Tabla de contenidos para May/June 2024 en Flower

AT PRESENT, WE’VE JUST come off International Women’s Day. I don’t always trumpet these commemorative moments on my social media scaffolding, and it can be for any number of reasons. In this case, I refrained because I felt that the topic had been duly acknowledged in the zeitgeist, which allowed me to simply appreciate the messages of others. But as I read through our content for this issue, I can’t help but remark on the exclusively feminine makeup of the stories—not only the subjects whose houses, gardens, art, textiles, and games populate the pages, but even the writers. I am an editor, a business owner, and a woman. However, I’ve never really highlighted the fact of my being a woman in business, or in the publishing business specifically. I simply…

With the idea of welcoming aspiring floral students, renowned floral designer Holly Heider Chapple and husband Evan purchased Hope Flower Farm in Waterford, Virginia, in 2015. The 25-acre farm, including an 1820s main house and a large barn, became a bucolic teaching facility, as well as a place for Holly to continue growing flowers for weddings and other special events. Since that time, it has expanded to include multiple venues available for celebrations or retreats, as well as a winery, a gift shop, and even a cozy cottage that can accommodate up to six guests. However, the farm’s most important purpose is one of healing—something that evolved from Holly’s own experience with loss and grief. A parent to seven children, Holly has long been known as “the flower mama,” and…

Mahjong is having a moment. Grounded in tradition, the game has historically been associated with older generations. However, thanks to its inherent social nature that encourages community, often over food and drinks, Mahjong is becoming the “it” game for all ages. As a self-proclaimed Southern entertaining enthusiast, I found it to be the perfect catalyst for throwing a great party. When I received my first set of custom kelly green Mahjong tiles, courtesy of The Mahjong Line, I immediately called upon dear friend and fellow entertaining guru Katie Jacobs to help me host an afternoon of food and festivities centered around the chic pastime. Katie and I have both made careers out of entertaining and styling tables—and we’ve teamed up to plan many events. Since Katie is a wizard in…

Petal Pushers Drawing from nature’s most timeless shapes, these pieces will bloom eternally. On the Sunny Side Welcome warm-weather rays indoors and out with garden-themed décor and accessories. “The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.”—ALFRED AUSTIN Leafing Through Every one of these new garden books will become a perennial favorite. For more information, see Sources, page 78…

Most people best remember Fleur Cowles as the creator of one of the most innovative—and financially extravagant—magazines ever published. Flair, which launched in 1950 and lasted only one year, featured editorial contributions from esteemed individuals such as Winston Churchill, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, and Jean Cocteau. Boasting covers with artistic cutouts, along with varying paper stocks for its special foldout features, the magazine was a visual feast. Its intent was to spark the intellect in a way that no other publication ever had. Flair cost $2.50 per issue to produce, yet it sold for only 50 cents on the newsstand. A financial disaster with a short lifespan, the publication remained one of Cowles’s proudest achievements. I first met Cowles in 2005 at her Albany apartment in London. At the time,…

Barbara Israel always knew she would have a garden—and she knew that her garden would be formal in style. Her love of all things classical was forged at a young age when she spent summers climbing the walls of a nearby estate to gain a glimpse of its gardens. She found an instant affinity for the symmetry of the plantings. But even then, it was the statuary that really spoke to her. Fast forward to when Barbara was a young mother and, together with husband Tom, decided to buy a country house just outside of New York City. Tom had only one request: He wanted to live on a quiet road. Barbara’s must-have list was much longer, but when she toured Steepway Farm in Westchester County, she found it immediately…

Any items not listed are unknown. SCENE PAGE 20: The Garden That I Love by Alfred Austin, stylist’s own vintage copy; Garden Roses by Gracielinda Poulson, published by Artisan; Back to the Land by Pieter Estersohn, published by Rizzoli, rizzoliusa.com; The Flower Yard in Containers & Pots by Arthur Parkinson, published by Rizzoli, rizzoliusa.com; Home in Bloom by Ariella Chezar, published by Ten Speed Press, crownpublishing.com; The Landscape of Home by Hollander Design, published by Rizzoli, rizzoliusa.com FLOWER FARM PAGES 32-36: Hope Flower Farm, hopeflowerfarm.com HOME ON THE RANCH PAGES 44-51: DESIGN: Designer: Denise McGaha, Denise McGaha Interiors, denisemcgaha.com. WOODSHED: Bamboo Folding Chairs: Target, target.com; Chair Slipcover: “Liana Sheer” by Denise McGaha for Vervain, fabricut.com; Tablecloth: Royal Fern by Denise McGaha for Vervain, fabricut.com; Mirror: Suzanne Kasler for Ballard Designs;…

The very things that draw one to New Orleans are quirkiness and individual expression and elegant eccentricity. An exotic difference that is locally called “culture” invites one on a magical exploration. It delights visitors, and some are so ensnared that they never leave. Locals remain lifelong residents; even if something takes them away, they often return years later. There are several good illustrated books with the word “bohemian” in their titles. I have them all, yet even as I linger over those pages, my thought is that there is nothing like the homes in New Orleans. However, as the owners of those homes move on, either by passing from this world or being forced to leave the city for one reason or another, these great houses become a thing of…

Let’s Step Outside Late spring and early summer days draw us outside to entertain or just relax with a drink and a copy of FLOWER magazine. We’ve gathered more than two dozen idyllic porches and verandas featured in our pages to inspire your outdoor space refresh—or maybe just your daydreams. See them all at flowermag.com/stepoutside Designers’ Guide to Gallery Walls A curated display of art or objects not only allows you to share a collection but also to create a “wow” moment and conversation starter in any space. We look at several styles of gallery walls and talk to gallerists and interior designers about considerations for planning your own art wall. Find it at flowermag.com/gallerywalls HITTING THE HIGH NOTES For more than three decades, New Orleans bons vivants and musicians…

“I believe in ‘traveling flowers.’ A birthday dinner might require a generous table arrangement, or a grouping of mock orange branches in your entry hall. Once the guests have gone, move the mock orange into the bedroom, where their nocturnal scent can lull you to sleep. Or deconstruct that bouquet the next day and carry a small vase to your home office when you go to pay your bills. Take flowers into a bathroom, fill the tub, light a candle, relax.”—ARIELLA CHEZAR, FROM HOME IN BLOOM (TEN SPEED PRESS, 2024)…