Tabla de contenidos para July/August 2020 en Flower

In Garden Design Master Class, edited by Carl Della tore (Rizzoli New York, 2020), you are front and center with some of the world’s most acclaimed gardeners, who advise in 100 essays on how to take your garden to the next level. Showcasing all types of gardens and uncovering mysteries about garden theory, structure, and process, this book will be filled with sticky notes, and your garden will be grateful for it. While Garden Design Master Class takes the lens wide, Private Gardens of Santa Barbara (Gibbs Smith, 2020) focuses on a tiny sliver of paradise. Author Margie Grace takes readers on a romp through 18 lush Southern California oases. The enviable indoor/outdoor lifestyle, including beach side gardens, is on full display, sprinkled with inspiring stories of transformation.…

AS I WRITE THIS, OUR COUNTRY AND much of our world has been under coronavirus lockdown, a stark and increasingly poignant reminder of what a privilege it is to gather and how deep is our longing for human connection. As I wrote in my book California Cooking and Southern Style, to gather friends at the table is to hold a sacred space in which we nourish our bodies and feed our souls. This resonates now more than ever as I witness, and play a small part in, the volunteer hunger-relief program in our area. My hope is that we are all committed to holding this sacred space in our hearts and at home, as we wait to hold space and one another once again in a larger context—Lord willin’ and…

Jan ter Haar wasn’t expecting to be mesmerized by the Maine seacoast. In fact, when he suggested a coastal escapade to his wife, Ann, he was thinking more about checking a previously unvisited state off his bucket list and less about experiencing a life-changing encounter. But before they knew it, the two were making inquiries at a rental office. After one season spent experiencing the drama of watching the high seas, they sent out feelers to purchase a home of their own. After being shown 25 houses, the couple found Rose Cove in 2007. As a location, Rose Cove was everything they craved. Foremost, it overlooks a particularly scenic chunk of jagged shore where sailboats glide majestically past. Practically speaking, the house stood empty for a year and a half…

CALIFORNIA-BASED INTERIOR DESIGNER MARK SIKES has joined creative forces with the workrooms of Chaddock for a new collection that sings with stylish freshness. As Chaddock CEO Andrew Crone explains, “There’s a magic to Mark’s work. He understands the power of timeless lines and personalized details, but in a way that customers and clients understand them, too. That sensitivity to designer needs and client expectations makes him a wonderful partner for us.” The collection charms with pieces that are each unique but mix easily with others. The customization options are plentiful, including 12 featured colors from Farrow & Ball and various finishes. “From their approach to service to their passion for artisan-made, custom furniture to their love of classic all-American, California design, this partnership couldn’t have been a better fit,” says…

A RELAXED, CONFIDENT, SLIGHTLY BOSSY HOSTESS (or host) is key. When you are relaxed, your guests can be too. Be completely organized, and leave little for the last minute. Hire help if you can. ARRIVAL IS THE CRUCIAL MOMENT when guests decide, if unconsciously, whether this is gonna be fun. Dim the lights and cue the votive candles. Play lively music, but softly enough to talk over. (Turn it off during dinner; life is distracting enough.) Give guests a drink the instant they walk in. Prepoured glasses of wine prevent a rush at the bar. Offer non-alcoholic options too. As a (slightly bossy) hostess, make introductions. Scan the group for wayward souls and wing them in. HAVE A SEATING PLAN, however small or informal your party. It saves a world…

MICHAEL WALEK has worked by the sea for decades, but every site presents its own set of parameters. Because Rose Cove is fully exposed, Michael began by bolstering the property’s contingent of shrubs and trees to buffet the wind and provide framework. Spruces were a raving success story. “Blue spruce looks particularly strong against the backdrop of the sea,” Michael says. Metasequoias and Japanese white pine stood strong as vertical sentinels. In moist spots, winterberry is the local hero, feeding birds with its berries that flash red against the water. “The contrast of the berry color really shows up on gray days,” Michael says. On the other hand, junipers were a disappointment, browning where exposed to coastal winds. Given the property’s name, roses seem like a no-brainer, but they have…

TIP “Mix various textures and hues of gold; they create a lovely background for a variety of colors.”—Amanda Smith Fowler…

THIS YEAR, VENERABLE BRITISH hand-painted wallpaper firm de Gournay looked to the fashion scene for inspiration, joining up with London-based designer Erdem Moralioglu of the fashion label Erdem, which is known for exuberant feminine frocks and attention to detail. For de Gournay, Erdem and his team created a pattern with hydrangea, hollyhock, iris, and morning glory amidst a lattice of branches with birds darting through foliage. In turn, Erdem’s Spring/Summer 2020 collection includes dresses inspired by de Gournay’s works and rescaled for fashion, with florals strewn across backgrounds of white, navy, and black. (degournay.com; erdem.com) The Spring/Summer 2020 Beaufort collection from London-based textile and wallpaper firm The Vale also celebrates flora and fauna with wonderful flair. For her wallpaper designs, founder Melinda Marquardt looks to dramatic artichokes, dahlias, peonies, and…

Eileen Tongson of FarmGal Flowers THE ORLANDO-BASED FLORAL DESIGNER AND FLOWER FARMER CREATES LUSH ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE SURPRISE OF FRAGRANT HERBS TUCKED THROUGHOUT AT EAST END MARKET, AN ARTISAN FOOD HUB WHERE SHE GROWS FLOWERS AND HERBS MATERIALS LIST 1 ‘Celway Terracotta’ celosia2 ‘Break Out’ dahlia3 ‘Karma Thalia’ dahlia4 Bupleurum5 ‘Green Mist’ ammi6 ‘Rubenza’ cosmos7 Spearmint8 ‘Queen Red Lime’ zinnia9 Daucus carota ‘Dara’10 Delphinium11 Apple mint12 Variegated pittosporum STEP BY STEP “Using herbs brings freshness and vitality to arrangements, and the scents trigger memories for people.” – EILEEN TONGSON STEP 1 I chose a handled white vase for a taller arrangement. First, mold a piece of chicken wire to form a ball that will fit in the top of the vase, place it in the vase, and then add water and flower…

EARLY-SUMMER EVENINGS beg for alfresco dinners. And when the soirée is set on the North Shore of Long Island and hosted by interior designer Meg Braff, then prepare for party perfection. Meg grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi, where entertaining was and is considered a high art form. “My mother would prepare food for days, and on the night of the party, I would help set the table and then get dressed up and ‘pass the rolls.’ It was my official job,” says Meg. With the rhythms of life so different today, Meg wisely plans with collaboration in mind, but not just any collaboration. The story begins with, of all things, Instagram. Having followed Meg for a while, I was smitten by the crisp, chic style of her outdoor entertaining, often…