Southern Living April 2020

I ALWAYS TOOK for granted the fact that I grew up in a house full of books and that my parents read to my brother and me as children. Jan and Stan Berenstain’s The Bears’ Vacation was a big hit (“Hooray! Hooray! We’re on our way! Our summer vacation starts today!”), and I still have my old copy, tattered and worn around the edges. I also loved Where the Wild Things Are; Winnie-the-Pooh; and Shel Silverstein’s crazy, wonderful poems in Where the Sidewalk Ends. When my brother and I were a little older, my father would read us poetry before bed—by Percy Shelley; Walt Whitman; and his all-time favorite, Rudyard Kipling. Long before The Jungle Book was a $175 million live-action animated feature film for Walt Disney, it was already…

LEAVE IT TO a designer who spent her childhood summers on concert tour buses to make a dated, cramped space look worthy of a ballad. “Everything on those buses served multiple purposes; the bench became a table that became a bunk,” recalls Nashville-based Hannah Crowell, whose parents are country music stars Rosanne Cash and Rodney Crowell. The decorator brought her years of spatially efficient vagabonding to this particular home, built in the mid-1980s in the vacationland of Seaside, Florida. It would need to welcome a Dallas couple and their three young children, plus occasional visiting grandparents, all within a tidy 600 square feet. Intentionally opting for cramped quarters may seem counterintuitive (or insane) but Crowell says, “The family fell in love with the house’s charm, and it was one of the…

A New Wreath Start with a door basket, such as this one from Terrain. Then nestle in a small pot of angelonia (the spiky white bloom), ‘Snow Princess’ sweet alyssum (the white lacy flowers), ‘Variegata’ greater periwinkle (the greenery that’s trailing in front), dusty miller (the velvety blue-green leaves), and asparagus fern (the feathery foliage peeking out the back). These should last two to three weeks with regular waterings. Just before company arrives, insert clippings of fresh tulips and orchids. A Fresh Centerpiece Place a block of florist foam inside the vase. Begin with your statement flowers—three white peonies with stems cut to slightly different lengths—and insert them around the foam in a triangular shape, putting the largest blossom at the front. From there, place five or six ranunculus with stems left about…

PAMELA SCURRY’S GARDEN on Anson Street is an oasis. As historic and formal as it is beautiful and welcoming, it’s made up of distinct rooms that extend the home’s interior living areas into the backyard. The three-story Greek Revival features a garden that was originally drawn up by Loutrel Briggs, a noted Charleston landscape architect. Landscape designer Sheila Wertheimer brought those plans fully to life and now, Scurry (an interior and garden designer who has made this property home for four years with her husband, Richard) continues to embrace the classic elements while adding her own style. The landscape uses many Southern-favorite plants, including azaleas, camellias, and dogwoods while also incorporating elements that can change with the seasons. Today, the space celebrates its Lowcountry charm and formal features and offers…

YOU’VE PROBABLY heard that it’s too hot in the South to grow peonies. You’ve heard wrong. These prestigious perennials can thrive here, as long as you know how to care for them properly. Fortunately, you can lean on the Grump for instruction. As Shakespeare wrote, “ ’Tis a consummation devoutly to be wish’d.” People love peonies because they bear huge, glorious flowers in spring and early summer that come in a wide range of colors and forms. They make cut flowers par excellence, and many are fragrant. These plants may live for generations, and deer won’t eat them. Let’s address the fundamentals of growing them south of the Mason-Dixon Line. What are the basic requirements for peonies here? First, at least six hours of full sun a day with light shade in the…

CHOOSE A SIZE The shade should be about two-thirds the height of your lamp base and twice the width. You will also want one that completely covers the hardware underneath. MIRROR THE SHAPE For the ultimate cohesion, choose a shade that matches the style of your base. Round or Empire ones work best with curvy bases while squares complement angular silhouettes. FIND THE RIGHT FIT Pairing a shade and base requires a marriage of hardware. Most older and pricier lamps suit shades with spider fittings, which attach to the base’s harp (the U-shaped metal piece that protects the bulb). No harp? You’ll need either a clip-on shade, which wraps the bulb, or an uno shade, which sits on the socket. CONSIDER THE BRIGHTNESS Determining how much light a lamp emits is largely dependent on the shade’s material.…