The Margaret Webster Shakespeare Garden at Vineyard Haven Public Library

The Margaret Webster Shakespeare Garden at Vineyard Haven Public Library

Prior to the last library renovation in 1999, a feature of the library's landscaping was a "Shakespeare Garden" dedicated in 1976 to Margaret Webster, American-British theater actress, producer and director. The garden was laid out in an oval roughly 19’ in diameter, planted with herbs and flowers mentioned in Shakespeare’s works. The centerpiece of the garden was a bronze sculpture by Priscilla Pattison, given by Ms. Webster in memory of her partner Jane Brundred. During the 1999 library renovation, a Landscaping Committee created a plan for the library grounds that did not preserve the Shakespeare Garden, opting for landscaping that was lower-maintenance and that included a more functional patio area.

1975 Plan for the Shakespeare Garden at the library

The Shakespeare Garden as it appeared in the 1990s

The 2026 library renovation included a new interpretation of the Margaret Webster Shakespeare Garden designed by renowned landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh.  The new design increases accessibility and improves interaction between the community room, reading room, and garden space, and provides greater visibility for the Pattison Sculpture, which had been obscured by plantings following the 1999 renovation. The grounds of the library again feature plants mentioned in the works of Shakespeare or associated with the bard. The courtyard restoration, as well as the “reading lawn” and porch in front of the library, were funded in part by the citizens of Tisbury through the Community Preservation Act.

Shakespeare Garden Plants featured in the restored landscaping:

Cherry 

MND III, ii

Daffodil

WT IV, iii

Elm

Errors II, ii

Grass

Temp II, i

Holly 

AYLI II, vii

Lilies

Sonnets 94

Rose

RJ II, ii

Rosemary

Ham IV, v

Thyme

MND II, i

Oth I, iii

Yew

Mac IV, i

Geranium

Geranium robertianum, commonly known as Herb-robert, is thought to have gained its name from an ancient association with Robin Goodfellow, a house goblin from English folklore also known as Puck, a character in Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Hellebore

In Elizabethan folklore, hellebore had the power to repel witches and evil spirits, so it was often planted near doorways. Alternatively, it was gathered after dark on Midsummer’s Eve, then dried and hung in houses and stables for protection.

Magnolia

The gardens of the Folger Shakespeare Library include a heritage magnolia tree planted at the time of the Folger’s 1932 opening, that was famously moved during the library’s renovation in 2020.

The restored courtyard featuring sculpture by Priscilla Pattison in August 2026