Page 144 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2022

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LET YOUR HOME BLOOM
story by Holly Harrison and Shannon Stage photos courtesy of Martha Butler and Brandi Stage
Southern homes have a distinct style. A true Southern home is easy to spot by the gorgeous flowers you will find inside and out. We Southerners take a lot of pride in what we can grow in our yards, and we find comfort in bringing those blooms inside. Having fresh flowers
in the house is one of life’s pleasures here in the South. Maybe it’s seasonal blossoms or branches welcoming you in the foyer, or a simple centerpiece arrangement of green leaves on the dining room table, or maybe it’s just a few stems in a water glass in the kitchen, but somewhere you will find flowers.
Southerners know what scientists have spent good time and money studying – that flowers lift our spirits, brighten our moods, and evoke a variety of emotions. Flowers and flower arrangements are living art that touch each of us in a personal way. They convey passion, offer sympathy, and celebrate the beauty of life itself.
Much has been written about what certain flowers symbolize and what the colors of flowers signify. The bottom line is that flowers bring us happiness by tapping into a part of our brain that fondly remembers the past, seeks peace in the present, and is hopeful for the future. Flowers are just plain good for whatever ails you and every home needs them.
One local floral designer shares her passion for flowers through a unique style that has folks buzzing across the South Mississippi Coast. Martha Whitney Butler is one of a kind.
Born and raised in northern Alabama, she credits her mother with planting in her a
love of all things beautiful. “My mother was an antiques dealer and her passion for
beautiful furnishings opened up the world to me. We traveled across Europe buying antiques and I fell with love with color and design at an early age. Back in Alabama I found that passion nurtured in the woods surrounding our home. I would roam the woods looking for beautiful flowers and bring them back to my mother. I loved growing things too. There were always fresh flowers in our home. I feel like I grew up in an issue of Garden and Gun or Southern Living!”
After studying Folk Art in college, Butler wound up taking a job at the Alice Mosely Museum in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. But she found her true calling after taking some flower design classes and volunteering and then working at a local florist, where she was encouraged to develop her own style and to push the boundaries
of traditional floral arrangements. “I was hesitant to call myself a floral designer for a long time because I had not been formally trained. But I realized my love of
Martha Whitney Butler.
144 | August 2022
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