A Writer's Garden benefiting the Women's Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

 

 It was a beautiful fall morning at the Dallas Arboretum as guests arrived in great anticipation of the 18th Annual A Writer’s Garden Star Style Glamour for the Home & Garden presented by the Weber Foundation and benefiting the Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden.

         Inside Rosine Hall, the scene was set for an out of this world experience. As guests entered, they were greeted with two champagne stations featuring coupe champagne glasses stacked in pyramids and were surrounded by walls covered in stunning floor-to-ceiling projection images of huge peonies, cabbage roses, fluttering butterflies and more created by LIGHTWARE LABS of Dallas.

         Tables were topped with rich burgundy velvet tablecloths, elegant gold-rimmed place settings and floral centerpieces by The T Shop, boasting flowers that were echoed in the colorful wall projections. Along the center were servers hosting tables full of pastries and refreshments, while Faye’s Book Collection book sales and signing vignettes named in honor of the late Faye Briggs, were set up for the two featured speakers, Martyn Lawrence Bullard and Stefani Bittner.

         Joni Krieg, A Writer’s Garden chair, circulated amongst the crowd, welcoming everyone with Therese Rourk, Women’s Council president, who wore the sapphire and diamond necklace that would be featured in the live auction.

         Calvert Collins Bratton, Mistress of Ceremonies, welcomed everyone from the stage. She acknowledged honorary chair, Garry Weber, who was unable to attend, and the Weber Foundation as Presenting Sponsor. 

2024 AWG Artwork by Tonya Trest

Sponsors included Becky Burgett, Announcement Party host, chaired by Tammany Stern; Kathy and Larry Helm, hosts of the Patron Party sponsored by Sheila and Tom Leslie and chaired by Jolie Humphrey and C’Mone Wingo; and Katherine Phillips, sponsor of the Tea Blending Workshop with Stefani Bittner, chaired by Colby Baer and Katie Kennemer at Gardenuity.

        Stefani Bittner shared interesting stories and colorful scenes from Homestead Design Collective, her San Francisco-based landscape design firm focused on creating beautiful gardens that also provide harvest. A Texas native, she said she is inspired by Texas meadows and the plants that survive and even thrive in the heat. She said that even in different areas of the country, heat is an important factor in planning a harvest garden with hardscape and landscape complementing each other, just like flowers and fragrance. Plants that are also important for pollinators work well when combined with edibles in mind, such as rosemary and lavender. She said kitchen gardens should be designed grouping together herbs and plants for teas, flower arrangements and edibles such as persimmons, certain marigolds and sage. 

         Taking the stage with aplomb, Martyn, a multi award-winning Los Angeles-based British interior designer, began by sharing stories which are featured in his new book “Star Style.” His style has been described as Hollywood glamour meets ethnic exotica and eclectic, luxurious, comfortable and fearless. In rapt attention, the crowd ooh’ed and ahh’ed as he showed slides from Kylie Jenner’s residence, saying she had the leather for her dining room chairs dyed in colors to match lipsticks from her cosmetic line; Cher loves Moroccan and Turkish-influenced design; while Sir Elton John collects photographs from all over the world and while he was traveling the world playing concerts, Martyn joined his team and they would shop for Elton’s three homes in between concert breaks. When asked what is trending now, he said color is back with greens and eggplant; old rose is best for complementing complexions and that the biggest trend now is vintage looking wallpaper. 

To learn more about the Women’s Council visit the website at www.wcdabg.org