Flower May/June 2021

“In the garden! In the garden!” “Yes,” hurried on Colin. “It was the garden that did it—and Mary and Dickon and the creatures—and the Magic. No one knows. We kept it to tell you when you came. I’m well, I can beat Mary in a race. I’m going to be an athlete.… I’m going to live forever and ever and ever!” —Excerpt from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett ANY OF YOU WHO’VE READ THE CLASSIC The Secret Garden will recognize this powerful revelation. Colin, the erstwhile weak and sickly young heir to Misselthwaite Manor, has been healed and revitalized, given a new heart full of wonder, hope, and joy. Colin’s story is replete with experiences that culminate in his transformation, but with that simple, essential wisdom of the young,…

IF YOU ARE LIKE SEVERAL OF US ON THE FLOWER STAFF, every weekend jaunt or big getaway includes searching for treasures at antiques shops, flea markets, art galleries, and the like. If you’ve been feeling stranded, Marchioness Home & Garden can help. Interior designer Bethany Berk, now based outside Boston in a country landscape setting—where she recently finished renovating a historic property on the Charles River—decided to bring her expertise to the Web. Bethany was inspired by her 25 years of far-flung travel, searching for antique treasures and unique finds to make her clients’ homes special. She curates collections with a theme in mind, such as Botanical; Aubusson; and, most recently, Olde World Weddings. “For the Botanical collection, I was inspired by the greenhouse cultivars on my property and my…

LUXURY TOWEL AND ROBE PURVEYOR Weezie Towels, founded in 2018 by longtime friends Lindsey Johnson and Liz Eichholz, tapped Birmingham, Alabama–based interior and textile designer Heather Chadduck Hillegas to collaborate on a new collection drawing inspiration from Heather’s designs, especially her Grande Frond pattern. “It was a new experience for me, discussing how to deliver patterns to terry cloth—we had to address scale, as these are large towels, and of course getting the colors perfected,” says Heather. The results are telling—beautiful and practical! We need one of each color as we anticipate pools and shores in our futures. Each piece is crafted in Portugal using 100% organic cotton. weezietowels.com…

Stay Stateside this summer and stay at two must-visit Relais & Châteaux properties—The Charlotte Inn on Martha’s Vineyard and Ocean House in Rhode Island. The Charlotte Inn has welcomed guests for almost 50 years, since Gery Conover first saw the neglected clapboard house on Summer Street in Edgartown and determined he had to have it. “That was 1972, and we have been at it ever since,” says Gery, who runs the inn with his wife, Paula. Rooms are filled with English antique furniture, books, and paintings, and the inn has many places to relax—wide porches, brick terraces, and a cozy library with a crackling fire. Caught-that-day New England seafood and fresh, locally sourced produce are coaxed into delicacies by French chef Patrice Martineau, from the Champagne region. Savor it all,…

EVERY YEAR, when winter wanes and the weather warms, Mother Nature reveals her true colors in the Texas countryside. Come spring, the Lone Star State produces one of the biggest and brightest wildflower shows on Earth, with bluebonnets and brown-eyed susans, winecups and Indian paintbrushes blanketing the state’s south-central region. This year, Carolina Lewis, along with her twin cousins, Margaret and Alicia Amberson, are celebrating the season at their San Antonio–based ranch wear brand, Sorella Clothing Co. Their capsule collection of wildflower scarves includes the oversized Sallie shawl made of 100% silk, plus two 40-inch-long silk ribbons that can be worn as wristlets, hat bands, hair ties, and more. While the shawl blooms with flora and fauna, the ribbons recount the South Texas vendors selling grapefruits, oranges, strawberries, and watermelons…

In The Naturally Beautiful Garden: Designs That Engage With Nature and Wildlife (Rizzoli New York, 2021), British garden writer Kathryn Bradley-Hole takes us on a journey to more than 30 gardens from across the globe with a bevy of photographers that showcase the beauty and impact of spaces designed with an eco-friendly and sustainable approach. Featuring gardens ranging from public spaces to cottage gardens and intimate city courtyards, the book also speaks to topics such as incorporating seeds, fruit, and grasses, and the challenges of various climates. The variety of spaces is what makes this book such a standout. As Kathryn writes, “Each one is a work of art in its own right, and each one, whether actively sought or through its planting, assists the wild creatures that make these…