Episode 186: All the Presidents' Gardens

We Dig Plants

This week on We Dig Plants, hosts Alice Marcus Krieg and Carmen Devito are joined by Marta McDowell, a teacher of landscape history and horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden, and consultant for private clients and public gardens. Her garden writing has appeared in popular publications such as Woman’s Day, Fine Gardening and The New York Times.

Marta's book All the Presidents' Gardens tells the untold history of the White House grounds. Starting with the seed-collecting, plant-obsessed George Washington and ending with Michelle Obama's focus on edibles, this rich and compelling narrative reveals how the story of the garden is also the story of America. Readers learn about Lincoln's goats, Ike's putting green, the Kennedys' iconic roses, Amy Carter's tree house, and much more. They also learn the plants whose favor has come and gone over the years and the gardeners who have been responsible for it all.