With the walls of the Dallas Arboretum’s Rosine Hall covered in an array of floral images, the 2024 A Writer’s Garden guests had the perfect setting on Wednesday, November 13, for the annual Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum fundraiser. In addition to a reception, a luncheon and a lively auction, speakers Stefani Bittner and Martyn Lawrence Bullard shared design tips and tales from their associations. Here’s a report from the field:
Those who attended the immersive Vincent Van Gogh or Monet experience that showed in Dallas a couple of years ago will recall how being surrounded by walls full of absolutely stunning images was such a wondrous sight. The same feeling captured the crowd at the 18th Annual A Writer’s Garden Star Style Glamour for the Home And Garden presented by the Weber Foundation and benefiting the Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden.
At the reception, guests were greeted with two champagne stations which created quite a vision with coupe champagne glasses stacked in pyramids and servers ready to pour. The room’s walls were covered in colorful projection murals of green spaces with butterflies in motion, huge blooming dark pink cabbage roses, burgundy peonies and more, created by Lightware Labs of Dallas. Centered in the room were 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.
Joining A Writer’s Garden Chair Joni Krieg were Women’s Council President Therese Rourk, Dallas Arboretum President/CEO Sabina Carr with Senior Gifts Officer Dave Forehand, Dorothea Meltzer, Robin Carreker, Suzanne Caruso, JoJo Fleiss, Lilli Braniff, Lisa Meyer, Allison Brodnax, Lele Sadoughi, Mary Black, Catherine Awtrey, Suzanne Millet, Linda Spina, Donna Arp Weitzman and more.
Mistress of Ceremonies Calvert Collins Bratton welcomed everyone and acknowledged Honorary Chair Garry Weber, who was unable to attend, and the Weber Foundation as Presenting Sponsor. Therese greeted guests and introduced Joni, who thanked sponsors, including 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 co-chaired by Jolie Humphrey and C’Mone Wingo; and Katherine Phillips, sponsor of the Tea Blending Workshop with Stefani Bittner, co-chaired by Colby Baer and Katie Kennemer at Gardenuity.
Stefani began her presentation with colorful slides showcasing different scenes from Homestead Design Collective, her San Francisco-based landscape design firm focused on creating beautiful gardens that provide harvest. She said that hardscape and landscape go hand-in-hand, just like flowers and fragrance. A Texas native, she said she is inspired by Texas meadows and the plants that survive and even thrive in the heat. Plants that are also important for pollinators work well when combined with edibles in mind, such as rosemary and lavender. A favorite story was about a client who has free range chickens and Stefani designed the entire acreage with low-lying edibles for the chickens, as well as the humans who care for them. She designs kitchen gardens grouping together herbs and plants for teas, flower arrangements and edibles such as persimmons, certain marigolds and sage. Stefani is the author of “The Fragrant Flower Garden” (Ten Speed Press, 2024), “Harvest: Unexpected Projects Using 47 Extraordinary Garden Plants” (Ten Speed Press, 2017), “The Beautiful, Edible Garden” (Ten Speed Press, 2013).
Multi award-winning Los Angeles-based British interior designer Martyn 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. The presentation did not disappoint. He shared that Kylie Jenner 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; 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. He is the author of “Star Style” (Vendome Press, 2023), “Martyn Lawrence Bullard: Design and Decoration” (Rizzoli, 2016) and “Live, Love and Decorate” (Rizzoli, 2011).
There was a spirited live auction led by Sila Grogan which featured the original Star Style logo painting by Tonya Trest, a sapphire and diamond necklace, vacation trip to Montana, Dallas glamour package, private dining package with Chef Bobby Pollette, Meet and Greet Michael Feinstein and a package consisting of a Presidential Suite at the Hotel Vin along with Table 13, Shinsei, Joey and many other restaurants. There were two surprise packages added to the line-up: Stefani donated a tour of her garden in the Bay Area followed by lunch incorporating plants from her garden. Martyn followed by offering to take a group to his invitation only, private club in Los Angeles for lunch.
Guests when seated, found a scrumptious charcuterie plate to nibble on during the authors’ presentations, followed by a luncheon of an entrée of sliced beef tender with Béarnaise sauce, stuffed chicken breast and vegetables followed by desserts of apple tart and cranberry glazed cheesecake.
Afterwards, everyone was invited to docent-led tours of A Woman’s Garden. To learn more about the Women’s Council visit the website at www.wcdabg.org.
* Photo courtesy of the Women's Council of the Dallas Arboretum ** Photo credit: Rob Wythe/Wythe Portrait Studios