Flower November/December 2021

“Blessed is the season that engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.”—Hamilton Wright Mabie FOR THE MOST PART, the word “conspiracy” instills a sense of fear, subterfuge, negativity, and—let’s face it—a bit of crazy. That doesn’t mean that there are not conspiracies afoot, for good or for ill. However, I am enamored by Mabie’s use of the term here. What would it look and feel like for the whole world to simply drop arms, prejudices, grudges, fears, malice, and condemnations and ask for our hearts to be filled with love? Not just love for our friends, family, and others who are easy to love, but love for those who act and think and believe differently from us. I have a vision of people whispering, “Psst, I love you;…

READING LIST Humphry Repton: Designing the Landscape Garden by John Phibbs (Rizzoli, 2021), $75 Regarded by many as the last great landscape designer of the 18th century, Humphry Repton left his indelible mark on gardens across his homeland of England. This definitive survey explores 15 of his most celebrated landscapes, including his early gardens at Courteenhall and Mulgrave Castle and his more adventurous landscapes at Stanage, Brightling, and Endsleigh. With photography by Joe Cornish, as well as reproductions of key illustrations and plans for gardens from Humphry’s personal “red books,” this volume gives readers an inside look at the intricacies of the designer’s vision and process. Seasons at Highclere: Gardening, Growing, and Cooking Through the Year at the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon (Rizzoli, 2021), $40 Best…

“I love that Ray Booth’s modern container acts as a foil to the conventional reds and greens of this arrangement. I’ll forgo a little tradition—dare I say predictability—in order to create and find gifts and decorations that are timeless.”—FRANCES MACDOUGALL, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR “Nothing is more flattering—and festive—than candlelight, especially during the holidays when those we hold near and dear come to celebrate with us at home. These chic lamp shades give off a similar, sophisticated glow and come in a myriad of colors. They are just as lovely unlit during the day as they are magical at night.”—AMANDA SMITH FOWLER, STYLE EDITOR “One of the most fun things about the holidays is giving little luxuries or something homemade to friends. I’m not super crafty but limoncello is easy to make—it’s…

It was the encounter with Piet Oudolf’s work which encouraged me, along with so many others, to plant on a more expansive scale. I had read about some of the Dutch and German work with perennials but had never visited Westpark in Munich or Piet’s nursery at Hummelo in the Netherlands. But Piet’s garden for John Coke at Bury Court was eye-opening. I recall seeing the meadow of Deschampsia cespitosa with Trifolium rubens scattered through it like loose purple confetti. By today’s standards the garden layout seems quite mannered, but there was the beginning of a freeing-up of the plan so that plants were not just arranged in linear sequences but were all around, interacting in countless, often unforeseen ways. The balance between man and plant was readdressed in favor…

MATERIALS •Wire wreath frame•Floral water tubes•Floral wire•Douglas-fir•Juniper berry clusters•Ilex berries•Roses•Carnations•Delphinium•Lisianthus•Lilies•Sparkly decorative wire•Faux-pearl sprigs Turn to page 38 for step-by-step instructions My Inspiration: I wanted to step away from the traditional wreath and include a variety of fresh flowers, berries, and faux materials, mixing up the classic Christmas palette with some brighter hues like blues and pinks. STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS STEP 1 Use precut pieces of the Douglas-fir to create individual bundles that will serve as the base for the wreath. Gather four or five pieces per bundle to ensure they are dense enough to cover the wire frame. STEP 2 Wire the first bundle directly onto the wreath with floral wire. Hold the bundle against the wire frame, and then wrap floral wire around it to attach it. Wrap the bundle…

It’s no secret that the island of Capri and the stunning Amalfi Coast have epitomized glamour, beauty, and sybaritic indulgences for the rich and famous for centuries. When Roman emperors such as Augustus and Tiberius claimed the area for personal pleasure, it became synonymous with a rarefied type of la dolce vita that was later relished by notables such as Richard Wagner, Gore Vidal, Sophia Loren, and Elizabeth Taylor, to name a few. Begin your adventure when you hop aboard a hydrofoil in the chaotic Naples harbor, where hordes of day-trippers fill the rocking boats for a voyage to Capri’s craggy, 2-by-4-mile rocky surface. Upon disembarking, skip the long funicular queue that can take over an hour. Instead, hand your suitcase to a porter, who will transport it to your…