Sad news

Carolina gardeners lost one of their finest yesterday. Margot Rochester passed away after a brief illness. She was best known as a garden writer for many newspapers throughout both Carolinas. Her first book, Earthly Delights, came out in 2004 and her second, Down to Earth: Practical Methods for Passionate Gardeners, will be released in January. Margot was a frequent contributor to Carolina Gardener magazine as well as Horticulture and Fine Gardening; I am sure there are others I can't think of right now. She loved meeting other gardeners and often spoke at the various symposiums and garden festivals and innumerable garden clubs. Seeing other gardens, large and small, was a passion and if there was a garden tour going on in either Carolina you can be sure Margot was there. Her love of gardening and gardeners was only surpassed by her love of her family and hundreds of friends. She will be dearly missed by many, especially me.

Ardesia: Thank you for this sad news. I'm not familiar with her name, even though I suscribe to both CG and FG, but that's not significant. I'm sorry for the loss of a fine gardener.

I will have to find her books and read them. I too am sorry for her loss.

Ardesia, Thank you for sharing the sad news of Margots death. I did not know her but anyone who dedicates her life to informing others of gardening we as gardeners should show great respect for all her efforts. I am sure she will be greatly missed, but what she gave to gardening will always be remembered.

I am sorry for your loss. I know that you will miss her and I'm glad that you shared this with us. I look forward to reading her books.

http://gardensgardens.wordpress.com/2008/10/28/tuesday-october-28-2008-margot-rochester-remembered/

I was stunned to learn about Margot Rochester. Just last spring I attended a talk she gave at Woodley's on hydrangeas. With all the new cultivars for sale, she insisted her favorite hydrangea was 'Annabelle' -- which didn't happen to be for sale.

There was a large group of us there, hanging on her every word.

She lived in Lugoff, which isn't very far from where we live, and I kept thinking I ought to get to know her better.

She insisted that garden beds could be prepared by layering certain ingredients, what Patricia Lanza calls lasagna gardening, maintaining that gardening wasn't really all that hard if you learned to abandon the thought of too much tidiness in the garden.

As gardeners we're aware of the cycle of life, but she left us much too soon. I understand her last book will come out in January.

Fleurs: Thank you for this enlightenment on Margot Rochester, someone I did not have the pleasure of knowing or knowing of, but will make special effort to find her books.

Alice-

I'm so sorry to hear that. I know you mentioned she was ill last week and I'm sorry to hear that Margot Rochester passed away.

Jenny

Thanks for the kind words all. This is her photo taken at the Garden Writers of America conference in Portland; taken just 37 days before her funeral.

Ardesia: Well, she certainly looked healthy enough in the photo. Guess you can't always tell.