“Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.” – Gustav Mahler SOME TRADITIONS CAN ENSHRINE terrible habits and ideals while others “preserve the fire.” I spend a good bit of mental, emotional, and creative energy in framing and highlighting those elements of our design and lifestyle culture that are, in my opinion, worthy of preservation. (Not to say that they cannot be leavened with fresh ingredients.) So imagine my glee when we learned of the opportunity to feature India Hicks’s wedding, with her bouquet and those of the bridesmaids created by the same floral firm that had fashioned her mother’s bridal bouquet. India’s regard for family history and tradition, mixed with her eco-friendly decor decisions and a return to “local” artisans, ticks all our boxes.
On top of this delightful development, I had the pleasure of interviewing MA Allen, an interior designer whose Sunday luncheon tableau draws inspiration from family heirlooms, modern design, and wildly colorful blooms—both fresh and graphic. And MA includes her own children in the process, not only on Sundays but also as she creates her everyday table settings. A girl after my own heart . . . As long as we’re on the subject of traditions, I must mention James Farmer, the Georgia design renaissance man. In this issue, he honors his mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother—all of whom shared a February 24th birthday and a love of camellias—by blanketing his house with fresh, homegrown camellias every year on their special day. As we move into this new year, let’s each resolve to revive traditions, however humble, that recall and celebrate the “fire”—and maybe even launch some new ones. SDG,
Margot Shaw EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Please send your comments, triumphs, challenges & questions to: wateringcan@flowermag.com OR: Letters to the Editor Flower magazine I P.O. Box 530645 I Birmingham, AL 35253 Get the Flower email newsletter! Sign up at flowermag.com/news
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FLOWER
January•February 2022
PORTRAIT BY BETH HONTZAS
Watering can
A Note from the Editor
