Life in the Garden

A natural sequel to the seminal An Affair with a House, this is Bunny Williams’ most ambitious book to date.

Inviting us into her impressive grounds with charming personal anecdotes, expert advice, and creative ideas for how to bring natural elements into the home, this is a testament to Bunny Williams’ love affair with the garden and woodlands surrounding her eighteenth-century manor house in Northwestern Connecticut.

A popular stop on the Garden Conservancy circuit, Williams’ property boasts a parterre garden, year-round conservatory, extensive vegetable garden, orchard, woodlands, an aviary with exotic fowl, and a rustic poolside Greek Revival–style folly. Each section of the garden is accompanied by a directory of featured plants—from native ferns and succulents to a wide variety of flowering specimens.

Stunning photographs—printed on two different specialty stocks—illustrate every aspect of the garden in different lights and seasons; during big parties and intimate gatherings. Throughout, the revered designer shows us how she incorporates nature in her interiors: in stunning floral arrangements, unique tablescapes, and elaborate holiday vignettes—where a rescued bird’s nest commands as much attention as a prized collector’s item. Whether in the intentional juxtaposition of high and low, or the considered placement of a garden bench to appreciate a particular view, home and garden together reflect the epitome of Bunny Williams’ inimitable style.