Innholdsfortegnelse for September/October 2024 i Flower

“Let us crown ourselves with roses, before they be withered: let no meadow escape our riot. Let none of us go without his part in luxury: let us everywhere leave tokens of joy: for this is our portion, and this our lot.”—BOOK OF WISDOM THE ABOVE QUOTE was the inspiration for Robert Herrick’s famous line “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may” from his poem “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time.” Having departed from my usual format to dedicate last issue’s “Watering Can” to my husband in the garden, I shall continue in that vein with the same protagonist in a different setting. This 4th of July while in Fairhope, Alabama, my dearly beloved Gates suffered a life-threatening heart event. We were on pins and needles and prayers for…

FLOWER: Tell us about your entertaining style. Augusta Cole: It is definitely rooted in an appreciation for interior design, antiques, and tradition—all things that I learned about early on from my mother and grandmother. I believe the greatest gatherings marry an elegant setting with fresh design touches, an abundant menu, and great music. I aim to treat my guests to a total sensory experience! How do you like to entertain, specifically in the fall? When the days become shorter and the temperature drops, I embrace the opportunity to entertain outdoors. The glow of the autumn light and the feel of the fresh air allow me to create an ambiance that is warm and cozy. Share how you make it feel warm and cozy—without all the seasonal fall kitsch, of course!…

Fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt often incorporated flowers in her artistic creations. The blooms didn’t necessarily appear in botanically correct ways but rather in fabric designs and paintings that brightened her surroundings. Ever the romantic, Vanderbilt used flowers to highlight aspects of a room, to reinforce certain colors or textures, and, if she happened to be photographed in that room, to subtly coordinate with what she was wearing. Several photographs by Horst P. Horst, one of the most influential fashion photographers of the mid-20th century, illustrate Vanderbilt’s ability to connect herself with botanicals. In one image, she plays up pink in a silk shawl with pink flowers nearby—all accenting the same hues in the floral fabric covering the sofa. In another photo with her two sons, Anderson and Carter, the designer…

FLOWER: In the opening line of your latest book, Forever Beautiful (Rizzoli, 2024), you begin with “Beauty can change the world. It’s a bold statement, but I believe it.” Tell us about how you discovered beauty growing up in Texas and Central Illinois. Mark D. Sikes: As a child, I took note of beauty and was highly attuned to the world around me. I found green grass and blue skies mesmerizing and thought butterflies were just remarkable; bees and hummingbirds were fascinating to me as well. I studied the colors of birds’ feathers and the colors of the flowers in my grandmother’s cutting garden. I’m not sure if this makes sense, but I saw deeper into these things—beyond just their existence. I also remember being captivated by the Estée Lauder…

Best in Arrangements Ashley, Pink O’Hara, and Alabaster. The bright pink, light pink, and white reflect a color combination I love. Most Dependable Eustacia Vye. This David Austin rose has a really beautiful ombré pink, old-fashioned bloom. For Gracious Gifting You can’t go wrong with any kind of white rose, whether for a man or a woman. My go-to is White O’Hara. It’s beautiful and fragrant, and we sell both bouquets and bushes. To Stop and Smell Princess Charlene de Monaco. Its fragrance is intoxicatingly sweet. For the Novice Francis Meilland. It repeats several times throughout the season and rewards its growers with large blooms. What I Grow at Home Pope John Paul, Bolero, and All Dressed Up. They never fail to put on quite a show.…

Any items not listed are unknown. FROM THE FIELD PAGES 19-28: Floral designer: Leska Graves Taylor, 205.799.2991; Fabric: Square Off in Multi, jimthompsonfabrics.com; Grisha Centerpiece, arteriorshome.com; Festival Dinner Napkins, sferra.com; Majestic Boxwood Flatware, housesandparties.com; Warm Smoke Venetian Tumbler, housesandparties.com; Palladio Gold Service Plate by Vietri, replacements.com; Izmir Pimento Dinner Plate, housesandparties.com; Vintage Japanese Handpainted Plates, housesandparties.com; Rainbow Enameled Silver Tumblers, housesandparties.com; Drinks Box, fieldbar.com; Fabric: Buxley in Lichen by Stroheim, fabricut.com; Francoise Border, samuelandsons.com; Noma Studded Gimp, samuelandsons.com ARRANGING PAGES 30-36: Garden Designer: Sean A. Pritchard, Sean A. Pritchard, seanapritchard.com ENTERTAINING PAGES 38-40: Event Planner: Augusta Cole, Augusta Cole, augustacole.com INTERIORS PAGES 42-51: Interior Designer: Mary Beth Wagner, Mary Beth Wagner Interiors, marybethwagnerinteriors.com; Contractor for Renovation: Nelson Devega, Nelson Devega Homes, 214.363.6878; Custom Stair Runner in Entry: Interior Resources, intredallas.com;…

