58 minute read
Watering Can
from May/June 2021
FLOWERS Watering can
A Note from the Editor
“In the garden! In the garden!” “Yes,” hurried on Colin. “It was the garden that did it—and Mary and Dickon and the creatures—and the Magic. No one knows. We kept it to tell you when you came. I’m well, I can beat Mary in a race. I’m going to be an athlete. . . . I’m going to live forever and ever and ever!” —Excerpt from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
ANY OF YOU WHO’VE READ THE CLASSIC The Secret Garden will recognize this powerful revelation. Colin, the erstwhile weak and sickly young heir to Misselthwaite Manor, has been healed and revitalized, given a new heart full of wonder, hope, and joy. Colin’s story is replete with experiences that culminate in his transformation, but with that simple, essential wisdom of the young, he distills his transformation to these actors: the garden, friends, animals, and the Magic responsible for that life-giving elixir.
As I sit on my front porch on this gentle, breezy late-spring Saturday afternoon, Colin’s declaration resonates with me. It’s been a long winter with a stormy late spring in Alabama, and as we all know, even before the weather was inclement, conditions kept us indoors.
We’ve experienced a perfect storm of sickness, isolation, unrest, helplessness, fear, uncertainty, and frustration. Throughout the year, however, there’s been the nurturing sanctuary of nature. In summer, we had warm days with the benefi ts of lots of vitamin D, the cool green of the generous shade of a favorite hardwood, and time on the porch watching our children or grands at play. In autumn, crisp, cinnamon-y days were fi lled with the explosive palette of leaves. In winter, a bracing walk down a country road or a scenic vista from indoors onto the romantic landscape of hay-colored grasses; the green of evergreens; the charcoal sculptures of deciduous trees; and, in Alabama, the unlikely increase in the bird population as they broke their travels south nourished our spirits.
Right now, it’s that just-perfect time—spring into early summer. Our viburnum tree that bursts into white blooms from green is my signal that spring is here to stay, with no more treacherously surprising freezes, as are the wave of soon-to-bloom hydrangea bushes that line a neighbor’s perimeter, a carpet of late-spring tulips across another neighbor’s front lawn, and longer walks in shirtsleeves— now with friends. But for me, the most emphatic emblem of this glorious hybrid season is the sight of my beloved husband in the garden. As I pen this, he is within view, gardening and chatting with a neighbor on our lane while the Brittany Spaniels race around after chipmunks (no, they never catch them), all to the strains of a distant lawnmower . . . idyllic. “It was the garden that did it”—that kept us encouraged, stimulated, hopeful, and at peace, even in the midst of this tempestuous year.
I urge you all to enjoy the riches of the outdoors, and hopefully by now, with others. But whether indoors or on your porch like me, may the magic of the gardens in this issue give you wonder, hope, and joy.
Love and SDG,
Margot Shaw EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Please send your comments, triumphs, challenges & questions to: wateringcan@fl owermag.com
OR Letters to the Editor | Flower magazine I P.O. Box 530645 I Birmingham, AL 35253
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VOLUME 15, ISSUE 3
Margot Shaw FOUNDER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alice Welsh Doyle EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Ellen S. Padgett CREATIVE DIRECTOR Terri Robertson DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER Amanda Smith Fowler STYLE EDITOR Kirk Reed Forrester ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Kate Johnson PRODUCTION/COPY EDITOR Gregory Keyes INTEGRATED OPERATIONS MANAGER
EDITOR-AT-LARGE Karen Carroll
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Courtney Barnes Abby Braswell James Farmer Marion Laffey Fox Elaine Griffin Tara Guérard Frances MacDougall Tovah Martin Cathy Still McGowin Charlotte Moss Troy Rhone Matthew Robbins Margaret Zainey Roux Frances Schultz Lydia Somerville Sybil Sylvester
For editorial inquiries: editorial@flowermag.com
Julie Durkee PUBLISHER
Jennel O’Brien DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Susan Sutton SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER
REGIONAL ACCOUNT DIRECTORS Wendy Ellis Sara D. Taylor
Suzanne Cooper NATIONAL DIRECTOR, HOME FURNISHINGS
For sales inquiries: sales@flowermag.com
BUSINESS OFFICE Silvia Rider GENERAL MANAGER Patrick Toomey ACCOUNTANT Lisa Mitchell SENIOR MANAGER
CUSTOMER SERVICE For change of address and subscription inquiries: 877.400.3074 or CustomerService@FlowerMag.info
ADVISORY BOARD
Paula Crockard Ben Page
Winn Crockard Angèle Parlange Gavin Duke Renny Reynolds Gay Estes Scott Shepherd Katie Baker Lasker Remco van Vliet Maloy Love Evie Vare Mary Evelyn McKee Carleton Varney
Michael Mundy Louise Wrinkle
What We’ve Got Our Eyes On
Scene
Your Personal Shopper
By Alice Welsh Doyle • Photography by Molly Lo Photography
IF YOU ARE LIKE SEVERAL OF US ON THE FLOWER STAFF, every weekend jaunt or big getaway includes searching for treasures at antiques shops, fl ea markets, art galleries, and the like. If you’ve been feeling stranded, Marchioness Home & Garden can help. Interior designer Bethany Berk, now based outside Boston in a country landscape setting—where she recently fi nished renovating a historic property on the Charles River—decided to bring her expertise to the Web. Bethany was inspired by her 25 years of far-fl ung travel, searching for antique treasures and unique fi nds to make her clients’ homes special. She curates collections with a theme in mind, such as Botanical; Aubusson; and, most recently, Olde World Weddings. “For the Botanical collection, I was inspired by the greenhouse cultivars on my property and my personal collection of antique botanical prints,” says Bethany. Aubusson came about after she found a collection of paintings of the patterns used for the famous tapestries at an antiques fair—she built the collection around those. And Olde World Weddings draws from a time “when weddings were colorful a airs with the bride and groom dressed in layers of embroidered fabrics and silk mixed with fl oral patterns and fi ne lace, topped o with jewelencrusted tiaras and rings,” she says. In all three collections, there are heirlooms, gifts, and special pieces for the table and the garden. Time to bring some of these treasures to your home. marchioness.com
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: One of Bethany’s mood boards • A vintage handbag from the Olde World Weddings collection • Designer Bethany Berk • A beaded tray from the Aubusson collection
WHAT WE’VE GOT OUR EYES ON ...
