About

Born and raised on the prairie, in the Flint Hills of north central Kansas, my love of gardening began at the tender age of three when I poked the seeds of a silver maple into the soil of my babysitter’s flower bed and they grew! More than 40 years later, those trees—dug and transplanted to our own yard—still stand at my parents’ home as a reminder of the early days in the development of my love of all things green.

My professional career began as a teenager working at Blueville Nursery, a retail nursery and garden center near my hometown, where I began designing perennial gardens at the age of 16. What some called a unique passion for plants and gardening eventually lead to college internships at two of the country’s most esteemed public gardens, Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia and the world-renowned Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

For the past 25 years I have called Nashville home, continuing to grow my business and brand by venturing into the worlds of garden and floral design, special events, garden photography, writing, and public speaking, and for nearly 20 years, I have been fortunate to be a part of Nashville Public Television’s hit gardening show, Volunteer Gardener, alongside an outstanding cast of co-hosts.

Today, I find my career making another shift—as it has done several times over the years—with the launch of Troy B. Marden Travel. I ventured overseas for the first time more than 20 years ago and fell in love with travel and all it offers. Since then, I have traveled the world and in 2012 the idea to share my passion for seeing the world’s most beautiful places began burning brightly in my mind. It has taken a few years, but 2017 marks the official launch of this new venture, designing and leading small group tours around the world.

This new business will encompass all of my many loves—gardening, food and wine, art, architecture, design, nature, photography, history. It’s all there! Check out the Travel section of my site to see where we’re headed next and join me on the road!