FLOWER JAN•FEB 2026
flower of the year
HOUSE l GARDEN l LIFESTYLE
CON TEN TS January • February 2026
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Made in Manhattan
Designer Cathy Kincaid and architect John B. Murray combine their talents to customize a New York City apartment while staying true to its historic roots.
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A Force of Nature
Left to its own devices, winter will fail to thrill in the floral department. That’s why we conspire to help nature along.
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Friendly Formality
This classically designed home in Mountain Brook, Alabama, unites timeless proportions with a modern floor plan and plenty of Southern charm for a growing family.
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Maximum Impact
ON THE COVER We’re floored by the versatility and color variety found in the Fire Light Hydrangea, our 2026 Flower of the Year. See page 24 to learn more. Photographed by David Hillegas
“Just living isn’t enough,” said the butterfly. “One must also have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.” —HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN 4 FLOWER January•February 2026
PHOTO BY LESLEE MITCHELL
Meet these creative personalities who take a “more is more” approach to cultivating their own landscapes. Here we share a bird's-eye view of their gardens that brim with both plants and personality.
C ON TE N T S
Departments
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From the Field
Step into the new year with stylish furnishings and accessories, walls that speak for themselves, and everything you need to make a grand entrance.
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Flower of the Year
This year, we’re looking to our own backyards for inspiration. Ranging from vanilla white to deep burgundy, this ever-changing bloom is sure to be a focal point in any garden or arrangement.
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Q&A: Artist
Every stroke in Lulie Wallace’s paintings, textiles, and wallpapers reflects the artist’s buoyant perspective on color, pattern, and life.
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Gardens
In this intricate tropical garden designed
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I N EVERY IS SUE 8 Watering Can What’s Online? 44 Sources 86 Floral Moment 88 6 FLOWER January•February 2026
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TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF MORGAN DUKE PHOTOGRAPHY; FAR LEFT PHOTO BY TAMARA ALVAREZ; BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO COURTESY OF REED-SMYTHE
by Craig Reynolds, beauty reveals itself in defined yet dramatic layers.
The Other Elizabeth • 17 East Main Street, Boyce, VA Elizabeth Locke Jewels • 968 Madison Avenue, New York City 212-744-7878 Store Locations: 540-837-3088 or www.elizabethlocke.com
WATER I NG CA N A Note from the Editor
The way a crow Shook down on me The dust of snow From a hemlock tree Has given my heart A change of mood And saved some part Of a day I had rued. —“DUST OF SNOW” BY ROBERT FROST
build confidence for beginner flower arrangers as I find they almost arrange themselves. To prove this maxim, rather than enlist a professional, I appointed myself to create arrangements with this year’s winner. Cut the stems and drop them in a vase, urn, or jardinière of any size or shape filled with fresh clean water, and voilà! Midway through the photo shoot, our Editorial Director, Karen Carroll, added a note of whimsy by suggesting we shoot the flowers on my checkerboard kitchen floor. Brilliant! The shot turned out to be so striking that we picked it as this issue’s cover. We also spotlight four gardeners who take a maximalist approach to creating their outdoor spaces, whether urban patio in Northern California or poolside oasis in South Florida (which happens to belong to longtime FLOWER friend Renny Reynolds). And matching the beauty of the flowers and gardens in this issue is a pair of interior projects—a renovation and reimagining of a New York City apartment by Dallas design wizard Cathy Kincaid and a new build in Birmingham, Alabama, designed by Hundley Hilton and dressed in icy pastels and flowers, including fresh ones from floral designer Sybil Sylvester. Do let us know if you’ve experienced a “dust of snow” in or out of these pages. We’d love to hear about it. 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
8 FLOWER January•February 2026
PHOTO BY DAVID HILLEGAS
IN WINTER, WE OFTEN DISMISS NATURE and outdoors as a source of wonder while lingering in the indoor cozy with a fire, a cup of tea, and a book (or magazine). But this oh-so-concise poem—eight lines, to be exact—paints the most beautiful and magical picture of the natural world and its playful surprises. Things we might see as bothersome—a crow with its loud, abrasive caw and its association with scavenging; the cold wet surprise of snow dropping on us, or in this case, being shaken on us by said crow—can, upon closer consideration, bring delight. Watching a lively, mischievous crow can be an unexpected source of joy; a “dust of snow” can feel refreshing, and further, offers a general awakening to a wonder of nature. Such things conspire to salvage a day and brighten a mood. This poem recalls to me a Latin term I’ve recently heard— incurvatus in se—which means curved in on oneself. I discovered this phrase while listening to a podcast about depression. St. Augustine coined it as a description of how one can end up depressed, or in this case, ruminating and “ruing.” Here, Robert Frost is focusing on himself and what’s before him in his day, all with a bit of dread, when a ping from the natural world transforms everything. What happens? He looks up and, I imagine, laughs at himself and the wonder of a bird whose trick highlights and convicts the poet laureate of his Eeyore-like demeanor. How wondrous! One of FLOWER’s always refreshing and surprising forces of nature is contributing garden writer Tovah Martin. She has been gracing our pages for years—educating, inspiring, and entertaining us with her tales from the outdoors. I’m not comparing Tovah to a crow, but here in midwinter, her tutorial on bulb forcing, along with her evocative description of a lush tropical Key West garden, definitely defies the winter doldrums. Our 2026 Flower of the Year, the Fire Light Hydrangea, also gives us an unlikely winter encounter and a promising prelude to warmer days ahead. I always recommend using hydrangeas to
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Step into the new year with stylish furnishings and accessories, walls that speak for themselves, and everything you need to make a grand entrance. PRODUCED BY AMANDA SMITH FOWLER
First Impressions
Entries serve as the vein of the house, connecting rooms and spaces. They set the tone for what's to come and provide a great opportunity for bold, visual impact. —DESIGNER MARK D. SIKES
FROM TH E FI ELD | E N TRY WAYS
I recommend having a surface, like a console or table, for keys and mail. Benches are
Mark D. Sikes
nice for putting on shoes or for guests to set down their handbags. I also think an entry is the perfect place for a really exceptional light fixture.
OUR EDITORS' PICKS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: Astral Pendant ($2,440) from Currey & Company, curreyandcompany.com • Maria Bench in Liberty of London’s Faria Flowers Velvet ($11,085) from Hickory Chair, hickorychair.com • Small Matrix Tape Tray ($245) from The Lacquer Company, thelacquercompany.com • Persephone Fabric in Peacock (to the trade) from Schumacher, schumacher.com • Medium Sophie Lamp in Apple Green with 23k Gold Water Gilt Base ($3,615) from Christopher Spitzmiller, christopherspitzmiller.com • Fairview Console Table ($6,748) from Century Furniture, centuryfurniture.com 14 F L O W E R J a n u a r y • F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 6
PREVIOUS PAGE: PHOTO BY AMY NEUNSINGER; THIS PAGE: PORTRAIT BY BILLAL TARIGHT
—DESIGNER MARK D. SIKES
FL OW ER OF TH E Y E A R
flower of the year
FIRE LIGHT HYDRANGEA This year, we’re looking to our own backyards for inspiration. Ranging from vanilla white to deep burgundy, this ever-changing bloom is sure to be a focal point in any garden or arrangement. BY CARRIE ORTEZA 24 F L O W E R J a n u a r y • F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 6
| PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID HILLEGAS
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