CREATIVE COLLABORATION Chic at the Beach
LUXURY TOWEL AND ROBE PURVEYOR Weezie Towels, founded in 2018 by longtime friends Lindsey Johnson and Liz Eichholz, tapped Birmingham, Alabama–based interior and textile designer Heather Chadduck Hillegas to collaborate on a new collection drawing inspiration from Heather’s designs, especially her Grande Frond pattern. “It was a new experience for me, discussing how to deliver patterns to terry cloth—we had to address scale, as these are large towels, and of course getting the colors perfected,” says Heather. The results are telling—beautiful and practical! We need one of each color as we anticipate pools and shores in our futures. Each piece is crafted in Portugal using 100% organic cotton. weezietowels.com —Alice Welsh Doyle
THE CHARLOTTE INN
OCEAN HOUSE
TRAVEL Classic Beach Retreats
Stay Stateside this summer and stay at two must-visit Relais & Châteaux properties—The Charlotte Inn on Martha’s Vineyard and Ocean House in Rhode Island.
The Charlotte Inn has welcomed guests for almost 50 years, since Gery Conover first saw the neglected clapboard house on Summer Street in Edgartown and determined he had to have it. “That was 1972, and we have been at it ever since,” says Gery, who runs the inn with his wife, Paula. Rooms are filled with English antique furniture, books, and paintings, and the inn has many places to relax—wide porches, brick terraces, and a cozy library with a crackling fire. Caught-that-day New England seafood and fresh, locally sourced produce are coaxed into delicacies by French chef Patrice Martineau, from the Champagne region. Savor it all, indoors or out, in the flower-banked, fountain-splashed Terrace restaurant. The Conovers describe the aura here as “a window into a gentler age . . . where [guests] find something that elsewhere has been lost.”
Another queen of the northeast coast, Ocean House, crowns the bluffs of Watch Hill, Rhode Island, with cupolas, turrets, verandas, and balustraded porches that offer expansive views of Block Island Sound. Meticulously reconstructed to replicate the original 150-year-old hotel, the sprawling yellow clapboard building exudes Victorian charm. Enthusiastic guests, ranging from families to couples, indulge in spa, pool, and beach activities, as well as fishing, boating, and golf. Enjoy fine dining at Coast, Rhode Island’s only five-star restaurant, as well as The Bistro for coastal brasserie-style meals. Most guests book their next stay before leaving—it’s a good idea to follow their lead.
—Marion Laffey Fox
WHAT WE’VE GOT OUR EYES ON ...
TEXAS TASTE
By Sallie Lewis
EVERY YEAR, when winter wanes and the weather warms, Mother Nature reveals her true colors in the Texas countryside. Come spring, the Lone Star State produces one of the biggest and brightest wildfl ower shows on Earth, with bluebonnets and brown-eyed susans, winecups and Indian paintbrushes blanketing the state’s south-central region.
This year, Carolina Lewis, along with her twin cousins, Margaret and Alicia Amberson, are celebrating the season at their San Antonio–based ranch wear brand, Sorella Clothing Co.
Their capsule collection of wildfl ower scarves includes the oversized Sallie shawl made of 100% silk, plus two 40-inch-long silk ribbons that can be worn as wristlets, hat bands, hair ties, and more. While the shawl blooms with fl ora and fauna, the ribbons recount the South Texas vendors selling grapefruits, oranges, strawberries, and watermelons on the roadside every spring.
Like Sorella’s other textiles, this limited edition collection features all-original artwork, with each design hand-painted by Alicia before being fi nished in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
“There’s something sort of magical about the di erent uses and abilities of Texas wildfl owers,” says Alicia. “The same way you would snap a snapdragon in Colorado, you crack the stem of a crybaby in Texas to see the milky-white sap drip out. Dandelions can be used to predict the future by asking a quantifi able question and counting the number of seeds or petals. Depending on the life-cycle stage of the fl owers, they can be used to grant wishes when the fl u y white seeds are blown away.”
In addition to folklore, the cousins were inspired by the wildfl owers’ age-old medicinal uses. It is said that the Cherokee Indians used fl eabane to treat internal hemorrhage, while the leaves of saltmarsh morning glory have been applied to snakebites. “While the prickly poppy sedates, the skeleton plant heals. Where the pheasant’s eye poisons, the Easter lily detoxifi es,” says Alicia, adding, “It is these narratives that give Texas wildfl owers their power.”
Since launching Sorella (which means “sister” in Italian) last May, the cousins have debuted a line of tailored shooting vests, silk scarves, blouses, and outdoor fashion accessories designed to celebrate Texas and the strong women who call it home. “We started Sorella because we see a vision of Texas that is dominated by men but held together by women,” says Alicia. “We want to pay homage to all the powerful women who came before us.” sorellaclothingco.com
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Alicia’s hand-drawn bugs for Sorella’s spring designs • Silk ribbons featuring a mix of fl owers and citrus • Sorella founders
Alicia (left), Margaret (center), and Carolina (right) • A pup wearing one of Sorella’s lotería silk ribbons • More of Alicia’s vibrant drawings • The Sallie shawl
READING LIST
In The Naturally Beautiful Garden: Designs That Engage With Nature and Wildlife (Rizzoli New York, 2021), British garden writer Kathryn Bradley-Hole takes us on a journey to more than 30 gardens from across the globe with a bevy of photographers that showcase the beauty and impact of spaces designed with an ecofriendly and sustainable approach. Featuring gardens ranging from public spaces to cottage gardens and intimate city courtyards, the book also speaks to topics such as incorporating seeds, fruit, and grasses, and the challenges of various climates. The variety of spaces is what makes this book such a standout. As Kathryn writes, “Each one is a work of art in its own right, and each one, whether actively sought or through its planting, assists the wild creatures that make these elegant places home.”
Garden: Tour & Farm • Decorate: Color & Mood Decorate: Flowers • Decorate: Q&A
in Bloom
GARDEN: TOUR
In Good Form
LADEW GARDENS, FAMED FOR ITS TOPIARIES, IS BOTH WHIMSICAL AND FORMAL, CAPTURING ITS CREATOR’S SENSE OF FUN
By Kirk Reed Forrester
The Cottage Garden, the fi rst garden you see upon arriving at Ladew, shows the exuberant nature of the property and its original owner.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: An urn brimming with grasses and flowers nods to the warm, generous feel of the garden. • A map shows Ladew’s 22 acres of formal gardens featuring 100 topiaries, which form the centerpiece of the property. • An aerial view of the Terrace Garden
In 1929, Harvey Ladew was a very rich man living a very rich life. Heir to a Gilded Age family fortune (in leather), the native New Yorker was a friend to aristocrats, an Anglophile, and an international traveler. He loved art, beauty, culture, and a good joke. But most of all, he loved fox hunting.
