Flower Power • Summer begins with garden delights from across New England
written and produced by molly jane quinn
PRETTY PETALS • Everything’s coming up roses — and chrysanthemums
and columbine. Floral illustrations are all the rage, with textile designers
taking their cues from the hyper-real botanical drawings of old. In her new
book, Gardens in Perpetual Bloom ($25, museum of Fine arts), author
nancy Keeler takes readers through 250 years of
botanicals, from 1600 to 1850, with more than 100
prints, drawings, and engravings in luscious full color.
at Ox Bow decor in weston, massachusetts, laurie
Grossman is turning her contemporary botanical
prints into home accessories, starting with a line of
pillows printed with big blossoms (also available are
birds, butterflies, and fish). The pillows are sold to
the trade and at boutiques; for more information,
call 781-239-3546 or go to oxbowdecor.com.
106 design new england • may/june 2010
05•1-10 •10
grea T Ou TdOOrs • The Berkshire Botanical
garden in stockbridge, massachusetts, is
kicking off the 2010 season with an exhibit of
agricultural sheds transformed by designers
into gorgeous outdoor havens. Touted as
“fantasy garden follies,” the structures,
donated by The Barn raisers of saugerties,
new york, include an adirondack-style tree
house and a Berkshire “summer studio.” Local
designers Annie Selke of Pine Cone Hill in
Pittsfield, massachusetts, and sarah and Peter
Thorne of Thorne Furniture and decoration in
stockbridge are participating. They are joined
by new yorkers michael devine of michael
devine Home in Kinderhook, james shearron
and Richard Bories of Shearron and Bories in
manhattan, and Chase Booth, who was
renovation editor of the now-defunct Domino
magazine. The little huts turned decorated
gems will be sold at the close of the season.
admission to the gardens is $10; for more
information, visit berkshirebotanical.org.
