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Rosemary’s Garden:
A Photo Almanac of a Midwestern Cottage Garden
My mother Rosemary’s garden was never just a collection of plants. For more than six decades, it was her canvas, her sanctuary, and her legacy.
This photo almanac is my tribute to her artistry and our shared history. It’s my hope that it inspires people to appreciate the natural beauty around them, wherever they live.

Why a Photo Almanac?
I grew up watching my mom in the garden, playing with my brother while she worked, and listening to her talk with Mrs. Rand, our neighbor at the time, about the latest blooms.
The quotes that begin each month’s photos come from A Midwestern Almanac: Pageant of the Seasons, a book Mrs. Rand wrote with her husband, Dr. Austin L. Rand, a curator at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
The seasonal sections and chapters follow “garden time” in photos, much like an almanac.
What’s a Cottage Garden?
Mom tended the garden at our family home in Chesterton, Indiana, creating a “cottage garden,” which Australian gardener Mary Davis defines as “a medley of soft shapes and harmonious colors.”
The garden took shape with dozens of native plants from Northwest Indiana and Midwestern perennial staples. I have photographed them for over 10 years. During the last year of Rosemary’s life, I walked with her in the garden, photographing her favorite views.
How Did the Garden Book Come About?
I followed the lead of my photographer father, John. A number of his photographs of the garden in past years appear in the photobook, which owes its title to him.
It’s also a tribute to my grandfather, Warren R. Canright. I learned the craft of media arts and publishing at the family newspaper and print shop. He focused on all aspects of the community, including its natural history. In the 1950s, he asked the Rands to write the nature columns that grew into their book.
All told, this seasonal celebration represents more than just beautiful images—it’s about preserving family and neighborhood connections, honoring artistic vision, and documenting the quiet beauty of a Midwestern garden through the cycles of the changing seasons.
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Order Advance Copies and Photos
The Book
Rosemary’s Garden will be published in a limited, hardback first edition of 250 copies. With over 150 photographs across 116 pages, the book follows the garden through the four seasons. Each season has its own section of three chapters, one for each month in the season. The quotes are from A Midwestern Almanac:
🌷Spring: The Garden Reborn — “March is a battleground of the seasons. Winter has on its side the cold, sleety days, but the warming sun brings forth the first shoots breaking through brown leaves.”
☀️ Summer: The Garden Blooms — “June is still a time of beginnings, a month of youth approaching maturity, a time when new plant growth is conspicuous.”
🍂 Fall: The Garden Glows — “October is a riot of color. October days are golden days.”
❄️Winter: The Garden Rests — “January is a resting time, our coldest month. Yet the sun gets stronger every day as the month passes.”
Each photo has a caption identifying flowers and trees with their common and scientific names. An annotated Bibliography lists gardening books from my mom’s library and plant books from mine.
The Photos
Summer Blooms Print
The garden in full August bloom

Four Seasons Print Set
Four prints representing a plant from each season



