Restore Faulkner’s Garden to Its Former Glory

English Knot Garden on the grounds of Rowan Oak

Picture stepping into the grounds of Rowan Oak, the home William Faulkner cherished, where every path, vine and hedge stood as part of his creative sanctuary. This landscape was Faulkner’s private world for 32 years, in imagination and reality, and he was fascinated by its history. Faulkner purposefully did not remove or disrupt the antebellum features already present, but he and his wife Estelle eventually added their own touches to the grounds with an English knot garden, climbing roses, scuppernong grape arbors and more.

With your support we have the opportunity to restore the grounds to as they appeared when Faulkner and their caretakers, the Prices, tended to them. This means revitalizing the English Knot garden and its roses, rebuilding the grape arbors, replanting fragrant shrubs and climbing roses and removing inauthentic “volunteer trees” to return the green spaces back to their original beauty.

These landscapes are among the most photographed and beloved spots in Oxford, chosen daily for hikes, picnics and moments of reflection. They remain a shared treasure deeply rooted in our community.

Your involvement helps transform these spaces into vibrant living history, where every bloom and path echoes Faulkner’s connection to this land. With your support, we can replant, reconstruct and restore Faulkner’s garden with respect and authenticity.

Rowan Oak’s gardens are more than beautiful spaces. They are historical pages trodden by Faulkner himself, now waiting for new life. Your support reawakens that living legacy, making it bloom for visitors today and for generations beyond.