A Summer Fête, s'il vous plaît

May 31, 2015 Nancy Stuck

With the start of spring and summer comes so many exciting activities: spending weekends on the water, movies en-plein-air, dinners on the terrace, luncheons and garden parties galore! We were particularly interested in the last one so we tapped a Jophiel stylist and our resident horticulturist Nancy Stuck for some insight. Below she shares not only her favorite parts of gardening but also what to wear. You’re formally invited to Nancy’s Garden Party!

What would you say are seasonal flowers for spring and early summer that you love seeing? What is coming into bloom that you get really excited about?

That would be the rhododendron and azaleas. I mean, tulips are o.k. Daffodils are o.k. But they really don’t trip my trigger so much.

To be honest, I love just watching the little leaves emerge on everything. They’re just so teeny and watching them emerge every day is so magical. And I love, love, love to watch the ferns unfurl.

Nancy's garden in summer.

Do you go out daily to see buds come out?

I probably do it more in the evening because I’m not around during the day but I also really like the early morning sun. I’ll be out any time of the day. The beauty is the waking up and the dew and it’s just very peaceful in the morning. It’s very quite in the yard, no one else is out.

Her reindeer statue Max standing guard.

Now that you’ve worked so hard creating such an amazing space. Let’s host a party! What would you picture as an ideal garden party setting?

To me a garden party is simply having a party in your garden or in your outdoor space. It doesn’t even have to be an invitation type of party or a specific theme. If your yard is decorated and has flowers it’s ready to host an outdoor party.

With Memorial Day kicking off summer we want to be garden party ready. How would you style someone for an outdoor party?

Light and airy, linen I think is perfect. Cotton too. Focusing on great fabrics.

I don’t think it’s a matter of traditional [style] or not, it’s a matter of ease and comfort, what works for that individual. And then dependent on the formalness of the actual party. Some parties will of course be dressier while others will be more relaxed. (Remember to always double check the invitation!)

But I think it’s always about the fabrics and keeping it light.

Floral prints are fun but I think solid colors work just as well.

Even if you aren’t planning to host or attend an outdoor party, we’re all for the ease, comfort and soft fabrics of summer fashion. Check out Nancy’s looks below!