Books & Writing
Abbye Churchill is author of The Gardens of Eden (Gestalten, 2020) and the co-author of A Wilder Life (Artisan, 2016). She was the Editorial Director of Wilder magazine and an associate editor at Tokion magazine. Her writing has appeared in T: The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, Food & Wine, W and many others.
The Gardens of Eden: New Residential Garden Concepts & Architecture for a Greener Planet
As our lifestyles become more sustainable, so does the way we interact with our gardens. No matter what size your patch is, it’s easy to create diverse and rich environments for plants and insects, or to grow your own fruits or vegetables. The Gardens of Eden introduces you to over 20 imaginative projects, featuring interviews with garden designers, insightful texts, and plans to show what contemporary garden culture looks like. In addition, this title offers information about different climate zones and soil types and gives tips for sustainable gardening and self-sufficiency. Get creative with native plants, and design greener corners within urban areas. The Gardens of Eden looks at fascinating examples of gardens around the world, teaching what you can do for nature while revealing what a green space can do for you.
A Wilder Life: A Season-by-Season Guide for Getting in Touch With Nature
An annual compendium to Wilder Quarterly, A Wilder Life is a modern-day Whole Earth Catalog. Divided by season, A Wilder Life is part cookbook, part growing guide, and part self-reliance manual that teaches readers tactile skills: how plant a night-blooming garden, navigate by reading the stars, build an outdoor shelter, make dry shampoo, identify insects, cultivate butterflies in a backyard, tint your clothes with natural dyes, and more. Created for a new generation of growers, gardeners, artists, and those enthralled with the natural world.
Praise for A Wilder Life
“While you may never have occasion to build your own “debris hut,” make your own kimchi or experiment with kokedama (the “moss ball” style of Japanese bonsai), you can still wander through the pages of A Wilder Life in awe and appreciation… A Wilder Life urges readers to garden with a purpose — to stew, brew, can and pot. When winter comes around and you find that the knees of your jeans have given out, there’s a nifty chapter on how to embroider a patch, sashiko style, that will fortify both jeans and you. Nature isn’t just a screen saver. It’s a soul saver.
— Dominique Browning, The New York Times Review of Books
"The new book that's becoming our natural beauty obsession. . . . It's a comprehensive, coffee table-worthy, DIY project-packed manual for enjoying all four seasons through interaction with nature--including recipes (foraged elderflower champagne! Pumpkin butter!), gardening and home tips. . . . It's also a particularly good resource for natural-beauty buffs."
— Eviana Hartman, Vogue
"A beautiful, informative, thoughtful compilation of facts, recipes, DIY instructions, and more—a book designed to put you a little more in touch with nature and a lot more in touch with yourself."
— Organic Lifestyle Magazine
“A Wilder Life—with its easy-to-read, easy-to-follow guides—successfully persuades the reader that nature isn’t an intimidating abstraction. Balance is possible and you can have the best of all your worlds.”
Selected Writings
A Guide to Marrakech — Vogue
A guide to the best oasis in the Moroccan capital and how to Hammam like a local.
On Beauty — T: The New York Times
A visit with May Lindstrom in her LA studio to learn how she makes her eponymous skincare line by hand.
Weaving and Natural Dyeing in Coastal Maine — T: The New York Times
At Swan’s Island, historic traditions of hand weaving and natural dye are alive and well in Coastal Maine.
Dunton Hot Springs — T: The New York Times
In rural Colorado, twelve cabins, outdoor hotsprings and a teepee make a compelling argument for that Rocky Mountain High.
The Collective Kennebunks — W
When the concrete walkways of the urban grid begin to feel a little too much like the charred confines of a brick oven, there’s almost nothing that can feel as luxurious and welcome as a seaside escape.
THINKS — Bad At Sports
Can I touch you? A series of inquiries (plus photography).