Author: Jill Brooke
Purple Agapanthus WINS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of Year
By Jill Brooke Expect a lot of Agapanthus flowers to start popping up in gardens in the near future. The velvety purple flower variety with twinkling airy petals just won the gold medal at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show 2023 presented by the Royal Horticultural Society. (RHS). These lilies produce 10 times more florets per …
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Mother’s Day Flowers to Make Mom Swoon
“Mothers are the flowers in the garden of life.” This quote by Thomas Fuller sums up how we feel and why we are starting this series called “Mother’s Day Flowers to Swoon Over.” Ta Da. We have combed the globe looking for the best selections from florists we admire and love. Consider this …
Meet the Woman Who Coaxes Dahlias to Grow in Hawaii
By Linda Lee Think of Hawaiian flowers. Probably orchids, frangipani, jasmine, bird of paradise, anthurium, and maybe heliconia or lobster claws. Then wonder at Christian Ingalls, who grows dahlias, snapdragons, cosmos and zinnias, better suited to the continental United States. Plus, there is the name of her flower farm, not Aloha Growers, or Polynesian Paradise, …
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Bouquet To Art Event at de Young Museum Unveiled on June 5th
By Jill Brooke Mark your calendars. The popular “Bouquet to Art” event at the de Young Museum will be unveiled on June 5th. Continuing through June 11th, the San Francisco museum of fine art will be in bloom as over 100 florists interpret existing art in both paintings and sculptures. Collectively, 113 floral creations in …
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Flower Lover Martha Stewart Blooms as SI Cover Girl at 81
By Jill Brooke Flower lover Martha Stewart is proving that you can age young by always learning and doing. Now she is Sports Illustrated’s oldest cover girl – at 81! Martha says she hopes the cover “inspires you to challenge yourself to try new things, no matter what stage of life you are in.” Stewart, …
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Kim Seybert’s Grand ‘Scapes for the Table
By Linda Lee Tablescape is a backformation from “landscape.” Cityscape, moonscape. It means “an extensive view or scenery,” even if it’s as small as a luncheon table. When Kim Seybert creates a tablescape, it can be as complicated as Versailles. Her tables are transformed into an environment, a declaration of style. Her collaboration with Baccarat, …
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Kips Bay Decorator Show: Year of Monochromatic Flowers
By Jill Brooke After a three-year hiatus, the Kips Bay Decorator Show House in New York was unveiled. Oh, what a joy it is. Flowers were blooming all over the historic Beaux-arts townhouse on 106th Street and Riverside. The reimagined interiors on all five floors were truly spectacular. One flower trend was many designers incorporated …
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Coronation Plants Seed for More Local Grown Flowers
By Jill Brooke Those watching the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey may have wondered why there wasn’t an abundance of flowers popping on the screen. “It’s a more solemn occasion so flowers are there to complement, not enhance,” explains British gardener Sarah Kowitz. Nonetheless, the symbolism of those flowers …
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Will King Charles III Be “The Flower King?”
By Jill Brooke When you are an aging 74-year-old King whose popularity is lower than your son Prince William, it’s really helpful to be attached to something relatable to the younger generation. For King Charles III, whose coronation occurs May 6th, that relatable topic is organic gardening and his championing of sustainable practices long before …
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Worried About Mothers’ Day? Nifty Presents for Gardeners
Here is our guide to the best, most useful or most interesting gifts for Mother’s Day. Whether it’s your wife, sister, grandmother, daughter, or mother, if you know she is a gardener, she would be happy with one of these. As a bonus we have thrown in something you can send in the mail. …
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