Innholdsfortegnelse for January/February 2018 i Flower

“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” –ECCLESIASTES 1:9 I HEAR SOME ITERATION OF THIS VERSE from the book of Ecclesiastes from time to time, most often referencing a floral, interior, fashion, or garden design element, as in: “This new asymmetrical, garden-y arrangement style is not really new. Constance Spry was doing it almost a hundred years ago—you know there’s really nothing new under the sun.” The writer of the original phrase was filled with ennui and hopelessness. He must not have been a creative. While I might allow that most successful designs are a mix of things that have gone before and an artist’s personal…

WHEN NEW YORK–BASED ARTISTS Brice and Helen Marden first stayed at the Golden Rock Inn on the island of Nevis, they were smitten and, impulsively, bought it. The inn, on a former sugar plantation, had seen better days, but the couple saw tiny Nevis (only 36 square miles) as an unspoiled gem, and the inn as a diamond in the rough. They hired Miami landscape architect Raymond Jungles to maximize the potential of the property. The aptly named Jungles was happy to accommodate Helen’s affinity for barely tamed nature—what she describes as “nature almost winning.” Working with local nursery owners, landscapers, and stonemasons, he deployed a mix of native and imported plant materials. The artful mix of subtropical species from near and far evokes an exuberance of exotic color and…

MATERIALS: ▪ Spirea▪ Eucalyptus▪ Lilac▪ Fritillaria persica▪ Fritillaria meleagris▪ Hellebores▪ Butterfly ranunculus▪ Ranunculus▪ Sweet peas▪ Jasmine vine▪ Echeveria Susan’s inspiration I love experimenting and exploring new shapes. I also enjoy bringing techniques used for large-scale design to the tabletop, and vice versa. For this piece, I’m borrowing techniques to create oversized archways and shrinking it down for use in the home or for a special event. I think this cascading bridge piece can be used in many settings: for an entryway, a sideboard, an escort card table, or, as pictured here, resting on a pair of side tables. I chose all my early spring favorites in a rich palette. Color is something I’m especially hungry for this time of year. 1 | This type of arrangement works best with two…

DO put all the lights on dimmers. Ambient lighting is more affordable and far less painful than plastic surgery! DON’T arrive too early or too late. And never follow Heidi Klum down a red carpet. DO offer a festive “mocktail” for the designated drivers, mamas-in-the-making, and other souls not imbibing. DON’T sweat the small stuff. Relax and have fun hosting because even the best actors and actresses can’t hide stress. DO what you do best, and outsource the rest. To put it bluntly, if you’re not a cook, then cater. DON’T cry over spilled milk. Or red wine. Think of a stain as a “parting gift” from a guest who had a really good time.…

“I’m a bit of a plopper,” says Rachel Ashwell, in a genteel accent that reveals more than a hint of a childhood spent in London and the English countryside, but one perhaps slightly faded from decades of living in the warm Southern California sunshine. Somehow, it’s hard to imagine the woman with this gracious voice plopping anywhere, until one remembers she’s the designer, shop owner, and author who first introduced Shabby Chic to the rest of us nearly 30 years ago—an aesthetic practically begging to be sunken into with its painted and weathered furniture, vintage-inspired fabrics, and comfy cushions and slip covers, all awash in luminous whites, petal pinks, and tranquil blues. Today, however, the plopping that Ashwell speaks of refers to her everyday approach to flower arranging: cutting roses…

at a verdant porch with cascades of orchids, tropical greenery, and a magnolia-leaf table skirt in Richard David and Mark Held’s famed Los Angeles flower studio, Mark’s Garden. This dreamy space designed by Held reminds me that not every escape requires a passport and ticket. Experience a soothing retreat on a local park stroll. Encounter exhilarating views at a public garden. Or simply chance upon gorgeous details as close as a cozy porch festooned in green. To see more, go to flowermag.com…

ATLANTA, GEORGIA The Cathedral Antiques Show January 24–27 cathedralantiques.org VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA Virginia Flower & Garden Expo January 26–28 vafgs.org NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE Antiques & Garden Show Nashville February 2–4 antiquesandgardenshow.com SEATTLE, WASHINGTON Northwest Flower & Garden Festival February 7–11 gardenshow.com WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show February 14–20 palmbeachshow.com HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT Flower & Garden Show February 22–25 ctflowershow.com ATLANTA, GEORGIA Atlanta Botanical Garden Flower Show February 23–25 atlantabg.org THOMASVILLE, GEORGIA Thomasville Antiques Show February 23–25 thomasvilleantiquesshow.com LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY The Blue Grass Trust Antiques & Garden Show March 2–4 bluegrasstrust.org PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia Flower Show March 3-11 theflowershow.com Indicates Flower is attending or sponsoring the event. For more events, visit flowermag.com.…