Once when he was hunting in England, he came across a topiary garden with the shape of a fox cut into the top of a hedge. Smitten, he was inspired to bring the idea back and create his own topiary garden in America. Like many hunters then and now, Harvey was a conservationist, a lover of unadulterated land and wary of increasing development (fox hunting, after all, requires wide parcels for the chase). On a hunting trip to northern Maryland, the 42-year-old fell in love with a 250-acre piece of property called Pleasant Valley Farm and bought it. The home—a farmhouse from the mid-1800s—had no water, no electricity, and no garden. Harvey set to work renovating the house and by 1937 was ready to begin the garden he’d been dreaming of.
Though he could have afforded an army of gardeners, Harvey was a maverick and vowed to go it alone, save for the help of a local man who owned a funeral home, because, as Harvey argued, any man in that business “would know how to dig.” Heavily influenced by estates he’d admired in England and Italy, Harvey drafted 22 acres of formal gardens along two strong axes connected to 15 garden rooms, each featuring a singular theme, color, or plant. “When I first bought the farm,” he wrote, “I knew I would make a lot
to keep the whimsical intent.” —EMILY EMERICK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT LADEW
of mistakes. I made the mistakes, but they taught me the little I know about gardening.”
In fact, his lack of formal training, combined with his deep pockets and pure exuberance, created a special alchemy that resulted in a uniquely delightful garden. Though the gardens are formal in the sense that there is great care for the plantings and order in the delineation of space, the feel is sophisticated but not stuffy, with winks and smiles throughout. Not to be outdone by his English counterparts, Harvey created his own amazing topiary hunt scene complete with two horses and riders, hounds running ahead, and a fox that will forever be just out of reach. Topiary swans swim at the top of taxus (yew) hedges near the Great Bowl, a beautiful reflecting pond that served as Harvey’s personal swimming pool.
Ultimately he proved himself as an accomplished horticulturalist. As Emily Emerick, the longtime executive director of Ladew Gardens, recalls, “In many ways, Ladew was an early native-plant enthusiast. He loved going to nurseries and asking, ‘Do you have anything new and different? Give me 20 of them!’ ” After reading Rachel Carson’s seminal work Silent Spring, he embraced the idea of sustainability before it was in vogue and tried to steer away from the use of harmful pesticides.
In its original conception, the gardens were planned to peak in spring and autumn, when Harvey would be in residence for the fox-hunting season. (His winter residence in Delray Beach, Florida, also had a large topiary: a whale.) When
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The iconic hunt scene, an homage to Harvey Ladew’s favorite pastime • The Iris Garden, with a torii gate in the background • The Yellow Garden, one of several color-themed garden rooms
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: A glimpse into the Rose Garden • Hydrangeas anchor a pathway in the White Garden. • As he drew plans for the garden, Harvey wanted stunning vistas like this one, looking over azaleas blooming in the orchard, across the Great Bowl to the terraces and manor house.
the gardens were turned into a nonprofit in 1971, the staff had to enhance the summer blooms around the property, so now the gardens are vibrant throughout spring, summer, and fall.
“This is an incredibly accessible and welcoming garden,” says Emily. “Everywhere you go, there’s a sense of humor, and we’ve tried to keep the whimsical intent. Ladew had a great appreciation for what gardens can be. It’s really a work of art, created by this interesting New Yorker who had a very privileged life and whose last words were, ‘I created the garden for people to enjoy it.’ ”
This year, as Ladew Gardens celebrates its 50th year open to the public, visitors can experience that legacy—the vistas, fanciful topiaries, and magical pockets of beauty that have delighted thousands before them. Though he died in 1976, Harvey’s wit still looms large on the place. You can see it in the towering topiaries overhead and in subtle little jokes left underfoot, including a series of stone steps where Harvey, a lifelong bachelor, had this ancient Chinese proverb etched: “If you would be happy for a week, take a wife. If you would be happy for a month, kill your pig. But if you would be happy all your life, plant a garden.”
Ladew Topiary Gardens is open April 1— October 1.
Good Day, Sunshine
LOOK AT LEMON YELLOW THE SAME WAY YOU DO A STATEMENT NECKLACE—IT’S WHAT MAKES THE LOOK A BIT MORE LAYERED AND MUCH MORE INTERESTING Produced by Amanda Smith Fowler A BIT MORE LAYERED AND MUCH MORE INTERESTING
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1 GINORI 1735 Giardino Dell’Iris Deep Centerpiece Plate in Citrino
Hand-painted in Italy, this plate is a work of art.
$2,450
ginori1735.com 2 MATOUK
SCHUMACHER
Zebra Palm Beach Towel
Two chic brands collaborate just in time for summer.
$85
matouk.com 3 HOUSES &
PARTIES
Latticino Tumbler
These colors and stripes are party-perfect.
$98 each
housesandparties.com 4 CLARENCE
HOUSE
Tour De Chiens
Putting a twist on a classic stripe with everyone’s best friend
To the trade
clarencehouse.com 5 HEREND Medium Pineapple
A classic fi sh-scale pattern updates a traditional symbol of welcome.
$525
herendusa.com 6 HANCOCK &
MOORE
Rave Swivel Chair
Twist and shout in this bold chair.
$5,085
hancockandmoore.com
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7 JOHN DERIAN Limonier Coaster
An ideal landing spot for your favorite cocktail
$60 each (6 inches)
johnderian.com
8 SCHUMACHER Lemonade
Lemons galore create a happy pattern play.
To the trade
fschumacher.com
9 THIBAUT Tiverton
A lovely mix of blue, green, and yellow
To the trade
thibautdesign.com
10 STORI MODERN Journal Dining Set
Timeless shapes with a punch of fresh color
$1,799
storimodern.com
11 TORY BURCH Poppy Square Tablecloth
A subtle pattern with major impact
$278 (70 inches)
toryburch.com
12 GREGG IRBY
GALLERY
“Lemons with Stripes and Blue Draperies” by Erin McIntosh
Beautiful color saturation and composition
$800 (20 x 16 inches)
greggirbygallery.com
13 HIGHLAND HOUSE
FURNITURE
Madeline Chair
A sunny color cheers up a traditional form.
inquire for pricing
highlandhouse furniture.com
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Spots & Dots
MAKE A LARGE STATEMENT OR GIVE A RHYTHMIC PATTERN TO APPLICATIONS— RHYTHMIC PATTERN TO APPLICATIONS— YOU DECIDE HOW MUCH POWER THIS PATTERN CAN POSSESS
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FURNITURE
42 Series Swivel Chair
Densely packed spots give a textural appearance.
$2,455
sherrillfurniture.com
2 LENOX
CORPORATION
Kate Spade New York Larabee Dot Flatware
Have fun at the table with these dotted settings.
$100/5-piece place setting
lenox.com
3 POLLACK Drawers
This pattern almost feels mathematical with its rhythmic perfection.
To the trade
pollackassociates.com
4 PALOMA & CO. Party Tumblers
These feel great in hand and look fabulous on the shelf.
