Flower January/February 2020

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.”–TIM CAHILL AIR TRAVEL IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART THESE days. You screech into the airport on two wheels, stand in interminable lines, have to take off lots of your clothes, and get nabbed with a 4.5-ounce bottle of lens cleaner (1.1 ounces over the legal limit). The flight may be on time, or it may be canceled. As I always say, you have to really want to get there fast to brave air travel now. As I am currently on a whirlwind, generally two- to three-city-a-week book tour that started in March, with dates stretching into 2021, I am something of an air travel expert at this point. I, however, do not enjoy it at all. I’m not…

ATLANTA, GEORGIA The Cathedral Antiques Show January 22–26 cathedralantiques.org VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA The Virginia Flower & Garden Expo January 24–26 vafgs.org NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE Antiques & Garden Show Nashville January 31–February 2 antiquesandgardenshow.com WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA Kips Bay Decorator Show House Palm Beach February 1–March 1 kipsbaydecoratorshowhouse.org LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA LA Art Show February 5–9 laartshow.com MONTEVALLO, ALABAMA American Village Festival of Tulips February 17–March 31 americanvillage.org HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT Connecticut Flower & Garden Show February 20–23 ctflowershow.com SEATTLE, WASHINGTON Northwest Flower & Garden Festival February 26–March 1 gardenshow.com THOMASVILLE, GEORGIA Thomasville Antiques Show February 28–March 1 thomasvilleantiquesshow.com PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia Flower Show February 29–March 8 theflowershow.com Indicates Flower is attending or sponsoring the event. For more events, visit flowermag.com.…

COLORS THAT COMPLEMENT Goldenrod’s yellow depths balance nicely with gray tones and are quite at home with warm browns and greens. PERENNIAL WITH A PUNCH A member of the aster family, goldenrod is a wildflower known for its healing properties. For more goldenrod picks, see Sources, page 86…

TWENTY YEARS AGO, Italian writer and horticulturalist Umberto Pasti was lured to the remote village of Rohuna in northern Morocco by a friend who promised a place where no nazrani, no foreigner, had ever set foot before. Pasti was enchanted and set about building a home and expansive garden there, a transformative experience he recounts in Eden Revisited: A Garden in Northern Morocco (Rizzoli, 2019). When gardeners are writers, the gifts of beauty are twofold: magnificent swaths of earth coupled by words generous enough to capture it. “Around here the winds themselves have identities,” Pasti writes. “The sea wind is a giant with icy breath. Even the trees—every apricot tree has its states of mind, every plum tree its shifts of mood.” With every sun-dappled image of ancient olive trees…

THE LOIRE RIVER FLOWS THROUGH THE central region of France, and in its lush valley sit 22 pedigreed châteaux that comprise a UNESCO World Heritage Site only two hours from Paris. The area beckons with its visual narrative of turrets, towers, and gardens—picturesque villages, farms, and rolling vineyards all perched on a meandering route along France’s longest river and its tributaries, attracting more than 3 million annual visitors. The scene of royal intrigue and extravagance, the unsullied area existed as a favorite trysting spot for centuries. Known as a part of the country that had it all, it offered even more reasons to visit last year while France commemorated the 500th anniversary of the Renaissance and applauded the completion of the remarkable gardens of Château de Chambord. As the largest…

MATERIALS ▪ Cymbidium orchid▪ Carnation▪ Burgundy cotinus▪ ‘Cappuccino’ rose▪ Plumosa fern Monica’s inspiration I wanted to create a simple arrangement that was minimal in style but at the same time modern and fresh. My inspiration came from the traditional Japanese ikebana style. I did two things that were unexpected. First, I manually opened the tulip petals, completely changing the traditional look of closed tulips. I think most people will get a kick out of that once they realize that these are actually tulips. Second, I used tulips that were dyed brown, which creates these very interesting veins throughout. MATERIALS ▪ Preserved sun palms▪ Queen Anne’s lace▪ Foraged palm leaf▪ ‘Blushing Bride’ protea▪ Grevillea chamomile STEPS MATERIALS ▪ Blush cymbidium orchid▪ ‘Cappuccino’ rose▪ Carnation▪ ‘Elegance’ ranunculus▪ ‘Clooney’ ranunculus▪ Peace lily▪ Blueberry…