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Big Dreams, Small Garden: A Guide to Creating Something Extraordinary in Your Ordinary Space Paperback – March 14, 2017

by Marianne Willburn (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 92 ratings
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Are you anxious to create a green, restful outside space, but waiting until you move into “the perfect place” and not so sure when that will happen? Do you long for a gardening life that brings together your friends and family, but you honestly don’t know where to start?

Marianne Willburn doesn’t want you to wait a minute longer. In Big Dreams, Small Garden this popular garden columnist and blogger helps you to change your perspective, pack away feelings of envy and inadequacy, and build the skills you need to start creating the space you’ve always dreamed of. 

An ideal guide for those who struggle with limited resources, Big Dreams, Small Garden leads you through the process of visualizing, achieving, maintaining, and enjoying your unfolding garden. It gives you tips for making a sanctuary in less-than-ideal situations and profiles real-life gardeners who have done just that—including the author herself.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    224 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Skyhorse
  4. Publication date
    March 14, 2017
  5. Dimensions
    8 x 0.7 x 10 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1510709126
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1510709126
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"There is something in this book for everyone, from my daughters needing some hand-holding to people like myself, who can always learn from [Marianne's] expertise, as well as the advice of 'the pros.'" ―Allan M. Armitage, professor emeritus of horticulture, University of Georgia

About the Author

Marianne Willburn is a garden columnist and master gardener with more than twenty years of experience in the garden. She holds a BSc from University College London and has won several national awards for her popular column and blog, The Small Town Gardener. A California native, she now lives with her husband and two children in the scenic—and highly convenient—wine region of Northern Virginia.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Skyhorse (March 14, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1510709126
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1510709126
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8 x 0.7 x 10 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 92 ratings

About the author

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Marianne Willburn

Marianne Willburn

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Marianne Willburn is a gardening speaker, columnist and author of Tropical Plants and How to Love Them (2021), and Big Dreams, Small Garden (2017).

A weekly newspaper columnist for over a decade, and one of the writing team at GardenRant, she also frequently contributes to Better Homes and Gardens, The American Gardener, and other digital and print magazines; and has won national awards for her popular column and blog, Small Town Gardener.

Marianne believes strongly that you should never wait for the ‘perfect space’ to create a restful garden oasis for yourself and your family; and she has spent much of her gardening life in small city and suburban gardens in places as diverse as California, the United Kingdom, and the Mid-Atlantic. In 2013, she began gardening intensively and exhaustively on ten acres in a rural corner of Northern Virginia.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
92 global ratings
Before and After
5 Stars
Before and After
Before and after - Thanks to this book! And to Marianne Willburn who gave a great presentation about thrifty gardening! She suggested finding the flaws and focusing on that. In the book she mentions using bamboo or reed to camouflage chain link fence. This is a good screen - not durable or expensive like bamboo. But I think biodegradable and definitely fun. My husband now refers to our tropical paradise after we put it up. Mai tais anyone?The other flaw/ shortcoming for me was the need for an outdoor living space. The repurposed carport is perfect. And meanwhile I have other inspirations to play with.
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Top reviews from the United States

Ellen Zachos
5.0 out of 5 stars For Any Gardener with Big Dreams...no Matter Where You Garden
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2017
Verified Purchase
I must admit, Marianne Willburn's book, Big Dreams, Small Garden, arrived at my door just in the nick of time. My husband and I moved recently, to a house with a tiny (really tiny) yard. The size of the yard doesn't bother me at all. It's a blank slate, one I can plant however I like, and I'm excited to begin. But I've never started from the ground up before, and even to a professional gardener like myself, it's a little daunting. (I might also add that my budget is considerably lower than that of most of my clients!)

Marianne understands that breaking a project down into manageable pieces is key to getting the job done. From the beginning, she encourages you to list your goals and to prioritize them. She emphasizes getting your hands dirty, using reclaimed materials, and planning your garden with maintenance in mind. Such good advice! And Marianne leads by example, telling how she carried home thousands of free bricks to build a wall, and suggesting you contact landscape companies that might need to dump excavated dirt. Her approach to gardening is reality based and grounded in experience. The result is a garden that is personal and priceless.