$28 each
shoppalomaandco.com
5 NGALA
TRADING CO.
Ardmore Feather Pillow
Relax into a pop of print with these pillows.
$365
ngalatrading.com
6 CENTURY
FURNITURE
Deidra Swivel Chair
These multicolored spots line up in a fashionable order.
inquire for pricing
centuryfurniture.com
HOW-TO MATERIALS:
Italian ruscus Asparagus fern MATERIALS LIST Dusty miller Ornamental kale rosette ‘Jacorma’ peony Queen Anne’s lace ‘Princess Carnations Spray roses Roses ‘Blushing Bride’ protea Ranunculus Scabiosa Astilbe Hitomi’ garden rose Gentiana Helleborus ‘Winter Bells’ Muscari Tulips Scabiosa ‘Apollo’ iris Astrantia Feather-leaf acacia ‘Mini Green’ hydrangea To see step-by-step instructions for this arrangement, turn to page 36 >
BREE IMAN CLARKE of The Iman Project & The Plant Project
THIS PLUCKY ENTREPRENEUR USES FLOWERS TO BUILD COMMUNITY AND ENCOURAGE CONVERSATION
Produced by Alice Welsh Doyle • Photography by Manny Rodriguez
Bree Iman Clarke is an entrepreneurial dynamo. While building her fi rst business, she and her husband, Carlos, slept in their Honda Accord, took showers at a fi tness club, and changed clothes at Target. Now the couple owns The Little House Project Studio, a multipurpose space in the Bishop Arts District of Dallas where Carlos creates sought-after farmhouse tables and Bree hosts her in-demand On the Table workshops, all housed under the Iman Project umbrella. Bree often appears on local news media; has been featured in Forbes twice to discuss the challenges of being a Black businesswoman; and has been covered in Paper City, the Dallas Observer, and D Magazine, among others. She has her own series on CW33, A Seat at the Table with Bree; gave a popular TEDx Talk; and creates pop-up shops featuring the work of local artisans. During the pandemic, she has added two businesses to her portfolio: Bree Blooms, a fl ower-shipment and fl oraltutorial program, and The Plant Project, a shop fi lled with plants, candles, books, and gifts. On top of all that, Bree is a mother to elementary school–age twin boys. What is she not? “A fl oral designer,” she laughs. “I use fl owers as a way to bring people together.”
Her foray into fl owers sprang from a childhood spent in her grandmother’s driveway and garden. “A friend of my grandmother’s was always coming over to talk about plants, and I learned he was the fi rst African American man to graduate from Texas A&M with a horticulture degree. I realized later that I
picked up a lot of what he was teaching us.” Bree also bonded with her mother over flowers, so moving into a flower-based business seemed like a natural segue. Having a passion for people as well as flowers, Bree’s mission evolved into her On the Table workshops, where she wants everyone—people of all colors and body types—to gather to share food, work with flowers, build friendships, and tackle difficult conversations. Over three years and countless workshops, she has witnessed a powerful alchemy that takes place within the sessions. Participants, while surrounded by flowers and experimenting with different arrangements, have organically settled into conversation about life and its inherent challenges. Bree’s guiding tenet is the idea of community, and it means everything in her business and personal lives. And sometimes, difficult times open up surprising opportunities. “During the pandemic, my workshops launched nationally, so the discussion is no longer local,” says Bree. “I’m able to create with my hands and my heart, hopefully to better my Dallas community and now others as well.”
“My main goal in arranging is to make sure every flower is seen, and for my floral workshops, it’s making sure there is a place for everyone at the table and that everyone’s voice is heard.” —BREE IMAN CLARKE
MATERIALS (left)
Italian ruscus Asparagus fern Pink hydrangea White scabiosa Pinkberry Roses Mexican heather Spray roses Ranunculus Christmas fern ‘Blushing Bride’ protea Mini zinnias Concrete vase from Accent Decor
MATERIALS (above)
Ranunculus Italian ruscus Grevillea foliage Spray roses Roses Carnations Celosia Tegan pot from Iman + Co.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
STEP 1 I chose a very simple and versatile container on the small side. Using a neutral container ensures the focus is on the flowers. Fold up a piece of chicken wire and place it in the container, and add water.
STEP 8 To further unite the palette, I chose these roses for their pretty pink tone. I twirled them and reflexed them for a more dynamic look. Finally, look for any holes in the arrangement, and fill in with more greenery or leftover blooms.
STEP 2 Next, start to build your base of greenery. I used two types, glossy Italian ruscus and fluffy asparagus fern, as contrasts to each other. You can always add in more greenery toward the end if needed.
STEP 3 I enjoy using the underrated carnation! Manipulate the bloom to make it open up more. Build a triangle of blooms nestled in the greenery. I find that the triangle approach works for all skill levels.
STEP 4 Next add clusters of spray roses. Trim the long stems. If you don’t have spray roses, try another small flower such as lisianthus— multibloom stems are great for filling in blank spaces and for pops of color.
STEP 5 More roses! Reflex standard roses to look more like garden roses; the yellow tone of the rose helps to unite the palette, from the palepink spray roses to the paleyellow carnations. Let some sit a little higher in the arrangement and put some at the base. STEP 6 I like to add layers of interesting texture and color by including astilbe and ‘Blushing Bride’ protea to align the palette and start to pull it together visually.
STEP 7 Time for some flourishes! Use ranunculus and scabiosa for movement in the design. Let them dance above. These blooms add a playful note to the arrangement.
TOP: Small seating groups foster intimacy in a grand drawing room. ABOVE: Interior decorator and author Veere Grenney
Bohemian Rhapsody
DRAWING ON HIS BRITISH UPBRINGING AND SPIRIT OF WANDERLUST, INTERIOR DECORATOR VEERE GRENNEY CREATES INTERIOR DECORATOR VEERE GRENNEY CREATES HARMONIOUS ROOMS THAT SING WITH SOUL AND SOPHISTICATION
By Margaret Zainey Roux • Photography by David Oliver
Flower: Your background is fascinating! Before becoming a world-class decorator, you were a self-described hippie? Veere Grenney: For me, there wasn’t a clear path to decorating. Since I’ve gotten older, it’s hard to remember exactly what I wanted to do in my life or where I wanted to do it, but I knew it would involve houses and travel. I was born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, and, in the world that I came from, you couldn’t pursue an education in decoration like you could in America. You either got a degree in the history of art or a similar subject or you sought an apprenticeship, which is what I ultimately did.
