Nan lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania (roughly mid-Zone 6). Under the supervision of her two alpacas, Duncan and Daniel, she gardens on four acres in full sun: about two acres of managed meadow, one acre of pasture, and one acre of intensively planted and open shrubbery areas.
Nan has a B.S. in Agronomy and Environmental Science from Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. After five years as a garden book editor at Rodale Press in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, she became a freelance garden writer and editor. Some titles she is known for include:
- Grasses: Versatile Partners for Uncommon Garden Design (with fellow GGW-er Saxon Holt as the photographer; over 100,000 copies in print)
- The Perennial Gardener’s Design Primer (with GGW Guest Contributor Rob Cardillo as the photographer; winner of a Silver Award from the Garden Writers Association in 2006)
- Foliage: Astonishing Color and Texture beyond Flowers (again with Rob Cardillo as the photographer; winner of an American Horticultural Society Book Award in 2008)
- Fallscaping: Extending Your Garden Season into Autumn (yet again with Rob Cardillo as the photographer)
Her two most recent books were released in July of 2009:
- The Perennial Care Manual (once more with photographer Rob Cardillo)
- Lessons from Linden Hill: Design Tips and Planning Pointers (co-written with Jerry Fritz)
Nan also works as a horticulturist at Linden Hill Gardens in Ottsville, Pennsylvania.
Nan’s own blog is at Hayefield
Nan at LinkedIn
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5 responses so far ↓
1 Debra Lee Baldwin // May 27, 2009 at 10:39 am
Nan, your alpacas are adorable!
Thanks, Debra. They think so too!
-Nan
2 Kingsley Davis // May 27, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Nancy
I read your article in Better Homes and Gardens Perennials issue and I was interested in where I could find Sanguisorba officinalis pictured in the article, it has purple spikes.
Thanks, Kingsley Davis
Thanks for visiting, Kingsley. Check out this page at Digging Dog Nursery: they offer lots of sanguisorbas.
-Nan
3 Sherri // Jul 4, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Nancy,
I read your article on using a kick sod cutter. I purchased one and am finding it very very very difficult to use. I have tough, old sod and can’t even dent the surface with my cutter. I’m also a brand new novice gardener. Will it help to adjust the cutting edge? Am I not kicking hard enough (I’m 125 pounds, 5′8″ and not the strongest tack in the drawer). I can’t find ANYTHING on the web telling me how to use this thing. Help! I’d really appreciate a reply…thank you.
Hi Sherri! I find that the soil really needs to be somewhat moist for the sod cutter to work – a day or two after a rain is ideal. When it’s dry, it’s really tough to use!
-Nan
4 Carol Laden // Jul 8, 2009 at 4:11 pm
A few years ago my mother, who is turning 92 in July, and I visited your gardens on the Hardy Plant Soc. tour. We haven`t stopped talking about it since, and would like to know if there is some way to have a return visit. My daughter and son-in-law, both graduates of Del Val and said 92 year old are pretty close neighbors. (East Greenville). Will you please email me ? I can then go into any more detail that you might need.
Thanks
Carol L.
I’ll be in touch by e-mail, Carol!
-Nan
5 Sue Vargas // Dec 16, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Hello Nan!
I just sent you an email – I am hunting a photo for PAK CHOI VIOLETTA for a plant label. My boss raises Alpacas!
Thanks,
Sue
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