More Living Ideas

Our editors share their inspirations every day

At Home in the Garden

Meet the Bloggers

sorr

Stephen Orr

Name: Stephen Orr

Job title: Editorial Director -- Gardening

Hometown: Abilene, Texas

My current garden: New York City and upstate New York

My horticultural education and experience: I'm a self-taught gardener with a love of garden books. Previously I was the Garden Editor at House & Garden and Domino Magazine. My first book is Tomorrow's Garden: Design and Sustainability for a New Age of Sustainable Gardening.

Favorite plant: Whatever is looking great at the time you ask me. But if I had to pick one, I love foxgloves since they are dramatic and deer-proof. I especially love 'Pam’s Choice'.

Least favorite plant: Dwarfed hybrids of perfectly good tall annuals like sunflowers, snapdragons, etc.

I never garden without: A sense of optimism.

Worst gardening experience: Years ago I planted calamint (Calamintha nepeta) in a friend's garden. It took over her flowerbeds and she never lets me forget it.

Where I go for inspiration: Into the woods.

Contributor's Archive

They're alive!

Posted by Stephen Orr

A friend sent around this marvelous video featuring time lapse photography of plants in bloom. The roses, lilacs, snapdragons, etc. look like a live action scene from Alice …

Envisioning your garden

Posted by Stephen Orr

In this post, guest blogger Helen Yoest reflects on how to visualize new garden projects: A garden is a place of wishes and wants. What would a seating …

Seeing the Forests for the Trees

Posted by Stephen Orr

Take a look at this NASA map which was released recently to show the amount of biomass (a measure of the amount of organic carbon)—stored in trees across …

Lighten Up

Posted by Stephen Orr

Here’s the latest post from our guest blogger, Helen Yoest. Winter was never my season. For the most part, this is due to the lack of sun the …

I'm thrilled!

Posted by Stephen Orr

I’m so honored my book, Tomorrow’s Garden, was just chosen as one of the Ten Favorite Books of 2011 by Gardening Illustrated in their new issue! In such …

Cabins to Pine For

Posted by Stephen Orr

I love finding a new blog, especially by accident. I discovered this recent little gem with the apt name of Cabin Porn through a friend’s facebook post. As …

All About Moss

Posted by Stephen Orr

Here’s a new entry from our guest blogger Helen Yoest of Gardening with Confidence. Thanks Helen! Emerald green, rolling mounds, stillness enticing, and barefoot begging, mosses evoke a …

An Inspiring Garden in Texas

Posted by Stephen Orr

Take a look at Peckerwood, an innovative garden in Texas that we are featuring in our November issue. The name may sound a little odd to some ears—owner …

Weekend Planting

Posted by Stephen Orr

The weather this past weekend in our New York City area was near perfect. After a summer of wet rainy weather, the cool dry days of fall are very …

A Garden Event

Posted by Stephen Orr

If you’re in the Central Texas area, I hope you’ll come see me do a slide lecture for the Garden Conservancy next Tuesday, October 11. I’ll be showing …