GREAT EXPECTATIONS

May is the Tom Hanks of the months: well liked, sunny in temperament, free of scandal. Expectations run high. He is meant to play the role of the merry month, to make everything new, to be generous with both joy and ease. We entrust him with garden parties, weddings and baptisms under open skies. We plant, hoping for gardens and balconies in bloom throughout the summer. We dare a first plunge into outdoor pools, lakes and seas. May asks—if we may borrow freely from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens—for love against all reason, against every promise, against any discouragement that may arise. We wish you a Sunday on which you reach your own personal May-lestones.

BLOOMING STYLE

The neighbor’s children eagerly gather ivy leaves, weeds and fallen cherry blossoms in their small hands: table decorations for the first garden party of the year. What would a long table be without thoughtful adornment? Or life itself, without flowers? In Hawaii, flower garlands are given as a sign of appreciation and hospitality, meant to feel like an embrace. The Polynesian tradition of the lei is—unsurprisingly—celebrated each year in May. Here, too, flowers speak of affection when they are given on Mother’s Day. The peony tells of comfort, the dahlia of connection and gratitude, the iris symbolizes trust, and with the chrysanthemum we wish for longevity and happiness. With everlasting table flowers, hand-painted or in pure white bisque porcelain, these meanings endure far beyond Mother’s Day on May 11.