Table of contents for May/June 2025 in Flower

ONE OF MY FAVORITE SCENES in the Jane Austen film versions of her books appears in the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice—the one with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle playing the romantic leads of Darcy and Elizabeth (“Lizzy”). A nature-loving girl, Lizzy is a gentleman’s daughter who scandalously sports a bit of a tan from all her walkabouts in the countryside. Darcy, though an aristocratic and citified dandy, is fond of a good stroll in the gardens and a brisk gallop across hills and dales. In this scene, Lizzy has unconventionally walked 3 miles from home to check on her sister, Jane, who’s taken ill and ends up ensconced at Netherfield, the country home that Darcy’s friend Charles Bingley shares with his snooty sisters. As Lizzy crosses the stile…

Growing & Guidance “EVERY MORNING DURING the spring and summer seasons, I look forward to walking through our gardens to marvel at the fresh beginning of a new day. At first light, the gardens begin to teem with life—leaves covered with dew sparkle like precious gems, insects stir among the various plants and flowers, and the cool morning air is filled with the sounds of honeybees making their way from flower to flower. Bees, along with other insects, play a vital role in our gardens. Without them, there would be no pollination. Then there are the beautiful butterflies with their colorful wings which add an artistic addition to the flowers they land on.” —John Coykendall Companion planting The beauty of flowers in the garden is not only for us to enjoy.…

Trending Now at FlowerMag.com Must-Visit Estate Gardens For garden lovers, exploring the well-known plantings at Biltmore Estate and Monticello is just the beginning. More beautiful American estate gardens await with something for every taste and interest. Whether you love 18th-century discipline, 19th-century grandeur, or 20th-century opulence, there’s an Eden for you. We’ve selected not-to-be-missed landscapes from California to New York, the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast, and locales in between. Discover some of our readers’ favorite gardens and start planning your visits at flowermag.com/estate-gardens. A Historic Gem Reimagined Designer Bethany Adams brought joyful color and a more contemporary spirit into a 1911 home in Louisville, Kentucky, that still pays homage to its outstanding architectural heritage. The homeowners and Bethany agreed on an essential goal: The design would not be…

“Some people golf. We garden.”—ALEJANDRA ROSSETTI “Some people golf. We garden,” says Alejandra Rossetti, who along with her husband—whom she refers to as her ‘partner in gardening crime’—has been creating and nurturing their Hamptons oasis for almost a decade. Tending to a massive bank of hydrangeas may occasionally turn into a high-flying athletic feat, but for Alejandra, it’s par for the course. “There is nothing more pleasurable for us than to be tinkering among the plants,” she says. To see more of this garden, visit flowermag.com/rossetti-garden…

“Style—all who have it share one thing: originality.”—DIANA VREELAND…

Within minutes of seeing the Garden of Ninfa for the first time, I knew it was something special. Located south of Rome, the English-style garden, built around the ruins of an abandoned Italian town, feels as if it was plucked from a fairytale. As our group took in the view, the garden seemed to demand silence for us to appreciate its surroundings—buildings covered in thick ivy and sinewy roses; knee-deep, lake-edge irises; and careless bunches of lilies around timbered trees. As we tiptoed through installations of seasonal blossoms, we heard a symphony of nature—the twittering of birds, the hum of winds blowing through lofty trees, and the insistent clacking of bamboo fronds. Situated only a few miles from Cisterna in the lee of the Lepini mountains, the 260-acre garden, dotted…

It’s no secret that I am happiest when I am busy, and each day finds me trying to be as productive as possible, with various projects at different stages of development in the studio. When I travel, I’m not one for beach vacations, preferring to spend time walking around cities or taking in every detail of a museum or garden. In my own garden, however, I stand or sit and listen to the birds and insects, watch the bees as they make their way in and out of the boxes, and observe flowers moving when a breeze happens to blow. In these moments, the most active thing I do is clip or tie up a stem in the raised beds. For the most part, I try to just be, with…

2025 For more information, see Sources, page 92.…

A trip to the Garden of Ninfa is not complete without exploring two Italian treasures—the charming towns of Frascati and Castel Gandolfo—both located in the Alban Hills. In Frascati, book a room at the Park Hotel Villa Grazioli. This historic 16th-century villa features frescoed hallways, ornate vaulted ceilings, and meticulously designed gardens. Make time to stroll Via Battisti in the heart of town—the street leads to the Piazza San Pietro and the imposing Roman Catholic cathedral known as Cattedrale di San Pietro. If all that walking works up an appetite, stop by Pasticceria Purificato bakery for the worldfamous, honey-laced biscuits modeled after old, pagan fertility symbols. Five miles southwest of Frascati lies the scenic town of Castel Gandolfo, home of the Pontifical Villas that served as the Pope’s summer residence…

“Perfection is the enemy of beauty.” It’s a powerful notion yet also a tad ironic coming from Patrick Dunne, the legendary New Orleans antiquarian and decorator known for his unerring eye. “I find stories where others find flaws,” he says. “To me, a timeworn piece of wood or a slightly tattered textile is special because it’s a survivor. It should be appreciated and celebrated, not picked over or pushed aside.” It was this philosophy that resonated with Lafayette residents Germaine and Jerome Smith 20 years ago when they met Patrick at his former French Quarter emporium, Lucullus Antiques. Subsequently, it was the same philosophy that made Patrick and interior designer Nathan Drewes of Decorations Lucullus the perfect team to task when the Smiths decided to build a weekend retreat in…