Barbara Paul Robinson

During a sabbatical from the leading international law firm, Debevoise & Plimpton where she was the first woman partner, Barbara Paul Robinson worked as a gardener for Rosemary Verey at Barnsley House, then for Penelope Hobhouse at Tintinhull. She credits those life transforming experiences with returning to become President of the New York City Bar Association, the first woman in since its founding in 1870. A hands-in-the-dirt gardener herself, she and her husband have created their own gardens at Brush Hill in northwestern Connecticut, featured in articles, books and television. A frequent speaker around the country, in Canada and Europe, Barbara is an Honorary Director of Wave Hill and Director Emeritus of The Garden Conservancy. She has had two books published: Rosemary Verey: The Life and Lessons of a Legendary Gardener (Godine 2012); and Heroes of Horticulture: Americans Who Transformed the Landscape (Godine 2018). Barbara has published book reviews in the Wall Street Journal, articles in the New York Times, Horticulture, Fine Gardening and Hortus. She has also written a chapter in Rosemary Verey’s The Secret Garden. Brush Hill is included in the Smithsonian Archives of American Gardens.