Landscape Designer's Spring Gardening Recommendations and New Hospitality Openings

Landscape designer Elizabeth Tyler, based in Wiltshire, England, shares her preferred gardening tools for the spring season. Tyler works on projects in Britain, Connecticut, and upstate New York. Her recommendations include Niwaki garden snips for flower cutting, Frances Palmer Putnam vases for floral arrangements, Spring Road Nursery planters, Gardenheir clogs, Yarmo cotton smocks, and Ferm Living canvas bags. She notes the smocks have been produced in Great Yarmouth since the 1800s, while the planters are crafted in Vermont. Separately, design studio Roman and Williams, founded by Robin and Stephen Alesch, has launched La Mercerie Patisserie in New York City. Located within Sotheby's Breuer Building on Madison Avenue, the pastry shop opened on April 16 and operates alongside restaurant Marcel. Chef Marie-Aude Rose collaborates with pastry chefs Alexandra Puglisi and Rae Gaylord on a menu featuring seven varieties of madeleines, including yuzu and violet-infused options. The patisserie offers takeaway cakes with advance notice and stays open late for diners. Additionally, designer Philippe Starck has opened Villa Colette, a 28-room hotel in Cap Ferret, France, on April 2. Developed with restaurateur Laurent Taïeb, the property draws inspiration from 19th-century Arcachon villas and features interiors themed around a midcentury actress's seaside retreat. The hotel provides electric bicycles for exploring local trails and beaches, with rooms starting at approximately $460.