Victoria

Over lunch at a local bistro, conversation among our staff naturally drifted to reading. Several editors revealed an affinity for the same author, and enthusiastic banter ensued over favorite titles. Isn’t it amazing to consider the community that sp

Visit our website to read this issue’s online stories and to find more of the content you love. Take a closer look at some of our favorite March/April features: Become fluent in the language of flowers with guidance from florist Teresa Sabankaya, who

In my part of the country, spring is a gloriously beautiful season, but its arrival is unpredictable, to say the least. I’ve lived in northern Vermont for many decades, and much of the time I’m completely content to be here. For a good part of the ye

Of all the seasons, spring is by far my favorite because it is filled with so much hope. After a long, dreary winter, it’s always a thrill to watch life return to the garden and to once again begin filling my house with flowers. The bees arrive right

In a letter penned to granddaughter Anne Cary Bankhead in 1811, Thomas Jefferson wrote that “the flowers come forth like the belles of the day, have their short reign of beauty and splendour, and retire, like them, to the more interesting office of r

Meadows of bluebonnets wave in the breeze blowing across the Texas Hill Country, creating a colorful welcome mat for Fredericksburg, a town that draws tourists from the world over to partake of its myriad attractions. With blossoms shaped like sunbon

The idyllic community of Bonny Doon—a place every bit as picturesque as its Scottish name suggests—nestles on a gentle slope near Santa Cruz, California, with redwood forests above and coastal grasslands below. With plenty of sunshine, a temperate cl

While Jackie Marro was growing up in Vermont, she often stitched clothes for her three younger sisters’ dolls, an activity that inspired a lifelong love of sewing, which in turn led her to a career in the fashion industry. In her position as a design

In the early morning of April 29, 2011, Vanessa Gilbreath and her friends gathered at her Marietta, Georgia, home to watch the fairy-tale wedding of Britain’s Prince William and his bride, Kate Middleton. As a native of Guildford in Surrey, this Engl

For collector Courtney Hildebrand, there is magic in a sterling ring box. The precious metal, which she’s gathered for decades, is familiar to her, like the smile of an old friend. The stories each piece could share, however, are a mystery she consta

The old Singer sewing machine that once belonged to her mother hums merrily along in Emily Alexander’s Oxford atelier, E. Alexander Designs, as she adds borders of antique silver galon around the remnant of an ancient tapestry mounted on a velvet bac

At the height of spring, the streets of London are bathed in botanical beauty. Petals from flowering trees flutter through the air like robins in search of breakfast, floral dis-plays are prepared in attempt to mirror the city’s splendor, and romance

Begins on page 39 Makes 12 6 large eggs, hard-cooked and peeled2 tablespoons crème fraîche2 tablespoons mayonnaise1 tablespoon Dijon mustard2 teaspoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar1 teaspoon kosher saltGarnish: crème fraîche, caviar, fresh