This Spring, let beauty, by way of flowers, enrich your lives

• Posted on 1 May 2025
• By Tara Wegdam
• 0

When you think of Spring, several things come to mind: a warm breeze, pastel decor, an enlivened front porch, and, of course, a gorgeous array of fresh flowers. With the approach of Virginia Garden Week, I figured there was no better way to celebrate the arrival of another beautiful Spring than sitting down with Margot Shaw, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Flower Magazine. Margot has been on my mind recently, as I recalled a visit by her to Middleburg almost 11 years ago to do a talk on flowers, so I was so grateful that she took the time to chat with me. My interview with her this past week reminded me about the most important takeaway I had from her talk 11 years ago: she is truly a genuine and incredible human being, and has so much to share other than just about flowers!

As Margot notes, “flowers are the vessel” that she uses for something bigger. Everyone knows her as someone who both understands and loves flowers, an expert florist if you will; but her true passion lies in being an  entrepreneur, curator and writer. This combination led her to start her publication, Flower Magazine, to not only fill a gap in editorial content on flowers and a botanical-minded lifestyle, but also to help share her vision of beauty with the world. In addition to Flower Magazine, Margot has also written Living Floral: Entertaining and Decorating with Flowers and has a second book with Rizzoli coming out in about a year. 

This Virginia Garden Week, Margot plans to visit the historic Oak Springs (with Crème de la Crème on the short-list of nearby places she must stop by!) As we chatted about what to expect at Oak Springs this year, she noted that the backdrop of green, her new favorite color, will be the most enticing part of her visit. The gardens at Oak Springs, an absolute must-see on the garden tour, are a lovely example of why Margot often emphasizes a base of green scattered with accents of colors, texture and textures. She notes, “green is a neutral worth being a star.” With blue being her previous “favorite” color, she reminded me that C.S. Lewis referred to blue and green as the ‘Colors of Angels’. Margot has a deep appreciation for colors and flowers, and the way in which we can connect them to make something beautiful. Beauty is all around us and is such an important part of our everyday lives- whether we see beauty in flowers, in our interiors, in a shop, or in a conversation, beauty makes our lives just a little bit better.

Margot delved into specifics about why she loves floral arranging and shared with me how much she loves to have a stand-out feature in her arrangements. Most recently, she was showcasing some gorgeous Azaleas, a favorite of hers that she humbly credited her husband, the true gardener, with growing in their garden. Her honesty and candidness throughout our discussion was inspirational. Margot noted that although her talents and passion are well-established in the floral world, she is keenly aware that every person, like her husband with his green thumb, has the ability to experience the joy of beautiful things by being sincere to their own individual talents. Everyone has something to contribute, and each thing is important.

As fellow alumni of Hollins college, we spent time affirming what a positive experience we both had at the school and how formative it was for both of our subsequent careers. It was fun to chat about how we both remember “escaping into a cubby desk in the library to gather our thoughts and produce something.” Naturally, we both still seek quiet time to gather our thoughts and connect our inspiration to our work at hand. Connecting is very important in her world- she speaks of threads that are being woven through all that we do and all that we encounter.

This year, Margot was excited to create and connect with experts to choose the “flower of the year.” Sybil Sylvester, Lewis Miller, Hames Farmer, Charlotte Moss, Elaine Griffin, Mish Tworkowski, Scott Shepherd, Ben Page and Tara Guerard all helped influence her vision. Together, they chose Lavante Rose Anemone - a unique and somewhat unknown flower exhibiting shades of the Pantone 2025 color Crocus. The allure was not only due to its color, but also because it is “cheery, elegant, a bit playful, and full of hope and optimism.” (...for those of us who live with deer, its hardiness is also appealing!) I know I am looking forward to adding some of this particular flower's unprecedented beauty to my home this year.

Margot was not only filled with wise and inspiring words, but also full of recommendations! In particular, she was excited to share two fantastic book titles: Home in Bloom by Ariella Chezar and Flower Flash by Louis Miller. The juxtaposition of both the subjects and the personalities in these books show Margot’s ability to see and appreciate beauty in different styles. 

Margot also spoke about how she recently has the pleasure of introducing Shane Connolly and Willow Crossley, both renowned florists, at the Nashville Home and Garden Show. When asked whose style was most like her own, she noted that she fell right in the middle: she has the technical skills to create an arrangement that features many types of flowers and appreciates its complex beauty, but also likes to keep things simple and stay with one flower, arranging it loosely. Margot exhibits a unique ability to see the beauty in different design styles and tastes, and knowledge of how to weave them together. She affirms that individual contributions are both a gift and a reminder to us all of the beauty of our unique talents born of our passions and interests. 

Our lovely discussion left me with a feeling of intrigue for Margot’s passion for florals, and an appreciation for her deeper sense of beauty behind all that you can do with them. Flower Magazine is a little window into her personality and style, and I am so excited to have heard more about it from Margot, herself, and been able to share it with you.

This Spring, let beauty, by way of flowers, enrich your lives.

Make sure to get a copy of the latest May/June edition of Margot’s floral and lifestyle magazine, Flower, available in print & digital. She also has a podcast that I know you will love: The Flower Podcast.