FLOWER NOV•DEC 2025
HOUSE l GARDEN l LIFESTYLE
CON TEN TS November • December 2025
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Andiamo Lodge Thanksgiving
Colleen Duffley and Steve Carpenter enjoy the art of hosting at their lodge in Mentone, Alabama.
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The More the Merrier
Aldous Bertram whirls whimsy and tinsel in his one-room Charleston apartment, wrapping an “empty box” with classical flourish.
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Amaryllis: From Bulb to Bloom
The weather outside might be frightful, but this beloved flower brings plenty of beauty and warmth inside.
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Classic Christmas
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ON THE COVER To celebrate the holidays with FLOWER readers, designer and artist Aldous Bertram (seen at left) created our cover painting that incorporates a few of his favorite motifs, including the peppermint camellias that bloom abundantly throughout his adopted hometown of Charleston.
“Just living isn’t enough,” said the butterfly. “One must also have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.” —HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN 6 FLOWER November•December 2025
PHOTO BY JULIA LYNN
Interior designer Mark Kennamer’s home reflects his quintessential design sensibilities, his joy in curation, and during the holidays, his absolute devotion to Christmas decorating.
Century believes that style and service are personal and best provided by passionate local businesses. We are proud to be family owned and operated in Hickory, North Carolina since 1947.
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C ON TE N T S
Departments
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From the Field
We’ve gathered the goods to make holidays—and every day—merry and bright.
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John’s Almanac
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Travel
Editor-in-Chief Margot Shaw sits down with designer Pamela Babey to learn more about her international career, including the inspiration behind Villa Feltrinelli on Italy’s Lake Garda.
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Decorating
Pastel hues, natural materials, and vintage furnishings set the scene for holiday hospitality at designer Cece Bowman’s guest house in West Palm Beach.
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Entertaining
With The Punctilious Mr. P’s Place Card Co., husband-and-wife owners Martin Cooper and Karen Suen-Cooper elevate the art of entertaining.
15 I N EVERY IS SUE 10 Watering Can What’s Online? 60 Sources 98 Floral Moment 100 8 FLOWER November•December 2025
TOP PHOTO BY CARMEL BRANTLEY; FAR LEFT COURTESY OF THE PUNCTILIOUS MR. P'S PLACE CARD CO., BOTTOM RIGHT BY DAVID HILLEGAS
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In this final installment of our yearlong series, John Coykendall, master gardener at Blackberry Farm, shares his parting reflections.
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WATER I NG CA N A Note from the Editor
“Home whispers to us in the spiritual way that music slips past our mind, speaking directly to our souls.” —JEFFREY DUNGAN, ARCHITECT
strains of familiar music and ritual? Or maybe it’s something otherworldly and not yet? Our answers likely run the gamut. In this issue, we found “home” in a rustic-chic resort, Andiamo, in the Appalachian foothills of Alabama, where Thanksgiving is a specialty of the house, luring guests from all over the Southeast. We also feature Villa Feltrinelli, a house transformed into a hotel on Italy’s Lake Garda. When my husband and I had the pleasure of visiting it, I was immediately smitten and exclaimed I was home! You’ll see why when you hear from Pamela Babey, the visionary San Francisco-based designer responsible for the magic. And speaking of magic, Charleston designer and author Aldous Bertram gives new meaning to the term “trompe l’oeil” as he decorates his one-room jewel box apartment for Christmas. Using his talents as an illustrator and artist, he offers holiday guests a visual adventure full of surprises. And for an encore, he conceived and created the fanciful illustration for the cover of this issue. There’s lots more inside these pages, but for now, I leave you with an invitation to consider and share with us YOUR vision of “home for the holidays” and what it means to you—and don’t skimp on the floral mentions! Love and SDG,
Margot Shaw EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Please send your comments, triumphs, challenges & questions to: wateringcan@flowermag.com OR Letters to the Editor I FLOWER Magazine I P.O. Box 530645 I Birmingham, AL 35253 Get the FLOWER email newsletter! Sign up at flowermag.com/news
10 F L O W E R N o v e m b e r • D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 5
PHOTO BY CARY NORTON
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS—it’s a wave of words that laps over my psyche every year about this time. You hear it in passing party patter and in culture in general as part of marketing ploys and friendly invitations. The phrase draws many moments to my mind. Right now, I’m taken back to my boarding school days in the dining hall where we would sing the countdown until vacation— the Christmas holidays, specifically. “Hark the herald angels shout, 12 more days ‘til we get out!” … and so on down the days. On the 12th day, we were flung like the diaspora to our respective homes all over the country and the globe—beginning with the train to the city, then gathering one last time in LaGuardia’s Crown Room or Admirals Club (or wherever the latest recon revealed underage drinking most available). After a while, we would peel off, one by one, to our respective gates among blubbery goodbyes and promises to call. I remember never really having a set home to go to. Sometimes I’d head to Birmingham to stay with my grandmother and brother; other times it was New York City, where my mother lived. Once I flew to Key West to spend the holidays with my Hemingwayesque father in his conch house on Frances Street. There he concocted the most delicious Rotel dip served with whatever fancy drink I desired, inevitably garnished with key lime from the tree in his courtyard. (At 16 years of age, this was heady stuff.) Then we ventured to his Cuban restaurant for a Christmas Eve feast of Lechon Asado (roast pork), Moros y Cristianos (black beans and rice), and Tostones (fried plantains). Before I knew it, the New Year rang in and I was heading back to the Berkshires for school with a mix of sadness at the end of playtime and anticipation of reconnecting with friends, roomies, and my beau. Yes, the dorms were ugly and our uniforms were pretty drab, but the relationships were beautiful and it felt like home, just as much as our hometowns did at Christmas—maybe more. What does home mean to you? Being surrounded by friends and family? Sharing an experience? Celebrating with special foods and flowers? Enjoying the trimmings everywhere and the
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We’ve gathered the goods to make holidays—and every day— merry and bright. PRODUCED AND STYLED BY AMANDA SMITH FOWLER PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID HILLEGAS
GI F T GIVI NG:
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