Martha has been painting since she was old enough to paint a portrait of her teddy bear, but picking up a paint brush was only something she did on holidays. In 1999, she left the Smithsonian Institution to create a line of watercolour cards that combines her passion for gardens with her love of watercolour.

“The garden has been part of my life since I followed my father's long legs down rows of freshly turned Pennsylvania soil planting seeds that grew into my favorites — dramatic six-foot sunflowers. Wherever I have lived, the need to plant and watch things grow has been irresistible. When I was at home busy with small children, I discovered I could dig and weed while the children played.”

“During those years of growing gardens and children, I discovered another gift of the garden — peace of mind. The work of the garden was totally absorbing. Being outside in the welcoming morning sun, damp grey mist or lavender dusk, no matter when I worked, the tangles of my mind loosened.

My children are grown, but the gifts of the garden continue – ever changing. Gardens and nature’s wild places have become my muse and are the inspiration for this collection of cards, bookmarks, and banners.