So how did you know you wanted a career in design when you had such little exposure to it? As a boy, I was always rearranging the furniture in my family home and studying the American decorating magazines of the 1960s. I found them so intriguing, particularly those with fl oor plans, as so many had at the time. My parents were both British, so I grew up rooted in their traditions. I always envisioned myself
DECORATE: Q&A
—VEERE GRENNEY
living in London one day. In the 1970s, after leaving school and working for a few years, I did. You could say it took me a little while to get there.
You definitely did not take the most direct route. I loved reading about your journey along the Hippie Trail in your 2018 book, Veere Grenney: A Point of View. En route to London, you traveled through Nepal, India, Afghanistan, and Morocco. I believe there were a few more places in between, too. That was a very profound period in my life. I was lucky to have those experiences because they gave me entrée to a bigger world than I would have known had I stayed in New Zealand or gone straight to England. When you spend time in different places and absorb those cultures, you free yourself from the conventions and restraints that a strong society ties you to.
These exotic locales clearly influenced your style. It epitomizes English elegance but reads more lighthearted with unique and ethnic flourishes. I’m not a big fan of the word eclectic, but there is no better way to describe it. I actually love the word eclectic, and I pride myself on being highly eclectic! It takes a very free mind to put together disparate objects in a cohesive way.
I see what you mean. Eclectic is now officially back in my word bank! Let’s talk about London. When you finally arrived, you waited tables to feed your antiques addiction and stock your stall on Portobello Road.What did you sell? Did you keep anything for your personal collection? In those days, I sold anything I could buy for nothing. I’m not sentimental, but I did keep a few special pieces. I still have a gorgeous
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: A formal guest room at a countryside estate • A Bridget Riley painting hangs above an Art Deco table and a Jean-Michel Frank stool. • The lush courtyard loggia at Gazebo, Veere’s home in Tangier, Morocco, offers shade and sweeping views of the Gibraltar Strait.
DECORATE: Q&A
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Shades of gray and black temper the punchy pinks in a painting by Sean Scully. • The dining room at Gazebo exudes a proper English aesthetic, while a Moorish lantern and Syrie Maugham–style palm tree pilasters reflect the local color. • A bedroom wrapped in Belvedere wallpaper from Veere’s eponymous collection. 150-year-old Persian vase that I bought at an auction of Cecil Beaton’s estate. I also kept a Regency table that is currently in my London dining room. It’s quite modest in its design, but it’s very pleasing. Back then, I paid £120 for it, and it took me months to pay it off!
As I understand it, it was through antiques dealing that you met Mary Fox Linton and were recruited to work in the showroom she shared with David Hicks. Yes. Mary used to buy from me, and we had a beautiful relationship. In the early 1980s, she asked me to come work at her very avant-garde showroom. She became my mentor and taught me how to organize projects, make estimates, and those sorts of things. After 17 years with her, I went out on my own, and that’s when I was discovered by Colefax and Fowler.
Besides the international name recognition, what appealed to you about working at the firm? Their look was so traditional, while yours was more modern and edgy. When I went out on my own, I was in a relationship with a well-known decorator, and we shared office space. He introduced me to what I call the “grand English style” that was very much in line with the John Fowler school of decoration. I understood it well even though my style was more contemporary. It turns out that was what they were looking for.
When you left the firm after 15 years, what did you leave with? I left with a greater appreciation and knowledge of tailoring, particularly couture curtaining. That’s extremely important in high design, and they were the experts.
What did you leave with them? A new way of thinking. That classic and contemporary can actually complement one another.
Aside from your former colleagues, who else influenced your work? Billy Baldwin, David Hicks, and Nancy Lancaster. I learned about Billy Baldwin when I was around 12 years old, and I thought he was the greatest thing since sliced bread. As an American, he was more in tune with apartment living, whereas Lancaster and Hicks understood the English idiom.
And what is that idiom to you? That a beautiful house has to be supported by a beautiful garden. Otherwise, what’s the point? There
DECORATE: Q&A
ABOVE: The cozy library at Maison Cooq, the 19th-century villa in Tangier that Veere leased during the three-year construction of Gazebo
is something so delicious about freshly picked vegetables and flowers from your own garden. I don’t think you could wish for anything more in life.
Tell me about your gardens. The garden at my country house, The Temple, is very formal. I have kitchen and rose gardens, formal gardens and trees, fruit orchards, and a crisp lawn. It’s pleasing from every angle because you can see the water to one side and the Palladian architecture of the home to the other. At Gazebo, my new holiday house in Tangier, there is an enormous terrace where you can look out and see Portugal and southern Spain. It has the same climate as Auckland—mild winters and dry summers. I have palm trees, aloes, and other tropical vegetation, plus a formal English garden; a pomegranate orchard; a courtyard; and lots of gardenias, petreas, begonias, and hollyhocks.
Sounds heavenly! Have your gardens inspired your interior design? Absolutely. I often use botanicals in my work, and there are several in my fabric and wallpaper collections. We have a classic English chintz that we pair with geometric patterns for a less fussy look. We also have a new collection coming out with Schumacher that includes many florals, but they are abstract by design, and I think that makes them more interesting.
Flower Fields and Famiglia
TWO SISTERS RETURN TO THE FAMILY HOMESTEAD TO CREATE A MAGICAL FLOWER FARM AND FLORAL DESIGN WORKSHOP IN THE MIDST OF AN IDYLLIC ITALIAN LANDSCAPE FLORAL DESIGN WORKSHOP IN THE MIDST OF AN IDYLLIC ITALIAN LANDSCAPE
By Francesca Sironi • Photography by Monica Spezia/Living Inside
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Sisters Teresa and Laura Cugusi picking poppies on their fl ower farm in Pienza, Italy, in the Tuscan countryside • A sign leading guests to Puscina Flowers • A fi eld of colorful poppies
In the Tuscan countryside, scattered in a postcard landscape between Val d’Orcia and Val di Chiana, sits the town of Pienza, with its softly rounded hills and rows of cypresses and only a few houses scattered here and there. This is where sisters Teresa and Laura Cugusi grew up in the farmhouse of their grandfather, who arrived in Tuscany from Sardinia between the 1960s and ’70s. All around it are 50 hectares (123 acres) of farmland; olive trees; woods; and, today, thanks to the two sisters, a lush fl ower garden or, rather, a fl ower farm with a fl oral design workshop.
“After studying and working in a wide range of fi elds in various parts of Italy, we decided to go back home, where our roots are, and start a project bound to tradition and to our land, but innovative as well,” they say. “We wanted to invest here where we were born.” The pastureland, unused for a long time by their veterinarian father, has become a colorful reserve of fl owers—a sort of open-air laboratory. And Puscina Flowers, named for the ancient farm, is now the sisters’ family farm.
