About Tara Dillard :

Tara Dillard's passion is gardening.   Her incredible enthusiasm is contagious to all she meets. There is little wonder that with her  implausible knowledge she has established a career as a nationally award winning author, speaker and designer. The author of five landscape and garden books, she has the unique ability to teach and design a low-maintenance, beautiful garden and lifestyle that truly expresses each individual person. Tara uses her cutting-edge, intuitive lifestyle to create her very own genre called Vanishing Threshold in which she combines home, lifestyle and vitality. Keeping it simple enriches the Vanishing Threshold. There is no wonder why she is often referred to as "The next Martha Stewart!"

Degreed in horticulture and industrial engineering she has decades of experience. Tara began her career speaking at garden clubs, teaching in community centers, and teaching at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and at Gwinnett College. She then moved on to symposiums, festivals and flower shows. With such great credentials, you have more than likely seen Tara's talent showcased on CBS, HGTV, NBC or PBS. Tara, a garden expert, has a weekly newspaper column found in Gwinnett Daily Post as well as a weekly e-column.

A powerful and motivational speaker, Tara captivates your attention with her impeccable knowledge and passion for a topic in which she is a complete and utter connoisseur. She lives a life of intention so simple it's powerful: career-liesure-antiques-furniture-food-health-spirit-art-books-clothes-music-pets-family-friends. All in vanishing threshold with a beautiful landscape regularly on tours. She will infuse you with the knowledge to create your own beautiful garden/beautiful life. Tara connects the dots in a manner resonating in today's organic multi-faceted, much too fast, world.
Tara also does exterior and landscape design in the Atlanta metro area as well as travelling out-of-state to design landscapes. In September 2008, Tara will host a garden tour to Paris and the Loire Valley followed by a garden tour of England in January 2009.

Speaking Topics:

• The Garden View: Every Direction Beautiful

• Focal Points in the Garden

• Vanishing Threshold: Combining Life, House & Garden

• Garden Design

• The Gardens of Italy: Politics, Religion & Sex

• Lessons Learned from a Garden Tour of Scotland & England

• Vines: Consider them First

Books by Tara Dillard :

Beautiful by Design: Stunning Blueprints for Harmonious Gardens What makes a garden special? Focal points that capture the eye, that turn each area into a habitat of graceful beauty, and that make a strong first impression. Using dozens of inspiring photographs, horticulturist Tara Dillard reveals the secrets of creating eye-catching arrangements that are elegant, not overdone, and that maintain their loveliness all year long. Find out how to choose a theme, make a splash with color, add garden art, install effective architectural pieces and furnishings, and make a big impact with just a little input. From trompe l'oeil illusions (including faux doors and windows) to recreating the first garden you loved, every idea here is top-quality.

Best Garden Plants for Georgia A great new gardening book for Georgia! This handy guide is packed with the best plant varieties you'll want for your garden: annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs, vines, roses, bulbs, ornamental grasses and herbs. Small enough to take to the garden center or nursery, yet filled with beautiful photos, it contains all the gardening information you need to decide which plants to select and how to care for them. Includes information on: habitat, height and spread; plant features and flower colors; soil, light and water; and tips on best use of the plant in your garden.

Blueprints for Harmonious Gardens Using dozens of inspiring photographs, plus detailed drawings that provide a map of all the elements, horticulturist Tara Dillard reveals her secrets for creating dazzling arrangements that are elegant (not overdone) and maintain their loveliness all year long. Find out how to choose a theme, make a splash with color, add garden art, install effective architectural pieces and furnishings, and generate a big impact with just a little input. From trompe l'oeil (including faux doors and windows) to recreating the first garden you loved, every idea here is top-quality.

Garden Paths & Stepping Stones Let this lush visual resource for gardeners and garden designers inspire you with its 125 different paths that feature styles from very casual to natural trails to elegantly formal walkways. Do-it-yourself installation instructions cover materials, elements of design, each step of construction, and maintenance tips. The value of your home will increase, and so will the pleasure you receive from walking outdoors, as the ordinary activity of going from one place to another reveals your sense of beauty and character. A Selection of the Crafters Choice Book Club & the Homestyle Book Club.

Perennials for Georgia Co-authored by national award-winning garden designer, TV host, speaker and author Tara Dillard, PERENNIALS FOR GEORGIA is a beautifully photographed guide to over 600 perennials suited to state growing conditions. This common-sense resource covers the most important information concerning each of the recommended varieties and features tips on planting and how to deal with problems and pests. A Quick Reference Chart provides at-a-glance information on color, blooming, height, hardiness and light and soil requirements.

The Garden View: Designs for Beautiful Landscapes No matter whether it's the vegetable garden or the garden path, make the most of a beautiful garden vista with these marvelous ideas for choosing and enhancing a focal point. Add exuberant plantings or a bench to create a feeling of repose. Enjoy year-round beauty with evergreens. Put in lighting to create atmosphere and improve safety. Add flagstones and gravel, and find out how to deal with eyesores. There are even suggestions for inside the home, for a great view when you're outdoors looking in.