Michele Owens, Ranter Emeritus, Author at GardenRant

Michele Owens, Ranter Emeritus

Michele Owens is a joyful vegetable gardener of two decades. Her book Grow the Good Life: Why a Vegetable Garden Will Make You Happy, Healthy, Wealthy and Wise was published by Rodale in February of 2011. She is a founding partner of Garden Rant, one of the most popular and influential gardening blogs, and writes about gardening for publications that have included O, The Oprah Magazine, Garden Design, and Organic Gardening.

She is also the co-author of three nationally best-selling business books, Executive Warfare, Career Warfare, and Brand Warfare, with former John Hancock CEO David F. D’Alessandro. Brand Warfare was named one of the best business books of 2001 by Library Journal.

She is the former chief speechwriter for Governor William F. Weld of Massachusetts and worked on his 1996 Senate campaign. She was also a staff speechwriter for another distinctive voice in American politics, Governor Mario Cuomo of New York.

She lives with her family in Saratoga Springs and Salem, NY.

Articles by Michele Owens, Ranter Emeritus

The Commencement Speech No One’s Invited Me to Deliver

The Commencement Speech No One’s Invited Me to Deliver

By Michele Owens, Ranter Emeritus|2021-02-16T20:34:16-05:00June 8, 2007|

I'm delighted to be here today and want to thank Expensiva University for the honorary doctorate, too. Suddenly, I feel legitimate, though I don't expect the feeling to last. Once [...]

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Me and My Mulches – Better the Gardeners Naked than the Soil!

Me and My Mulches – Better the Gardeners Naked than the Soil!

By Michele Owens, Ranter Emeritus|2021-02-17T08:04:09-05:00April 27, 2007|

The first gardening book I ever read was Ruth Stout's No Work Gardening. Ironic title, when I think about it, in that it presaged 15 years of ferocious labor on my part. Thanks [...]

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Leaf-raking – when lawn culture trumps gardening culture

Leaf-raking – when lawn culture trumps gardening culture

By Michele Owens, Ranter Emeritus|2021-02-17T08:10:43-05:00December 1, 2006|

The only time of year that you'll see my neighbors out in quantities working up tremendous sweats in their yards is the time that is coming to a full-stop now [...]

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Why plant-shopping at the box stores is depressing

Why plant-shopping at the box stores is depressing

By Michele Owens, Ranter Emeritus|2021-05-23T17:08:16-04:00November 11, 2006|

Prominently displayed at Home Depot - pesticides, not plants. In Saratoga Springs, gardening forms no part of the local fantasy, which revolves around very expensive horse-flesh and some [...]

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The myth of planning: planting with conviction is more important

The myth of planning: planting with conviction is more important

By Michele Owens, Ranter Emeritus|2021-02-17T08:19:24-05:00October 27, 2006|

Lindisfarne Castle, designed by Gertrude Jekyll Here's how it goes. Referring, inevitably, to Gertrude Jekyll's meticulous plans for her clients' perennial gardens and probably reprinting one of her [...]

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