Veranda Mar/Apr 2018

I recently returned from a trip to Paris. It was for work, so my cultural explorations were a bit limited, but I was able to do a fair amount of scouting of art galleries and independent shops and boutiques. Mom-and-pop stores are seemingly becoming more scarce here in the U.S., but I was quickly reminded of the benefits of shopping locally, wherever that might be, as well as the expertise that shopkeepers and clerks can offer in a way that can’t be found on the internet. This certainly isn’t breaking news, but it was a gentle reminder of the pleasures of exploring, and the joy of creating a new relationship with a vendor who knows your wishes and likes. One shopkeeper offered to drive me to her other store across…

BARBARA CIRKVA SCHUMACHER’S FAVORITE THINGS barbara Cirkva Schumacher led a double life for years: As an executive for Chanel, she jetted from New York to Paris and beyond. Off-hours, she was the doyenne of Fleur, a garden-antiques shop in Mount Kisco, New York (with an outpost in the 1stdibs showroom in Manhattan). The store’s cast-iron benches, cement deer statues, and Murano chandeliers may seem a far cry from the bouclés, quilted leathers, and gold chains that are Chanel’s stock-intrade, but to Cirkva Schumacher, the trajectory was natural. “Both fashion and gardens are about constant change,” she says. They’re also both endlessly adaptable. Cirkva Schumacher deploys garden pieces as unexpectedly as she does clothes: a herd of stone deer in the dining room; a Chanel T-shirt with Rag & Bone jeans. “I try…

Firecracker gems erupt in a dazzling display that mimics Mother Nature.…

DAISY CHAIN Known for exquisite work with top-shelf diamonds, Harry Winston has lately been branching out. Its Forget-Me-Not collection now includes sunny interpretations of the charming wildflowers rendered in vibrant sapphires that come in gradations from blush and periwinkle to bright pink and rich navy. They’re delicate, ethereal pieces that will turn heads day or night. LOOKING ROSY Call it the latest in positive thinking: rose-colored sunglasses are popping up on runways and red carpets all over. We love how they flatter the complexion with a retro dash of style. Here, we match our favorites to spring’s blowsiest blooms. ROYAL DEBUT Breguet’s latest iteration of its Reine de Naples collection (now available in its new Manhattan salon) features rose-gold links, diamonds, and a distinct oval mother-ofpearl dial. It’s a fitting addition to a collection named…

COSSET YOUR BLOOMS Lavish attention on a delicate, showstopping spring flower worthy of center stage. The auricula, an alpine primrose, is prized by connoisseurs; writer Sacheverell Sitwell likened the flowers to Meissen porcelain or Isfahan silks. But as the late garden designer the Dowager Marchioness of Salisbury wrote, the finicky, rainand sun-hating plants “need the dedicated attention of a lover.” Enter auricula theaters. The follies, like the one Lady Salisbury created for the New York Botanical Garden (above), were devised in the 18th century to shelter the plants while also showing them off. Try installing one on a north-facing wall, and you’ll have sweet flowers as fodder for centerpieces all season long. BLUE BLOOD, GREEN THUMB When Lady Salisbury created an auricula theater for the New York Botanical Garden in 2007, it was a fillip…

Spring’s arrival at Redwine Plantation can mean only one thing for Keith Robinson: The outdoor-entertaining season has begun. And how better to celebrate than with a garden dinner party? A maze of dwarf English boxwoods at the event designer’s estate near Atlanta furnishes the leafy backdrop. “You feel submerged in the lushness of the garden,” says Robinson, who keeps the boxwoods unmanicured to enhance their “undulating, cloud-like beauty.” Like nearly everything on the property, the maze has a rich history: Planted in 1837, it was designed by Belgian horticulturist Prosper Berckmans, who would later go on to found Fruitlands Nursery—now the home of Augusta National Golf Club. The tucked-away setting also allows Robinson to employ one of his favorite tricks. “Among my friends, I’m known for always adding an element of surprise,” he…