“We began about six years ago picking the seeds of plants in the area—wild cornfl owers and poppies, ornamental cosmos and zinnias, grasses, and spontaneous varieties from the garden that we used to compose our fi rst bouquets,” say the pair, who then moved on
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Under a pergola, an old table and chairs and a hammock overlook a beautiful view of the property. • The family farmhouse on the hill • The old wooden shed in the garden is now used as a storage room for garden tools. • ‘True Shirley’ poppy, one of Teresa and Laura’s favorite varieties on the farm to the actual cultivation, drawing on both ancient seeds and new rhizomes, tradition and research. “Today we passionately cultivate over 200 species and 400 varieties of cut fl owers and foliage.”
The result is strictly seasonal and natural, twisted by the wind, bent by the rain, often irregular and beautifully imperfect with a light and never brazen beauty. “Our fl owers possess a peculiar character far from the rigidly faultless fl owers grown on a large scale,” they explain. It’s no surprise that Puscina is part of the SlowFlowers Italy movement (an association of fl orists, fl ower farmers, and fl oral designers). As with the Slow Food movement, SlowFlowers strives for a low carbon footprint and sustainability, aesthetics but also ethics. This new generation of artisan farmers brings to the table manual skills, creativity, taste, and the necessary botanical knowledge, all nourished by a great dedication and a natural bond with their land—“almost a sentimental relationship,” the sisters say.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The entrance to the farm • Simple blooms fill pots by Fabio Fattorini. • The pergola in the garden, where Teresa’s daughter Adele plays with cousins Anita and Alessandro • Laura and Teresa in their workshop among poppies (Oriental varieties and Papaver rhoeas), English roses, and Nigella damascena • Refreshing drinks and a treat to be enjoyed in the workshop • A family pet sits on a weathered settee. • An old carpenter’s table holds small floral bouquets in glass vases.
for the numerous varieties and for its natural bearing.” —TERESA AND LAURA CUGUSI
TOP: Teresa and Laura dye fabrics with flower petals and colored earth to embellish their floral compositions. BOTTOM ROW: An array of hand-dyed ribbons in spools, in stacks, and hung to dry in the Tuscan sun
Teresa with a colorful collection of blooms
While this method is not as well known in Italy and Europe, it is much more popular across the pond, in the United States. “It was fundamental and inspiring to know about the work of Floret, the small American flower farm that focuses on growing some of the most stunning flower varieties in the world—many of which are neglected by the mainstream market—and then sharing with the community the botanical knowledge gained over the years,” they say. “Their experience convinced us that our idea for Puscina Flowers was not just possible but also potentially successful.”
La Rosa Canina laboratory, near Florence, Italy, has also been a reference point. “Enthusiastically and generously, they taught us some of the main principles of floral design while we were making our first steps,” say Teresa and Laura.
The pride of the Cugusi sisters’ garden is the poppy. “We love wildflowers so much, and the poppy has always fascinated us for the numerous existing varieties and for its natural bearing,” they say. “It looks like an extremely delicate flower but actually has a great reproductive force. It’s frostproof and surprises us every year.”
The favored poppies play with delicate English roses and rare species of bulbs and tubers, a multitude of colorful tulips and dahlias, aromatic plants, and the foliage from Mediterranean scrub (a blooming landscape that attracts tourists from all over the world), resulting in bouquets that reflect the Tuscan allure of Puscina Flowers
JJohn Funt and Rick Childs knew they were fortunate to find one of the only flat 50-plus acres of land in Norfolk, Connecticut, when they purchased High Meadows in 2002. Initially, the main draw was the serene and beautifully proportioned 1917 Colonial Revival house, one of the later works of renowned architect Ehrick Rossiter. At first, they focused on creating a unified vision within the house. But soon the land spoke to them, and they answered.
Both partners had busy agendas when the time came to address the landscape. Rick was an ER physician. John (the son of Allen Funt of Candid Camera fame) is a fine artist who refocused his career after working for Tiffany & Co. Both Rick and John are passionate gardeners: Rick is an avid (some might say obsessed) collector of conifers, while John takes a more diverse, artistic approach. Finding common ground and merging visions with their new site was an eye-opener for both.
Originally, the pair were planning to downsize in the horticultural arena. They figured that gardening would take a back seat. But the huge, level expanse with nothing but ancient pines toward the periphery felt empty without a garden. And once John began planning spatially, he could not confine his vision. The space begged for the symmetry of a formal garden; it needed axes and cross-axes. And the challenge of balancing the scene against its open backdrop demanded certain dimensions. “It had to be an extension of the house,” John explains. “The proportions just came to me.” With a back terrace that stretches 60 feet wide, it was essential to go big. There were parameters: “It had to feel completely American,” John says. “I was influenced by the classical American landscape architects and the location.” That said, he designs from the heart and is the first to confess he accesses his “inner romantic” at all turns. Rick’s love for conifers was just the ticket for hiding and revealing scenes within the space to achieve mystery and compelling moodiness. Evergreens are incorporated everywhere, both as leitmotifs and for their individual sculptural beauty. Even beyond the formal garden pathways, the garden feels embraced rather than floating in space, due to the immense distant white pines planted by the original owners—like a frame beyond a frame. Both John and Rick are collectors. In the garden, that penchant is expressed in an extraordinary selection of plants. Nothing was there when they came except a few lonesome peonies that were incorporated into the current garden. But the lack of a previous landscape allowed generous latitude for design with no sense that they were treading on tradition. John found six matching fastigiate pin oaks to serve as sentinels. He also happened upon many magnolias, all sorts of conifers, and multiple lilacs to provide density.
The garden’s central axis features a heron wading in a pool. Noninvasive honeysuckle trained to crawl on a horizontal support provides a spark of color in a sea of green.
PREVIOUS SPREAD:
When he’s not in the garden, artist John Funt translates its bounty onto canvas in a barn converted into a studio. • John created a dryscape for a side axis dominated by succulents, nepeta, thermopsis, and a vintage mock orange.
“I love different shades of green segregating dashes of color.”—JOHN FUNT
“But I’m not a plant snob,” he insists, o ering his fondness for ivy, ajuga, nepeta, and violas as proof that he doesn’t discriminate against more common plants. All the selections are positioned within the rubric of the neat, tidy hardscape. For the basic structure, they chose gravel and curbstone with wrought iron edging. John jokes, “We never met a cobblestone we didn’t like.” For vertical elements, custom-crafted metalwork pergolas by local artisan Stephen Bangs sprang from John’s drawings. “That sort of thing is just the most beautiful investment you can make,” John says of the custom craftsmanship.
What has evolved is a deeply soothing scene. The garden hums along in di erent shades of green with periodic accents supplied by fl owering shrubs and perennial ground covers. Shapes and textures interweave to form a sophisticated blend. John admits the garden was purposefully planted densely. “Some removals will be necessary,” he says, “but that’s understood.” And he chose fast-growing shrubs and trees to make an immediate statement. Meanwhile, his training in art did more than help with conceptualization; it also furnished deeper lessons. “I learned to cherish my materials,” he says, “and I was taught to treat everything with dignity.”
