Innehållsförteckning för Flowers and Gardens 2018 från Victoria

One of my favorite friends, an elderly gentleman whose hobby is propagating shrubbery, said to me recently, “You don’t have to be a gardener to appreciate the beauty and serenity offered by a garden.” I think his statement is true, for all of us can enjoy flowers and plants, regardless of the interests we pursue. This amazing man certainly has a proverbial green thumb (or, more likely, green hands), as it seems every plant he touches flourishes. His botanical efforts grace many lawns around town. In addition to sharing his talent with the community, he welcomes friends and strangers alike to tour his property via a path that winds among sunny beds and shady corners. Most visitors leave with a new cutting or a recently rooted plant or two. He…

Ladies once described elegant garden parties as “pearls and peonies.” Dressed in smart frocks and wearing pearl necklaces, these women gathered to delight in the sight of peonies that graced late-spring gardens. Flower specimens wax and wane in popularity, and so it is with peonies. But Michael Hsu is spearheading a revival of the blooms in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. What began as a hobby in celebration of his family’s Chinese heritage is now a flourishing floral haven. In 1998, Michael and his father, C. K., bought a fifty-acre farm in Richlandtown. They wanted to grow something unusual, so they selected Chinese peonies. The oasis features twenty thousand plants imported from China, comprising 450 different varieties of the flower. The spectacular display reaches its pinnacle in May, the peak blooming period.…

Catherine Watters, who was born and raised in Paris, began taking art lessons at a very young age. She continued her studies throughout high school and college but never concentrated on an area of specialty. “I started thinking I wanted to find something specific to focus on,” Catherine explains. “I sort of stumbled into botanical art; after taking one class on the subject, I was inspired. From there, I studied the old masters and taught myself.” The high level of detail that characterizes botanical art was born of a desire in the days before photography to accurately portray every nuance of flora. In the seventeenth century, as members of European royalty began collecting plants from worldwide expeditions, they commissioned artists to document the new, exotic specimens in their gardens. These…

“‘Tis my faith that every flower Enjoys the air it breathes.”—WILLIAM WORDSWORTH “Flowers are the music of the ground From earth’s lips spoken without sound.”—EDWIN CURRAN…

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS KATIE FARMAND: pages 89–92 KAREN L. DARDICK: pages 23–26 VALERIE KRAMER DAVIS: pages 71–72 JEANNE DELATHOUDER: pages 51–64 and 85–88 BRITTANY WILLIAMS FLOWERS: pages 81–84 KATE CARTER FREDERICK: pages 31–36 and 65–70 NANCY A. RUHLING: pages 11–18 EMELIE TOLLEY: pages 75–80 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS KRISTINE FOLEY: pages 2, 9–10, and 23–26 GEORGIANNA LANE: cover, pages 39–50, and back cover KATE SEARS: pages 5, 8, 27–30, 37–38, 71–72, and 75–92 KAMIN WILLIAMS: pages 65–70 CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS ERIN BENZAKEIN: cover, pages 41–50, and back cover YUKIE MCLEAN: pages 3–4, 11–22, 51–56, and 93–94…

The magic begins when Gina Galvin opens the wrought-iron gates and the peacocks unfurl their regal rainbow tails like fancy folding fans. She and what she calls her menagerie—two cats, two dogs, three miniature horses, one donkey, and a sheep named Molly—welcome guests to Peacock Park, her fairy tale–like palace in Grand Blanc, Michigan. “I’m passionate about all things French,” Gina says. “And I love antiques and things that have a timeworn look.” So it’s not surprising that the 130-acre estate looks as though it were transported from nineteenth-century Paris or that Gina uses it as the main inspiration for the vintage-style home accessories she creates for her company, Peacock Park Design. “Ideas just flash into my mind,” she says. “I feel like Tinker Bell. I wave my wand, and…

On mornings in Donna O’Brien’s garden in Northern California, the mist curls around trees and shrubbery, their shapes hardly distinguishable in the shadows of this early hour. Then light begins to pale. The sun rises and burns the enveloping fog to a haze. Donna steps into her garden for a solitary moment. The view—including the green terrain and mists of the distant Celtic land so close to her heart—touches her sensibility for her Scottish heritage. The garden, fully mature at ten years, began on a cold, damp day. Donna’s sister, Kristine Wahlberg, a designer specializing in European gardens and interiors, picked up a lonely branch nearby, using it as an artist uses a brush. “I began to move and glide through the wet soil underfoot, carving into the ground the…

As anyone with a passion for gardening knows, the heart-stirring need to turn the soil, tuck in seeds, and tenderly nurture each tiny sprout must be indulged. For Erin Benzakein, that yearning began with a two-acre plot of land and a big dream that has blossomed into a thriving business, christened simply Floret. Both a farm and a floral-design studio, Floret has drawn the attention of growers and consumers alike who support the local flower renaissance taking place around the globe. Erin’s husband and two children work alongside her, making it a true family affair. With her quick success, this Washington State resident once contemplated expanding to a larger plot of land. “As we explored increasing our footprint, something just didn’t sit right,” she says. “Bigger isn’t always better. So…

