The 1990s and early 2000s were not kind to the carnation. Maybe it’s all the unholy dye jobs, or their association with homecoming boutonnieres, or their street-corner ubiquity that turned the pedigreed Dianthus caryophyllus into a pop culture punchline. The plant was famously maligned on Sex...
We believe that if you love something, rather than let it go, you should take that thing and wear it on your head. Flowers are a leading example of this. I wear them any chance I get — including the antique wax orange blossom headpiece I...
You know that feeling…that feeling you get…when you give someone the host/ess gift of the century? Pure euphoria. Finding something thoughtful, clever and useful to give to another person — or yourself, or your home — takes legwork. And with warm-weather entertaining at its peak, I...
The new issue of Garden Design magazine is so highly, gloriously visual that it’s almost fragrant. Its 132 pages join horticulture with the human-made, crisscrossing the U.S. (with jaunts over to Canada, the U.K. and Lake Como) for backyard glamour and expert advice, species spotlights...
Over the past several weeks, Chantal and I have been operating the Horticult from opposite coasts. This year I performed my annual training for the Naval Reserves in Charleston, South Carolina — a.k.a. Lowcountry, a.k.a. the Holy City, a.k.a. Chas — a complete shift from...
Hi — hello — we’ve missed you! Can you believe we’re already halfway into July? Ryan and I have been scarce, posting-wise, due to travel: back-to-back trips that have that thrown us into somewhat of a bicoastal tizzy. First there was Charleston. Then, a few days...
Don’t let the brooding shadows and tulip tumult fool you. Dutch masters-style floral arrangements are enjoying a moment in the sun. During the 17th century, morning glories, roses, anemones, lilies and (of course) tulips were painted with heartbreaking precision and drama by Netherlands artists like Rachel...
Legend — namely, Plutarch — has it that when Egyptian goddess Isis was searching for the remains of her brother/lover Isis, she set out on a boat made out of papyrus plants. And not just any boat made out of papyrus; one with the power...
Imagine a shrub shaped like your wildest dreams. Therein lies the magic of topiary, the art of sculpting foliage into silhouettes resembling everything from chess pieces to geometric marvels to butterflies taller than Tyson Chandler. Yes, there will always be the deep, Depp eyes of Edward...
Having come of age in/around a mall during the late 1990s, I’ve always associated the term “glamour shots” with soft focus, Cinnabons and feather boas. But perhaps not anymore. Because we've been getting lavish with our photos lately — all in the name of capturing the innate...