The result is profoundly strong but also embracingly soft. This is a garden meant to feed and serve all the senses. Most important, all of High Meadows’ residents feel embraced—beyond the human inhabitants. Rick and John conscientiously steward the wildlife in, above, and beyond their landscape. The result is palpable harmony on many levels. “We have a visceral response to being here,” John says. “This must have been something that was waiting to happen in our lives.” Continued on next page
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The bronze foliage and tissue pink blossoms of a Physocarpus ‘Coppertina’ serve up subtle color beside yellow-blooming thermopsis. • Once the original driveway to the house, an allée of Norway spruces leads to the carriage barn/artist studio. • Metalwork by Stephen Bangs supports annual vines on the pergola. • A container spills with Petunia ‘Phantom’ not far from the smokebush, Cotinus ‘Grace’ (center left). OPPOSITE, TOP TO BOTTOM: The original 1890s structure on the property burned, but its ruins remain as a romantic secret retreat. • Rick Childs’ idea for dressing up a toolshed included dentil molding and quoins.
PAINTERLY COLOR
JOHN FUNT IS ALWAYS HIGHLY COGNIZANT OF COLOR. Even when confined indoors due to weather, “I garden on my easel,” he says of the landscapes he paints. And in all his expressions, a lush sense of verdure prevails. Green is always the underlying theme. That said, when designing his landscape, he incorporates pops of color. Often, seasonal foliage provides a spark, or seasonal flowering shrubs step in and out of the limelight. It’s a subtle expression, and it’s immensely soothing and unpretentious. It just feels right.
When John refers to a pop of color, he does not necessarily mean something bright. One of his favorite plants is Viola ‘Bowles Black,’ which has matte midnight petals so dark they almost slip into the shadows. That heirloom ground cover has been allowed to self-seed and scamper around everywhere as a signature in the garden and a nod toward the era when the house was built. “It is almost always in blossom,” he says.
Other ground covers also figure strongly in this landscape of overarching shades of green. Stonecrops (sedums) create carpets in varying degrees of red and orange foliage. Again, they have a dialogue with the blush of copper ninebark leaves, smokebush, and other seasonal flowering shrubs, such as weigela. Dianthus pops into flower and rushes around. Autumn-blooming Japanese anemones are permitted to “go wherever they please,” says John. However, not everything is given entry. And all elements are balanced to achieve masterful layering, just like on a canvas.
The ratios are always carefully conceived, and John sprinkles plants where they might be particularly meaningful. “I was once a ferocious shopper,” he admits. “Now I divide to create color echoes. I feel like a pioneer spirit increasing and redistributing plants.” Plus, one of his greatest delights lies in doing all these things personally. “We don’t have a team of gardeners. It’s basically me, creating everything from the ground up. Places here are just waiting for me to come and work with them. I love that familiarity.”
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: A cauldron holding a shade-loving astilbe accents a stoneencircled overlook. • A pair of Serbian spruces adorns the entrance drive. • John combined a curbstone with a finial to create a chess piece–like ornament. • Two Parrotia persica trees rise above a retaining wall. OPPOSITE: An outdoor sitting room was given grillwork to crown an axis flanked by the blushing spring foliage of crabapple trees.
The Schneiders’ dining room features a vintage chandelier from Paris and their beloved Oscar de la Renta dining table by Century Furniture. OPPOSITE: The dining room settee, covered in a playful Cowtan & Tout fabric, sits in front of sunlit windows draped in ivory silk by Pierre Frey.
Bright Ideas
Interior designer Martha Schneider’s North Carolina residence radiates comfort, color, and elegance
IInside interior designer Martha Schneider’s Raleigh residence, sunlight streams through the lavender living room, brightening the coral, pink, and blue glass vases that rise from the mantel like fl owers.
Playful color pairings are but one of many pleasures in this Georgian-style home, which was built in 1918 by North Carolina’s fi rst general surgeon, Dr. Hubert A. Royster.
Since purchasing the property in 2003, Martha and her husband, Kevin, have renovated the house four times. Today, it is a happy, historic homestead for the couple and their three grown children.
In addition to running her interior design fi rm, Martha is known in Raleigh for her beloved home store, La Maison, along with her neighboring fl oral boutique, Trellis.
By SALLIE LEWIS Photography by CATHERINE NGUYEN
Together, these venues have become destinations in the capital, curated with elegant furnishings, original art, and fresh-cut flowers. “I love surrounding myself with luxury and beauty in furnishings and florals, and I’m thrilled that our customers do also,” she says.
Before pursuing design, the Ohio-born entrepreneur worked in fashion retail. Fashion is one of Martha’s first loves, and her passion for it is evident throughout her home. In the living room, pillows are upholstered in Hermès and Christian Lacroix fabrics, while in her light-filled dressing room, glamour abounds, with labels including Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana.
“I wanted it to make me happy every day when I walked through it to the bathroom,” she says of the space, with its gold chandelier, lilac walls, and balloon valances trimmed in beaded fringe. The result is a feminine, nostalgic boudoir that is both stylish and functional. “My dressing room is a perfect example of the way I love to design— beginning with the function of a space, selecting the right furnishings, creating joy, adding a touch of glam, and in most cases, finishing with an animal print,” she says.
In addition to high fashion, Martha’s affinity for French antiques pervades her residence. In the front hallway, an oversized mirror that once hung in a hair salon in Paris is accompanied by a Willy Guhl concrete planter, a whimsical blue rug from Romo, and a French settee.
“I love my antique mirror,” she says. “I can imagine living in RIGHT: Water Landscape Paris and going to a hair salon in by Diane Greenberg an old building with high ceilings commands attention in and this large baroque mirror in the lavender living front of me.” room, as does the For a woman whose livelihood has been built around fine furnishings, naming a favorite piece could feel like naming a vintage French sofa upholstered in emerald green velvet. Pillows by Hermès. ABOVE LEFT: In the sunlit kitchen, favorite child. And yet, when Martha positions a asked, Martha quickly answered colorful arrangement that her dining table, an Oscar from her floral comde la Renta original by Century, pany, Trellis. LEFT: The takes the prize. “I would definitely say our big round dining table is our most precious piece of furniture breakfast area draws you in with commissioned art by Carol BensonCobb and a vintage glass chandebecause it creates that sense of lier in silver and gold family for us,” she says, adding, leaf by Louise Gaskill.