“Flowers leave some of their fragrance in the hand that bestows them.”—CHINESE PROVERB Garden Stars Indomitable blooms rule in Kathy and Ed Whitfield’s garden. The variety, type, and color of flowers include…

Behind the artfully forged iron gates and thick, centuries-old brick walls of Charleston, South Carolina, magnificent living treasures await. Although the gardens of these private residences are rarely open, a handful of the most splendid are included each year in the Festival of Houses & Gardens—a series of spring tours hosted by the Historic Charleston Foundation, beginning in mid-March and running through mid-April. During this time, eight to ten homeowners open their flower-filled havens to ticket holders who may stroll leisurely from location to location, greeted by knowledgeable guides at each stop along the way. Varied and vast in plantings and color, each display possesses a distinct personality, creating an unforgettable memory for all who view it. The day concludes in late afternoon with a wine and lemonade reception on…

A tumbled mix of leftover stone and assorted old bricks proved just the right building materials for a simple square structure, where the owners plan their garden, start seeds under grow lights, and store all manner of terra-cotta pots and horticulture-related implements. The charm of French-enameled flower buckets, dried hydrangeas in a weathered market basket, and collectibles such as blue-glass Ball Mason jars complement the functionality of the generously sized shed. Tucked beneath the shelter of a towering oak tree, designed with windows on three sides, and equipped with a Dutch door, the little building keeps the interior pleasantly cool. And for sultry summer days, a ceiling fan suspended from a crossbeam stirs the air. The resident gardeners can comfortably mix potting soil and transplant tender shoots at a central…

“It was such a pleasure to sink one’s hands into the warm earth, to feel at one’s fingertips the possibilities of the new season.”—KATE MORTON…

“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.”—HENRI MATISSE…

“If you love what you do, success will follow, and you will never feel as if you are working.”—LESLIE LINSLEY Like Queen Victoria more than a century ago, Leslie Linsley discovered a pure adoration for the ornate craftsmanship of découpage. She was intrigued from the moment her mother introduced her to the process as a young girl—when Leslie’s grandfather, an architect, designed small boxes and gave them to his daughter and granddaughter to work their decorating magic. A family business was born, selling the lovely, quaint boxes to high-end stores, such as Tiffany & Co., Bergdorf Goodman, and Henri Bendel. “Cartier used my jewelry boxes in their display windows,” Leslie recalls. “My grandfather left a great legacy.” Découpage has a history as rich as the patterns and images utilized in…

If scent is the most powerful conjurer of memory, many of us could transport ourselves to the French countryside of Provence during peak season on Cape Cod Lavender Farm. Heady with the aroma of one of the Mediterranean’s most ubiquitous herbs, the twenty-acre farm in Harwich, Massachusetts, is nothing short of a dream come to fruition for owners Cynthia and Matthew Sutphin, who are now embarking on their twenty-ninth growing season. What began as a small experiment with four hundred lavender plants quickly blossomed into fourteen thousand plants and a thriving industry for the couple and Cynthia’s four children. “The kids were able to be a part of the farm as they were growing up,” she says. “Although three of them now live off the Cape, my youngest, Anna, runs…

CREATING A FERN PRESSED PRINT Begin with clean, dry ferns that have no tears or blemishes on the leaves or stems. Position the ferns between two sheets of plain white paper, leaving ample space between each frond. Insert the sheets between the pages of a large, heavy book, and place several books on top; store in a cool, dry place for at least one week. Alternatively, you can use a wooden flower press, which applies gentle pressure using screws and wing nuts. When dry, carefully transfer the ferns to a piece of art board, and showcase them in a frame.…

Below is a listing of products and companies featured in this issue. Items not listed are privately owned and are not for sale. Pages 11–18: Peacock Park Design, 810-714-3666, peacockparkdesign.com. Pages 19–22: Assorted clay flowerpots, call for pricing; from Sweet Peas Garden Shop, 205-879-3839. Antique green shutters, call for availability; from Tricia’s Treasures, 205-871- 9779. Antique metal crown, call for availability; from Four Seasons Gallery, 205-803-4059, 4seasonsantiquesandart.com. Pages 27–30: Visit Donna O’Brien’s blog, The Ribboned Crown, at donnaobrien.typepad.com. Pages 37–38: For more information on Catherine Watters, visit catherinewatters.com. Pages 41–50: To learn more about Erin Benzakein and her organic flower farm, visit floretflowers.com Pages 51–56: Artwork by Itsuko McKinney, itsukomckinney.com. Thibaut Boathouse Signature Prints, call for pricing; 800-223-0704 or thibautdesign.com for retailers. Pages 65–70: Dahlia Society of Alabama, dahliasocietyofalabama.org. The…