Smoked Old-Fashioned The merest sniff of a single malt whiskey takes me straight to the Highlands of Scotland. To me, a single malt evokes peat, heather, crystal-clear streams, and the purest fresh air. A cocktail that employs both 15-year-old Laphroaig single malt and Maker’s Mark bourbon can only be a roaring success. This smoky version of the classic old-fashioned is a robust drink and intended to be drunk slowly. As the ice melts, the flavor develops. —William Yeoward 1 brown sugar cube6 drops Angostura bitters1 oz. Laphroaig 15-year-old single malt whiskey2 oz. Maker’s Mark bourbon whiskeyTo garnish: a large orange twist and a black cherry Place the sugar cube on a napkin, and drip the Angostura onto the cube. (It is all too easy to drip too much bitters onto…

ONE DAY, WHEN Flower was only a gleam in my mind, I met Cornelia Guest on the treadmill next to mine at a small New York hotel. We chatted in that easy way that travelers who know they’ll never see each other again have. Then she asked what I was up to in the city, and I shared with her my dream of starting a magazine about flowers. Her first response was, “You mean there’s not one?” Her next response was to encourage me heartily and share with me about her new adventures in gardening since she had inherited Templeton, the iconic estate of her late mother, C. Z. Guest. As we wrapped up our chat, almost as an afterthought, she scribbled her cell phone number on a scrap of…

THE STORY OF SKYLANDS, the extraordinary summer home and garden of Martha Stewart located on the central coast of Maine, demands to be explored as slowly and deliberately as one might maunder its pine-needled paths on a morning when fog has absorbed the very physics of sound. Visiting is a sensorial experience that, in concert with its owner’s awareness of its specialness and within context of her gifted facility, results in a sum greater than its parts. In all gemstones, the most brilliant facets are triangular, and this triad applies to the glint and glister of Skylands, with equal measures of natural and cultural history and an overlay of significant landscape design. The quintessence of this landscape, indeed of the entire coast of Maine, was sculpted during the retreat of…

WHEN EMPRESS EUGÉNIE, THE WIFE of Napoleon III, tired of the debauchery and skulduggery of the French court, she traveled to a little-known corner in the southwest of France, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, of Eleanor fame. Near the Spanish border and the Atlantic Ocean, this exotic, semitropical village proved the perfect bolt-hole, boasting such country comforts as natural thermal waters, a warmer clime, and most of all, the quiet respite she so longed for. Hence, named for its royal benefactor, Eugénie les Bains and its famed resort, Les Prés d’Eugénie, was the destination of choice for Eileen Johnson of FlowerSchool New York when she plotted her study-abroad program with four of the world’s top floral designers: Christian Tortu, Shane Connolly, Ariella Chezar, and Emily Thompson. The roster was rounded out…

“When looking at one of my paintings in reverse, I like to imagine someone discovering the history and patina under each layer.”–DEBORAH WHITLAW LLEWELLYN AFTER WORKING AS an interiors, lifestyle, and food photographer for more than two decades, Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn has honed a keen eye for detail. Whether shooting in someone’s home, working with a model, or capturing the grains in a single spoonful of sugar, she knows it’s the little things that make the biggest difference when framing the perfect shot. Scale and balance are key, the light has to be just right, and the model has to look just so. Sometimes a single image is the result of a momentous team effort requiring lots of planning and hours. When Llewellyn turns her focus to her photographic encaustic…

BRYAN BATT PUTS ON A good show—on screen, on stage, and at home. Perhaps best known for his role as Salvatore Romano in AMC’s hit series Mad Men, the actor is also an accomplished author and designer with a penchant for hosting impromptu get-togethers to celebrate anything, everything, or nothing at all. But despite his love of fanfare, Batt prefers to stay out of the spotlight when it comes to entertaining at home. To kick off the awards season, he traded his Tom Ford tux for his J. Crew dinner jacket and planned a small but chic gathering with all the glamour and glitz of Hollywood—minus the paparazzi. “I’ve attended my fair share of awards shows and experienced all the hoopla firsthand,” Batt says. “Being surrounded by shining stars, bright…

Considering today’s Pinterest-driven quest for perfection, it’s refreshingly unexpected to meet someone who is removed from all that—someone who truly sings her own tune—a beautifully arranged melody that’s tinged with delightful quirkiness and always surprise. Rebecca Gardner of Houses & Parties, an event and interiors specialist based in Savannah, Georgia, and New York, is that person, one who believes that rules are more like suggestions and that a little irreverence is always in order. Use elegant Herend china and serve takeout Chinese straight out of the box at a dinner party? Introduce a basket of bunnies for guests to play with at an outdoor wedding? Decorate the table with withered leaves and flowers on the brink of decay for a hip gallery fest? Yes, yes, and yes. The novelty is…