“The painting was my inspiration for redesigning the room from a mainly French-influenced space to a brighter, more contemporary one.” — Martha Schneider
“We love sitting at that table as much as we possibly can.” Both Martha and Kevin are self-proclaimed foodies and avid entertainers, and the table has been witness to a healthy heaping of debate and conversation.
The designer’s love of art is yet another way she incorporates color and conversation into her home. Water Landscape, the Diana Greenberg painting that hangs over the living room mantel, is particularly meaningful. “It was my inspiration for redesigning the room from a mainly French-influenced space to a brighter, more contemporary one,” she says.
Martha found the painting on a trip to New York in 2017, just three years after opening La Maison. “That started the renovation of color,” she says of the discovery.
In 2019, she opened Trellis after noticing a void in the market for fresh-cut specialty flowers. “I was selling beautiful vessels out of La Maison, so I knew people had the same passion,” she says. While her own favorite blooms are dinner plate dahlias, she believes florals in general are the ultimate accessory, “For me,” she says, “they round out how homes should be furnished.”
CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: In the main bedroom, vintage French sconces flank art by Martin Sumers. Pillow fabric by Pierre Frey. • The designer’s stylish dressing room • An elegant vignette in the bedroom. Vintage lamp by Louise Gaskill. OPPOSITE TOP TO BOTTOM: In the kitchen, Martha played with patterns, from the Walker Zanger mosaic backsplash to the Schumacher velvet on the barstools. • A custom marble coffee table by La Maison Interiors anchors the airy sunroom.
In a Southampton cutting garden, axial views through the garden terminate with the sculpture and mature tree.
Landscape architect QUINCY HAMMOND distills gardens to their essential elements to unlock their magic
Romance Restraint&
WWhen Quincy Hammond was a little girl growing up in the small firms in New York and came across Hollander Design, still a town of Montezuma, Georgia, her family owned a nursery run marquee company in the industry. Quincy cold-called to ask for by her grandfather and, later, her father. “My dad kind of forced an interview and, much to her surprise, got one. A couple of months my brother and me to work in the nursery from the time I was later, she was moving to New York with a job at Hollander. 10 years old,” says the award-winning landscape architect. “When Her first big project was for an Abercrombie & Fitch executive’s I started working there, I hated it.” home on Long Island. Quincy ran the job, including the purchase
Quincy wanted to be an artist. A few years later, as a student and placement of full-grown trees for the extensive gardens. at the University of Georgia, she longed to pursue a major in “At one point I remember being on-site and directing this crane art, but her parents wanted her “to do something where I could hoisting a huge tree that was spinning in the air and thinking to conceivably get a job,” she says. She’d known someone who myself, ‘I hope nobody finds out how old I am!’ ” she says. Quincy majored in landscape architecture, and she already knew a lot credits that first big project—and her relationship with the clients about plants, so the artistic young student turned her creativity she grew to know and trust—as pivotal to her career. She stayed at toward a more mutable medium without realizing she’d Hollander for eight years and then, in 2010, founded her own firm. stumbled into her life’s work. Over the course of her career, Quincy has become known as
Out of college, Quincy got a job working for a landscape design a classicist, a designer whose work is so carefully edited and finely firm out of Atlanta, but, like many ambitious young talents, she calibrated that the result looks inevitable. Her portfolio is was drawn to the siren song of New York City. On a birthday trip a tutorial in design (and luxurious Long Island estates). Her to the city with her mother, Quincy remembers looking around gardens run on a strong axial layout with clear sight lines and an at the traffic and buildings and thinking, “I can do this.” When she abiding reverence for proportion. A vista lined with a crisp, got back to Atlanta, she researched the best landscape architecture clipped boxwood hedge or an allée of manicured hornbeam will
By KIRK REED FORRESTER
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A view from a sunken rose garden looking toward a sycamore allée • Quincy with a basket of drawings • The muted palette of green and white in this Southampton garden makes sculptural forms of trees and shrubs more graphic. OPPOSITE: At a Watermill property, the delineation of space makes the gardens feel more expansive.
In the Library Garden, the diamond- pattern boxwood knot was inspired by the parquet fl oor in the library. The sculpture is Fleur by Aristide Maillol.
—QUINCY HAMMOND
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: At a guest house, charming raised vegetable beds remain pretty no matter the season. • For the Abercrombie & Fitch French flagship store on the Champs-Élysées, Quincy created a refreshing urban oasis. • A voluminous serpentine border blends fun and sophistication for a family with young children. OPPOSITE: Juxtaposition is a hallmark of Quincy’s work. “I love the wildness of the wisteria contrasted with the crisp lines of the hedges here,” she says.
terminate with a giant beech tree snarled with wild, sculptural branches or a modern piece of sculpture. Rectangular beds of grass set on a gravel grid offer a sophisticated echo to fields of farmland on the property next door. “Nothing is arbitrary,” she once wrote of a garden she admired. Appropriateness and alignment are guiding principles. Yet rather than coming across as tight-lipped or cold, Quincy’s gardens feel serene. Her gardens have breathing room. Her favorite palette is green on green on green—which may sound redundant but in practice makes for a graphic experience. “I think the idea that a garden is about flowers is a bit cliché,” she says. “To me, a garden is about green first and foremost, and the flowers are like the jewelry.”
Quincy’s style was heavily influenced by a 2014 garden tour of France, a pilgrimage for the young designer. “Seeing, thinking, photographing, sketching, and writing—those are the tools,” she wrote in her blog on the eve of her trip. “Perspective, appreciation, and incubation are the goals.”
Indeed, the great gardens of Europe loom large in her work, and she boasts projects in Paris and Madrid. However, at the moment, she is looking for inspiration farther afield. “I’m dying to go to Kyoto,” Quincy says. “Japanese gardens are a lot about editing, making the most impact with the fewest elements— editing and refining, editing and refining. I’m challenging myself to do the same, so I think I’m in a phase of my career when seeing Kyoto’s gardens would be impactful.”
In the meantime, the designer has plenty of work to keep her busy from her home base on Long Island. One of the most gratifying parts of her work is enjoying sustained relationships with clients and working with them on numerous projects over time. “It’s the best feeling, and it makes for the best projects,” she says. “The more you work with someone, the better you understand them.”
At present, she’s working on a fanciful garden in Southampton, on land that has not been touched in 80 years. A grand estate once stood there until a 1930 fire burned it to the ground, leaving nature to slowly consume the lot. “It’s the most amazing site I’ve seen in my career,” says Quincy. “Every time we put a backhoe in the ground, we bring up something else!”
While archaeological digs may not be Quincy’s usual pastime, in some ways the central task of the work she does so well shares the same intents: to unearth the essential parts of a garden; to find its relationship to the land, its relationship to its history, and its relationship to its house; and to create moments of beauty that stand the test of time.