I know my small garden will look very different from Marianne's (since I get 14 inches of rain per year and she probably gets 44!), but mine will be as dearly beloved as hers is. And that's the whole point of this book. Wherever you garden, you can use the principals so clearly outlined here to create your own, personal, wonderful garden space. I'm grateful to Marianne for showing me how to get started.
11 people found this helpful
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SammaLamma
4.0 out of 5 stars Celebrate the Small Stuff - a Good Read!
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2017
Verified Purchase
I really liked the practical advice about embracing the garden space one has, visualizing its potential, and working toward beautifying it, rather than living one's life on hold while pining for a lavish estate and a staff of gardeners or some other fanciful dream that may never come to fruition. I liked that she acknowledged having worked through some envy of large expensive gardens before getting to a healthier place of gratitude and acceptance for her own little plot. Well-written and entertaining. I wish it had more pics of before and after gardens, and more pics of gardens from more areas of the country.
6 people found this helpful
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JeannieB
5.0 out of 5 stars I have bought 3!
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2024
Verified Purchase
After hearing the author speak at a symposium I bought my first copy of her book. After reading this very enjoyable and readable book I bought 2 more to give as gifts. Will probably be buying more. I think this about sums up my opinion of the book.
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C
5.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring look at gardening and life.
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2020
Verified Purchase
"We never abandoned our dreams, we just chose to be happy while searching for them. The point is the journey. What better than a garden to teach us that?"

An excellent quote from this book. Not only will this book inspire you to get in your gardening space and do, it will also help you to consider important philosophies in other parts of your life such as family, parenting, dealing with stress/anxiety, and more. This book will help you no matter if you're a beginning gardener, a well rooted gardener, or someone who wants to garden. This book will definitely stay in my library for referencing.
2 people found this helpful
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Jennifer L. Castillo
3.0 out of 5 stars Misleading Title
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2022
Verified Purchase
Misleading title: This book is filled with lovely photographs, witty and cleaver gardening tips and organization helps. It is not however, focused on small gardens or spaces. There was really quite little regarding small gardens. A lovely read, but not at all what I was hoping for. I must admit my disappointment.
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*
5.0 out of 5 stars Marianne Willburn shares her amazing, entertaining
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2017
Verified Purchase
This is the gardening design book you've been waiting for! Marianne Willburn shares her amazing, entertaining, and heart-felt gardening pearls of wisdom to help you create, sustain, and enjoy your garden in ways beyond your imagination!

Marianne introduces us all to the naked wisdom of the garden as a healing space and ever-present remedy for whatever troubles (and inspires) our tired bodies and over-active minds.

Buy this beautiful book now and enjoy the pleasure of reading it, savoring and envisioning the useful information, especially while unwinding before sleeping to ignite the creative spark of useful and artful design ideas for your garden.

 Big Dreams, Small Garden: A Guide to Creating Something Extraordinary in Your Ordinary Space
One person found this helpful
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Alycia
4.0 out of 5 stars Not Really for Container Gardeners
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2021
Verified Purchase
I was hoping that it would have provided more information on the most 99% of all 99% gardening... containers. This doesn’t necessarily detract from the book, but there really wasn’t much that I personally could take away from this. Like the author says, we need to work with the limitations of our existing space. My limitations are just more limiting than most, and was only addressed with a few paragraphs. Actually, the size of the author’s own garden, which she lamented, is probably four times the size of mine. 🤣

That’s ok. It was a nice read and I enjoyed the pictures.
2 people found this helpful
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Barbara Clark
5.0 out of 5 stars I like the fact that it is not just a gardening ...
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2017
Verified Purchase
I've read it all cover to cover. I like the fact that it is not just a gardening book, but also a story and the connection between life's struggles and the fact that gardening is so calming and re-connects us. I also like the inserts about other people! It's a small world...I've known Jeannie Goforth for probably 20 + years and after my last day working at Mt. Weather, I sat with Paul and Jeannie on their back porch overlooking their little vineyard and drank wine to celebrate! Who would've known about the beauty that was tucked in down just below the high school!! Cool!! Marianne, thanks so much for sharing your life with us!
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Top reviews from other countries

Carol Frisk
5.0 out of 5 stars Big Dreams, Small gardens
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2021
Verified Purchase
Enjoyable read, small good ideas.
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see
4.0 out of 5 stars garden guild
Reviewed in Canada on January 9, 2020
Verified Purchase
interesting book with helpful ideas
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