I have been long awaiting the new biography of Rachel Lowe Lambert Lloyd Mellon, commonly known as Bunny Mellon. She was born into a wealthy family (think Gillette razor and Listerine fortunes) and later married banking heir and art collector, Paul Mellon. Bunny passed away in 2014 at the age of 103 but her legend lives on. She made major contributions to the horticultural field, as well as the arts, design, and being a philanthropist. She was a friend of the Kennedy’s and put her thumbprint on many landmark gardens, including the White House Rose Garden during the Kennedy era.
The book “Bunny Mellon: The Life of an American Style Legend” was released yesterday and is authored by Meryl Gordon who, according to the book’s description, had “access to thousands of pages of her letters, diaries and appointment calendars and has interviewed more than 175 people to capture the spirit of this talented American original.” To celebrate the release of the new book, today I would like to remember Bunny Mellon by taking a look back the garden house of her former 4,000 acre Virginia estate known as Oak Spring Farms. The beautifully mastered trompe l’oeil floor to ceiling murals were painted by French artist Fernand Renard. The space is a gardener’s paradise. 
The property’s barn inspired Charlotte’s Web. The rope swing still hanging in the barn is referenced in the book.
White did much of his writing in the boathouse where the author’s desk, bench, and wastebasket still remain. 
