Jill Nooney has Written a Book on Bedrock Gardens!
BEDROCK: The Making of a Public Garden by Jill Nooney
Foreword by Lee Buttala, preservationist for The Garden Conservancy
Bedrock: The Making of a Public Garden is a love letter from a woman to the 30-acre garden that she and her husband spent 40 years creating in Lee, NH. Featuring almost 300 photographs of the garden, sculptures, water features, and built structures, the book takes us from the garden’s private origin to a public garden.
Readers’ Comments
“I have had the good fortune to visit many public gardens in North America and abroad. However, until spending time with Jill and Bob in the wonderful space that they brought to life, I had never experienced the visceral, electric energy of creation in action. I am humbled by their work and more important, their steadfast desire to share it with the world. Bedrock Gardens is as unique and magical as its creators--a truly remarkable story of inspiration, whimsy, and beauty that will bring a smile to your soul!”
—Bill Cullina, executive director of the Morris Arboretum and author of four books
“More than a tale of building an artist’s garden, this is a love story of two people creating a haven of joy and solace. This book not only documents the development of the garden, but it also conveys Jill’s thinking and philosophy.”
—Bill Thomas, executive director of Chanticleer Garden and author of The Art of Gardening
“Anyone who’s ever met Jill Nooney knows in seconds that she walks on the wild side. She turns an unexpected, crazy idea into a fun, funny and joyful reality on her land. Bedrock Gardens invites visitors to inhabit one artist’s vision of the world—to explore it at their own pace and to laugh in delight at what they discover.”
—Julie Moir Messervy, principal of Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio and author of nine books.
" I can’t recommend it highly enough." "You’ll love this book."
--Pam Penick, photographer, blogger, and author of multiple books,. Read it here.
"Rich with entertaining anecdotes of realizing improbable, visionary concepts that involved moving boulders, carrying trees and rocks on planes, ferreting out rare plant material, operating all manner of equipment, and managing thousands of visitors, this is a story of love, loss and generosity."
--Helen Dumont, Midwest Book Review. Read it here.
"I loved the book!"
--Henry Homeyer, The Gardening Guy. Website and articles here.
See a fun short Promo video of it HERE.
About the Author
Jill Nooney grew up in rural New Jersey. She attended Bennington College, Smith College School of Social Work, and the Radcliffe Seminars Program in Landscape Design. She has had a lifelong interest in plants, art, and healing the human spirit. She lives with her husband, Bob Munger, in an old farmhouse in New Hampshire. Together, over the span of forty years, they created Bedrock Gardens and, in 2023, they gifted the garden to the Friends of Bedrock Gardens to be enjoyed by all as a public garden.
Bedrock: The Making of a Public Garden is a love letter from a woman to the 30-acre garden that she and her husband spent 40 years creating in Lee, NH. Featuring almost 300 photographs of the garden, sculptures, water features, and built structures, the book takes us from the garden’s private origin to a public garden.
Readers’ Comments
“I have had the good fortune to visit many public gardens in North America and abroad. However, until spending time with Jill and Bob in the wonderful space that they brought to life, I had never experienced the visceral, electric energy of creation in action. I am humbled by their work and more important, their steadfast desire to share it with the world. Bedrock Gardens is as unique and magical as its creators--a truly remarkable story of inspiration, whimsy, and beauty that will bring a smile to your soul!”
—Bill Cullina, executive director of the Morris Arboretum and author of four books
“More than a tale of building an artist’s garden, this is a love story of two people creating a haven of joy and solace. This book not only documents the development of the garden, but it also conveys Jill’s thinking and philosophy.”
—Bill Thomas, executive director of Chanticleer Garden and author of The Art of Gardening
“Anyone who’s ever met Jill Nooney knows in seconds that she walks on the wild side. She turns an unexpected, crazy idea into a fun, funny and joyful reality on her land. Bedrock Gardens invites visitors to inhabit one artist’s vision of the world—to explore it at their own pace and to laugh in delight at what they discover.”
—Julie Moir Messervy, principal of Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio and author of nine books.
" I can’t recommend it highly enough." "You’ll love this book."
--Pam Penick, photographer, blogger, and author of multiple books,. Read it here.
"Rich with entertaining anecdotes of realizing improbable, visionary concepts that involved moving boulders, carrying trees and rocks on planes, ferreting out rare plant material, operating all manner of equipment, and managing thousands of visitors, this is a story of love, loss and generosity."
--Helen Dumont, Midwest Book Review. Read it here.
"I loved the book!"
--Henry Homeyer, The Gardening Guy. Website and articles here.
See a fun short Promo video of it HERE.
About the Author
Jill Nooney grew up in rural New Jersey. She attended Bennington College, Smith College School of Social Work, and the Radcliffe Seminars Program in Landscape Design. She has had a lifelong interest in plants, art, and healing the human spirit. She lives with her husband, Bob Munger, in an old farmhouse in New Hampshire. Together, over the span of forty years, they created Bedrock Gardens and, in 2023, they gifted the garden to the Friends of Bedrock Gardens to be enjoyed by all as a public garden.
Free Shipping if Ordered Online...HERE.
How to Obtain
You can:
You can:
- Order here through Square:
- Come to one of Jill's Open Houses and Book Signings:
- March 22 @ 11 am Toadstool Bookstore, Peterborough, NH
- April 17 @ 2pm Riverwoods, Exeter, NH (not open to the public)
- May 10 @12:30 Gibson Books, Concord, NH
- May 22 @ 2pm virtual talk at the Garden Conservancy
- June 18 @ 5:30 Portsmouth Athenaeum, Portsmouth, NH
- Pick one up at the garden when it opens in the spring.
- It is now available thru Amazon and book stores.
- Contact us if you have questions: [email protected]
- Borrow a copy from a friend and fail to return it.
Information
- $50.00, 9 x 10, hardcover, 224 pages, 290 full color images
- ISBN: 978-1-942155-81-2
- Publication date: March 11, 2025