AT THE TABLE “The first hint of fall gives me reason enough to celebrate! Although it’s not yet cashmere weather at my home in Savannah, any cocktail starring bourbon makes a cozy liquid sweater. And it’s cool and dark enough to serve a sinful gratin among masses of candles.”—REBECCA GARDNER OF HOUSES & PARTIES FALL STYLE NEW BOOKS OCCASIONAL TABLES “I find the best interiors incorporate influences from around the world, from the Far East to the West, for an interesting, thoughtful mix. I love an Asian silhouette—especially on a drinks table—to punctuate a room.”—DESIGNER MARY MCDONALD CHAIRS “When it comes to chairs, I often feel like Goldilocks. Is it too deep, too high, too hard, too small? If it isn’t comfortable, no one will sit there. When the lines…

Potluck Pointers With celebration season just around the corner, it’s helpful to have go-to, crowd-pleasing recipes. Better yet, it’s important to know how to host an occasion or what to contribute to gatherings such as potlucks. In his debut book, Mastering the Art of Entertaining (SparkPress, 2023), lauded chef and event designer Joseph Marini shares his reflections on “the mark of a great host and the merits of a gracious guest.” With the help of photographer Heidi Harris, Marini captures the spirit of gracious entertaining throughout the year. See Marini’s top tips, along with some of his recipes, at flowermag.com/potluck. History Restored The Georgia- and Michigan-based design team at Cloth & Kind takes an early 1900s Missouri home and restores it to its former elegance while shaking it up for…

HOTEL Hotel Du Cap in Antibes in the South of France is a favorite of mine. The setting is so beautiful, and there’s a feeling that’s hard to pinpoint. The interiors are super elegant but simple, and the walk down to the beach club is incredible. CITY I’m really loving Washington, D.C., a lot right now. It is such a beautiful representation of America. The way it’s laid out is remarkably beautiful with vistas, trees, and historic buildings. It’s a city that has great energy. HISTORIC HOUSE Villa La Fiorentina, a Palladian-style villa in the South of France, is a source of inspiration for me. At one point it was decorated by Billy Baldwin, and he used a lot of blue and white in his redesign. FLOWER Lily of the…

TJ McGrath is passionate about promoting better methods in flower cultivation, a movement known as sustainable floristry. On a plot of land in central New Jersey, the floral designer grows flowers in beds filled with custom-blended soil tailored to each species. Created by soil scientist Eric Fleisher, each mixture is designed to nourish a specific type of flower. And because no chemicals touch TJ’s plantings, the blooms can be enjoyed in an arrangement and then sent straight to a dedicated compost pile of all-organic matter, unsullied by dangerous products. It’s a regenerative soil cycle that never ends. TJ’s plot of land sits on a property called Jardin de Buis that includes 26 acres and a house owned by Eric Fleisher and his wife, architect Andrea Filippone. Andrea originally bought the…

AS I RETREAT INDOORS after a summer spent outside, I want the plant and flower displays across the cottage to be welcoming and familiar. I want them to gently ease me back into darker nights and slower starts by somehow responding to the changing landscape outdoors. The abundance of summer has faded, and the heady days of rooms filled to the brim with flowers have passed. In their place, a single jug of dahlias or a solitary pot of cosmos is enough to lightly transition to this more sober of periods. I suppose I start a yearly cycle of fully appreciating the beauty of plants and flowers in the autumn. The disappearance of everything that has sustained me over spring and summer comes with a jolt, but one that always…

Strip back heavy finishes. Bleaching wood back to its natural state or refinishing it in a semitransparent glaze will shed light on the intricate dimensions of wainscoting, paneling, and trim while also letting the wood grain show through. Mix it up. Grass cloth walls add texture while toning down weighty wood paneling. “I also used white and pastel paint colors to bring soft notes to rooms and to the beadboard ceiling in the kitchen and breakfast room.” Mary Beth says. Complement and contrast. Incorporate furniture pieces with clean lines and brighter finishes. “I chose mostly solids in blues and neutrals,” says Mary Beth. “I also added rugs and fabrics that are equally light with floral designs and neutral backdrops.” Add shine. Metallic accents, including mirrors, fixtures, and carefully selected lighting,…

Landscape designer Larry Weaner has always viewed gardens as evolutionary. That might not sound like a unique mindset today, but when Larry was first entering the horticultural field in the 1980s, designers liked to deliver a landscape that would hold the status quo. The thought was that while a professionally designed garden might take a few years to mature, it would then live happily ever after (or at least for the foreseeable future) as a finished, polished, and static presentation. But what Larry discovered early in the game was that he didn’t find an unchanging landscape to be even remotely interesting. Instead, he was fascinated by transformation and found himself gravitating toward more natural designs, especially meadows. Although designed meadows weren’t in the mainstream at that time, the topic was…

When Gracie Poulson planted a rose bush at the first house she and her husband Ryan lived in as newlyweds almost a decade ago, it was an act of nostalgia. Gracie had loved roses since her childhood days of visiting her grandmother’s home, where she was mesmerized by the lush garden, beautiful floral arrangements, and collections of rose-decorated objects throughout. That fondness only continued to grow as Gracie discovered more rose varieties, as well as the power she had to cultivate flowers that revealed their best selves. When her own garden blossomed to over 500 plants, she began sharing photos on Instagram, and before long, floral designers came calling. Gracie and Ryan quickly realized they needed not only more land and more roses but also a business plan. At the…