Southern Living June 2020

CONFESSION: I’ve never had a green thumb. Despite having the “all-seeing, all-knowing Grumpy Gardener” (his description, not mine) just a phone call away, I’ve struggled with eggplant, mustard greens, summer squash, and pretty much everything except oregano. (If you need any, I can send over a small U-Haul full.) I also do okay with jalapeño peppers, but there’s a limit to how many of those you can eat or even give away. Growing fruits and vegetables has been my nemesis, mostly due to a combination of inexperience and neglect. I planted some watermelons last spring and finally had a puny one show up in late October, a sort of gardening booby prize. I tried to espalier a fig, and it ended up tangled like an unkempt garden hose. I’ve also…

SHRIMP BOATS, kayaking outfitters, and lively bars and restaurants line the commercial side of Shem Creek, the gem of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina’s Old Village Historic District. But north of the Shem Creek bridge, the waterway winds through quiet neighborhoods where children roam on bikes and go crabbing off backyard docks. “My husband dreamed of being on the water, and we fell in love with this lot. We’re drawn to older areas where kids can run around,” says owner Maggie Bullwinkel. She and husband George, a Charleston native, had two young children when they began renovating this 3,200-square-foot house that was built in the 1970s. Their third child was 9 months old when they moved in. Maggie refers to her then-infant sidekick as “my design assistant.” While the Bullwinkels had renovated…

1. CHOOSE THE CART Consider, first and foremost, picking materials that can stand up to the weather—rattan, bamboo, woods like acacia, and metals are all good options. Bar carts that feature useful frills such as wheels, bottle holders, and multiple shelves can really come in handy. 2. STOCK UP Serve style alongside spirits with a stunning set of shatterproof drinkware combined with a few practical, outdoor-friendly bar tools and accessories (ice buckets are key on hot summer days). Use trays to corral similar items, such as glasses and mixers. This will also keep things visually pleasing. 3. BRING ON THE BOOZE Reserve space on your cart only for bottles that are used frequently or worthy of display. Choose ones in varying heights and colors for interest—and don’t underestimate the elevated packaging of artisanal mixers. 4. FINISH…

THE PROBLEM: rotten raised beds. That’s not the promising start to a spring growing season that a Master Gardener would expect—at least not Kelly Smith-Trimble, who discovered the wooden beds she had been using for years were crumbling against the naturally sloped grade of her Knoxville backyard. The solution: Rip out those old beds, and start experimenting. She’s an experienced grower who published an advice-packed book, Vegetable Gardening Wisdom, last year. However, class never goes out of session for gardeners, even the pros. Inspired by free-flowing shapes of labyrinth, keyhole, and spiral gardens, Smith-Trimble dreamed up a modified design to fit her suburban backyard: a meditation-style plot tucked away in a sun-laden corner. She stuck to her tried-and-true growing principles, but this time, alongside the veggies, she added a wide assortment…

TRUST, BUT VERIFY Ten years ago, a professional arborist recommended we plant three river birches in a bed on the south side of our Charlotte home, saying they were native trees and would grow quickly to provide shade. He failed to tell us the roots could impact both our foundation and water system and that the trees would shed twigs and branches year-round. We need a replacement to provide shade without the headaches. —Karen River birch (Betula nigra) may be native, but I would never plant one near the house. Besides the issues you mentioned, it quickly grows huge, typically with multiple trunks spreading up to 60 feet wide. Good substitutes with nice fall color include Nuttall oak (Quercus texana), Shumard red oak (Q. shumardii), ‘Allee’ Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia ‘Allee’), Chinese…

WHEN I WAS 29, I knew I wanted to buy a house, but I didn’t know that I’d end up in Water Valley, Mississippi, a town I knew very little about. My family left Oxford when I was 9, and I moved all over the country just to wind up around 20 miles from where I started. It’s funny how a specific house can have a pull on you. I told myself that I would figure everything else out along the way. I was drawn to the Victorian charm, from the original hardwood floors and the tall ceilings to the vintage cast-iron kitchen sink. Mostly, though, I loved the rambling circle that the house flows in, with one room connecting you to the next, only to end up right where…