicks off in fall 2024. Stay tuned for more info!
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