The ‘Fascinating Landscapes’ of May WAG
This month we expand our annual flora and gardens issue to consider the landscapes of “Fascinating Botanicals.” Few have been more intriguing than the…
May 2019
A paean to the peony
The varied peony has become a protean metaphor, including for healing after violence.
A botanical paradise unearthed
David Hosack, MD, America’s first botanist and friend to both Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, has been a footnote in the nation’s history (though he does get a shout-out in “Hamilton.”) Victoria Johnson is looking to change that with her National Book Award finalist “American Eden.”
Artist of eden
The New York Botanical Garden celebrates the protean creativity of landscaper/artist Roberto Burle Marx.
Turning the tide
The “Hudson Rising” exhibition at the New-York Historical Society Museum & Library in Manhattan examines two centuries along the river. From commerce to art to wildlife, varied elements combine to create a detailed exploration that encompasses ecological change and environmental activism.
Gilded Age gardener
Beatrice Farrand – the first woman landscape architect, who helped shaped the U.S. landscape at the 20th century’s dawn – is celebrated in a new documentary.
Poppies, for remembrance
After World War I, Georgia’s Moina Michael started the tradition of wearing poppies to honor the dead and serve the living.
A brush with history
Ever try to put on an art show at a national historic landmark? No easy task. Just ask Susan Gilgore and Gail Ingis at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum in Norwalk.
Puttin’ down new roots
Bill Ruhrkraut – a man who likes a good garden – takes over as GM at Bloomingdale’s White Plains.
Beyond fine
Amy Ray of Indigo Girls cultivates her music – and her garden.
Bloody relations
HBO’s “Game of Thrones” – which runs through May 19 – has nothing on the Plantagenets, the Rolls-Royce of English royal families.
Branching out
In Jackie Battenfield’s world, it’s always springtime. The Brooklyn-based artist – represented by Kenise Barnes Fine Art in Larchmont – has developed a unique process of painting leaves, branches and blooms on Mylar to stunning effect.
Crowning achievement
The annual Lyndhurst Flower Show arrived just as the Gothic Revival Mansion kicks off a long landscaping project.
A mother’s legacy of love
Ann Mara Cacase continues the formidable philanthropy of her mother, Ann T. Mara – matriarch of the New York Football Giants and the First Lady of Football.
Petal-ing through the pages
Two new books take readers into the garden, accompanied by two experts, Australian celebrity florist Fleur McHarg and Hamptons-based landscape designer Frederico Azevedo.
Call of the wild
The services and benefits of a community nature center go well beyond the delightful aspect of providing a floral form of “eye candy” for visitors. In the case of New Canaan Nature Center (NCNC), the traditional mission is further expanded by educational opportunities for all ages through events and programming.
Incredible edibles
Touring Gilbertie’s Organic Petite Edibles and Herb Gardens in Easton with legendary wholesale grower Sal Gilbertie.
Flights of fancy
In “LandEscape: New Visions of the Landscape from the Early 20th and 21st Centuries,” at the Katonah Museum of Art through June 16, viewers can immerse themselves in works from two seminal moments in art history when painters reimagined an ancient art form that has helped define our identity as a nation.
Art, naturally
When it comes to nature, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in Manhattan is all in.
Birds ’n’ bees
At Tiffany & Co., everything old is new again as the luxe silver and jewelry emporium’s signature tag shape-shifts in an urban garden for its new Return to Tiffany Love Bugs Collection.
Down to earth
Pithy and powerful, Tracee Ellis Ross exhorts people to become who they already are.
Dear Deer Park
A modern take on a traditional home in Greenwich’s classic Deer Park.
Olive oy!
Weather and infestations have devastated olive oil production in Italy, even as Val Morano Sagliocco gets set to debut his brand, Oliveto Morano.
Home design – inside and out
With Brittany and Matthew Bromley, Bedford’s seamless couple, it’s hard to tell where her interior designs leave off and his landscape designs begin.
Go floral – or go home
Voutsa, the luxe design studio based in Columbia County – known for its intricate, artistic patterns – goes boldly floral in its latest collection of images for wallpaper, linens and lifestyle products.
Earthly inspired
InsidherLand – the Portuguese home and jewelry design brand created in 2012 by architect Joana Santos Barbosa – takes its cue from natural forms, which include its new coral-colored collection.
Spotlight on lighting design
What’s Collectible columnist Jennifer Pitman considers Gino Sarfatti of Arteluce and Angelo Lelii of Arredoluce, Italian lighting designers and manufacturers who flourished during Italy’s postwar design boom.
Have mom, will travel
Do you know what makes a great trip? When you never want to leave your hotel, because it offers you so much of everything. That is how my sister, my 101-year old mother and I felt about our recent stay in Manhattan at the JW Marriott Essex House New York on Central Park South.
Fun with flowers
Spring makes us want to throw open the windows and refresh our homes. The fastest way to do that is with a vase of fresh flowers, an instant redecorating tool.
The countryside awaits
Jeremy Wayne wanders down an English country lane to some of the country’s most magnificent homes and gardens.
Hawaii’s garden island
The Hawaiian words Aloha Aina, Aloha Kai translate to “Love of the Land, Love of the Sea,” and nowhere do they sound as true and authentic as on the island of Kauai, the Garden Island.
Shade savvy
The awning business wasn’t necessarily part of Greg Sahagian’s plan. Now, after more than 30 years in the business, he runs one of the premier awning businesses in the region with multiple family members.
Outdoor living
Warm breezes and soft sunshine have always lured people to work, play, socialize and relax in the fresh air. Happily there is an abundance of furniture and accessories to make plein air living comfortable, convenient and stylish.
‘Fabled’ dining
Enjoy the vegetable-focused menu at this Chappaqua eatery.
‘Bobal’-icious
Our resident Dionysus Doug Paulding headed to Valencia, Spain for the little-known Utiel-Requena wine region’s luscious offerings, made mainly with the Bobal grape.
Good enough to eat
When it comes to fragrance and skincare, botanical elements continue to be a hot trend. And they are certainly key factors in the luxe products we recently sampled from Beauty Made in Italy, a program sponsored by the Italian government and Cosmetica Italia to promote these products in the American market.
Glow-getter
Korean beauty-inspired brand Glow Recipe has made a name for itself in the beauty world. Now, it’s making a splash with one of its latest releases, the Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist.
Rx for hair distress
Mark DiStefano , MD, at Medi Tresse in Scarsdale is determined to help women regain confidence in their locks using science’s most cutting-edge treatments.
Ahh…ahh … ahh-choo!
Allergies shouldn’t stop you from enjoying your garden or other outdoor spaces, says allergist David Erstein.
Getting into the swing of a new season
A conversation with golf and fitness expert Brandon Gaydorus.
Bouncy Biscuit
If you like pooches with plenty of pep, then you’ll love Biscuit, a 1-year-old Pomeranian-Corgi mix who’s a regular jumping bean.
A fondness for Fala
This month we pay tribute to “Murray the Outlaw of Falahill,” or simply “Fala”as he was more commonly known to his adoring fans. The beloved Scottish Terrier of Eleanor and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Fala was arguably the most famous pet that ever lived at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
What’s happening in May 2019
WAG’s list of local happenings for the month of May.