October 28, 2024
Lucinda Hutson decorates joyfully for Day of the Dead, displaying her collection of traditional sugar skulls and skeletons throughout her purple house in Austin’s Rosedale neighborhood.
I visited last week with Cultivating Place podcaster Jennifer Jewell, who was in town to give a Garden Spark talk. Lucinda invited us to share in the bittersweet joy of this Mexican holiday that’s about remembering loved ones who’ve passed and celebrating their lives.
In the kitchen, Lucinda poured glasses of tequila and chasers of sangrita, and we sipped our drinks in her colorful living room.
Faded roses express the sentiments of the season.
Love and peace, reads a framed picture.
Colored foil brings the eyes of sugar skulls to life.
Gleaming silver, a milagro, and a string of pearls mingle on a buffet.
One of her Day of the Dead altars features a photo of her cowboy-hatted dad, beloved cat Sancho Rey, and innumerable skeletons from her collection of Mexican folk art.
In Lucinda’s writing cabin, a brass praying mantis poses amid rose-colored glass.
Above the door hangs a portrait of Lucinda’s grandmother wearing the blouse displayed with arms outstretched.
Lucinda in her trademark purple, watched over by her grandmother’s spirit
Thank you, Lucinda, for sharing with me once again the Day of the Dead stories and joy of your home and garden!
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Digging Deeper
Come learn about gardening and design at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events that sell out quickly, so join the Garden Spark email list to be notified in advance; simply click this link and ask to be added. Read all about the Season 8 lineup here!
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