About Coleen
When Coleen and her family moved to the country in 1996, garden reclamation introduced her to a whole new world. Her latest book, All the World in a Blade of Quack: Reclaiming a Garden, Growing a Gardener, is her story of coming to know the natural world through frights, failures and fantastic experiences.
In 1986, Coleen started writing during the day while her husband and two children were off at school. After several years as a weaver, selling her work at art fairs and in galleries, it was only natural that she write about weaving. The story of Thomas Gairden, a coverlet weaver and soldier in Colonial America became The Gairden Legacy (The Founders, The Guardians and The Inheritors, St. Martin’s, 1993-94.) A lifelong junk market aficionado, she also wrote Garage Sale Decorator: A Pennypincher’s Shopping and Decorating Guide was published by Betterway Publications (now F&W) in 1989.
Gardening and writing about the outdoor world is part of Coleen’s every day. She is assisted by her faithful Springer spaniel, Fox.