Flower March/April 2020

“Variety is the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavor.”—WILLIAM COWPER I VIVIDLY REMEMBER many of my mother’s aphorisms. Not only was she a wordsmith, but she was also really smart. Whenever we discussed differences of opinion, style, looks, likes, etc.—especially if I was having difficulty with these differences—she would calmly state, as if pronouncing some profound philosophical revelation from an oracle on high, “That’s why they make chocolate and vanilla.” But it was always assumed that one must pick one or the other. It never occurred to me then that you could have both, a fudge royal of sorts, but of course you can. Today, the fudge royal of style is eclecticism, or as we refer to it informally in the culture, “the mix.” Eclecticism, done…

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY The Bluegrass Trust Antiques & Garden Show March 6 LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY Waterfront Botanical Gardens March 7 DALLAS, TEXAS Peacock Alley Dallas Design District March 19 Coco & Dash March 21 HOUSTON, TEXAS Houston Design Center March 24 ORLANDO, FLORIDA Orlando Museum of Art March 27 CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA IDS Charlotte Designer Showhouses April 2 MONKTON, MARYLAND Ladew Topiary Gardens April 15 BURLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA The Very Thing, Ltd. April 22 Order your book at flowermagshop.com 205.970.9775…

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA Savannah Antiques & Architecture Weekend March 5–7 savantiquesweekend.com HOUSTON, TEXAS Azalea Trail March 6–8 riveroaksgc.org An Evening with Ray Booth New Hickory Chair Houston Showroom March 24 texasdesignweek.com Design in Bloom The Houston Design Center/The Houston Design District March 24 designinbloomhouston.com ORLANDO, FLORIDA Art in Bloom Orlando Museum of Art March 26–29 orlandoartinbloom.com SUMMERVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA Flowertown Festival April 3–5 visitsummerville.com HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA Voices of Our Times with P. Allen Smith Huntsville Museum of Art April 16 hsvmuseum.org VIRGINIA (STATEWIDE) Historic Garden Week April 18–25 vagardenweek.org WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA Winston-Salem Tour of Secret Gardens April 25 gardenclubcouncil.com PASADENA, CALIFORNIA Pasadena Showcase House of Design April 26–May 17 pasadenashowcase.org Indicates Flower is attending or sponsoring the event. For more events, visit flowermag.com.…

INTERIOR DESIGNER Kendall Wilkinson and her team are quite versed in the masterful mix. Their rooms are layered and dynamic, with deft pairings of older gems and modern pieces and a keen sense of color. This color prowess is reflected in the designer’s newest collection for Fabricut. Each color group is inspired by her global travels—the lights of Paris, the colorful motifs of Mexico, and the patterns and textures of nature. Coastline reveals rich blues and soft aquas, while Cityscape presents a neutral palette. Jardiniére, our favorite, calls to mind a garden of wildflowers with a rich mix of berry hues and dark greens. WHAT WE’VE GOT OUR EYES ON “This line reflects me in many ways, but the colors I chose are really ones that I gravitate towards in…

“I like to use an étagère for the visual weight it gives a room. It can help balance out a space and it’s a great place to display your personal style and preferences.”—designer Matthew Patrick Smyth “I love étagères in many, many forms and use them all the time to show off my clients’ beautiful possessions.”—DESIGNER LETA AUSTIN FOSTER A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING In the 1800s, ètagères served to display the many knickknacks typical of English middle-class decorating.…

BORN IN 1887, the only child of C. W. Post, the creator of Post cereals and the company that would become General Foods, Marjorie Merriweather Post lived a life of American royalty. Heiress, businesswoman, philanthropist, and hostess, Post owned many homes over the course of her life, including Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, as well as places in Long Island and the Adirondacks. In 1955, at the conclusion of her third marriage, Post—famously independent—left the Washington, D.C., home she had shared with her husband, and purchased Hillwood, a 25-acre estate nestled against Rock Creek Park a few miles north of the National Mall. She was 68 years old. “Marjorie Post had a strong sense of history and her place in history.”—KATE MARKERT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HILLWOOD According to Kate Markert,…