Southern Living July 2019

TWENTY YEARS AGO, on July 22, 1999, a diverse group of Southern food writers, chefs, and historians gathered in the heat of summer at the Southern Living offices in Birmingham to create an organization that would use teaching and storytelling to tackle issues of race, poverty, and division in the South. It was a bold idea and not the first of its kind, but with strong support from the University of Mississippi, the group was fueled by a sense of optimism and excitement. Southern food was on the rise, and there seemed to be an opportunity to bring together people of all races and creeds around a common table. Led by a charismatic writer from Nashville named John Egerton, they called themselves the Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA). That night, they met…

A PIE-SHAPED, 1-ACRE LOT in an empty field. A steep slope. No close neighbors. These factors would deter many prospective homeowners, but Mary Startzman was smitten. “I wasn’t thinking about the house we had to build. I saw a sun-drenched garden with endless possibilities. Little did I know there was so much shale; it took years to amend the soil,” she recalls. Her goal was to create a pesticide-free, low-maintenance, organic garden with as little grass as possible. She began in her backyard with a bright blue gate, made by a local artisan, surrounded by a boxwood hedge. It’s taken more than four decades, but a dense, vibrant garden now fills that area, even spilling into the front yard. Any time the temperature is above 40 degrees, Startzman (now retired from a…

Paint Palette To transport the barrier island’s lush, breezy look into your interiors, try the gritty white and gray on walls and add the mossy greens as accent colors. All paints are by Sherwin-Williams. ROBBIE CAPONETTO; PROP STYLING: HEATHER CHADDUCK HILLEGAS; INSET: COURTESY HEATHER CHADDUCK HILLEGAS. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8: COURTESY VENDORS; 4: MIA YAKEL; 7: CHRIS SALATA/CAPEHART PHOTOGRAPHY…

RETHINK YOUR PORCH PLANTING with a container that proves there’s elegance and purpose in simplicity. Fragrant rosemary, basil, and lemon grass accent soft blue plumbago in this tabletop setup. The best part? While the scent appeals to garden party guests, it could also help keep pests at arm’s length. Start with a young lemon grass plant positioned in the center of the pot. Then add the flowering plumbago around that. On the outermost edges, fill in the gaps with basil and rosemary, alternating the two if you wish or placing them on opposite sides of the container.…

RAISE YOUR HAND IF, when you got married, you heard the lie that you have a year to write your thank-you notes. You? You too? I definitely did—along with the related rule of having a year to give a gift, something that led me to procrastinate with summer weddings and then send a rogue trio of Christmas ornaments in December. I recently asked several friends, all of whom have been married for 10 to 15 years, and every one remembered it as a relief they took very much to heart. Is that why this lie persists–so the bride who’s losing sleep over catering costs and dress fittings gets at least one promise of reprieve from all the stress? Maybe. My childhood friend Murff texted me that exact sentiment: “I definitely…

OH, MAN › I just saw a man pruning a crepe myrtle with a chain saw while standing on his roof. Is this an isolated case, or are all men this stupid?—CARMEN » No, not all of us. However, it does explain why women tend to live longer. MORNING GORY › How do you get rid of out-of-control morning glory? It is trying to take over my backyard in North Carolina. —KRISTEN » Morning glory looks great the first year, but a zillion seedlings come up the next. Spray them according to label directions with a herbicide that kills them (roots and all), such as Weed B Gon or Weed Stop. Next spring, apply a broadleaf weed preventer such as Preen to the soil to keep any remaining seeds from sprouting. BERMUDA GRASS INVASION › We live…