Flower September/October 2025

“I’ll light the fire You place the flowers in the vase That you bought today Staring at the fire… Such a cozy room The windows are illuminated By the evening sunshine through them Fiery gems for you, only for you”FROM “OUR HOUSE” BY GRAHAM NASH I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE. One of my guilty pleasures is looking into windows of houses while riding or walking somewhere at dusk, just when inhabitants have returned home for the evening and lights have been lit—that in-between time, the gentle transition from day to night, work to rest. No, I’m not a voyeur, and I’m not casing the joints. I just love to imagine—maybe write a scene in my head (based on what little visual information the passing glimpse affords). I like to…

“Autumn has always been my favorite time of year. I love the crispness in the air and how the oranges, golds, and muted greens take center stage just as the garden is starting to slow down at our home in Virginia. It’s a palette I naturally gravitate toward in my design work.”—BARRY DIXON “Green is a universally loved color; it’s vibrant and fresh, neither feminine or masculine, nor young or old.”—MARK D. SIKES “I believe every room should have a touch of green. It quiets the noise in a space with many layers and patterns and also makes a neutral palette come alive. It’s the chameleon of the color wheel.”—AMANDA SMITH FOWLER “Green invites us to breathe deeply and feel at ease—it’s nature’s quiet confidence translated into color.”—COREY DAMEN JENKINS…

With cooler days approaching, I begin thinking about my favorite crops for fall—the season when the spring garden can be repeated with the addition of kale, collards, mustard greens, Swiss chard, turnips, and rutabagas. I can still recall a late October afternoon in 1954 when my grandfather took me to his turnip patch on the farm and I pulled up a number of purple top turnips. I was fascinated by their beautiful color. That evening, my mother prepared them for supper with a simple recipe that remains my favorite way to eat them—steamed and seasoned with butter, salt, and pepper. It’s one of my fondest fall memories.…

CoLLards PLANTING 101: Collards may be the most cold-hardy of all vegetables. Depending on your zone, they might harvest throughout the entire winter. Plant in rows that are 18 to 36 inches apart, and space plants 6 to 18 inches apart on the row. Give them sun and water, and take care of pests. Whiteflies tend to gravitate toward collards. Garlic is a smart option to not only deter whiteflies but also to act as a flavor enhancer for the collards. Companions: celery, garlic, onions, potatoes Avoid: grapes, mustard greens, pole beans, tomatoes, strawberries John’s favorites: Georgia Southern, Alabama Blue GarLic PLANTING 101: If you give garlic a jump start in fall, it will be one of the first things to come up in the garden next spring. It needs…

The list of those who have practiced pressing botanicals reads like a Who’s Who of civilization’s iconic figures. From the entombed pharaohs of ancient Egypt, who were adorned in flowers, to the 18th-century Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus, who created the binomial system of naming and categorizing plants, to the 19th-century English naturalist Charles Darwin, who studied plants that contributed to his theory of natural selection, such leaders, scientists, and scholars have looked to flowers and plants for meaning and insight into the fundamental mechanics of our natural world. Called an herbarium when assembled for study or sentiment, pressed botanicals exist around the world at institutions such as the New York Botanical Garden, The Linnean Society and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London, and the National Museum of Natural…

How did your love for entertaining and design transition into a full-fledged career? Mark Twain once said, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” My job is parties. Imagine that! Truth be told, it’s hard work. But I’m honored that my clients allow me to create magical little worlds in which they celebrate and make memories. The title of your new book, A Screaming Blast, says it all. You definitely have a flair for the dramatic, and we love having a vicarious invitation to your parties in the pages of the book. How do you balance beauty with more fantastical elements? Parties should be beautiful, of course, but they MUST be fun. I like a party to have a…