In full bloom
Inspired by gardens of Tuscany, this lush dinner party on an historic Adelaide Hills property celebrates a new wave of female entrepreneurs who are already shaping the landscape.
It’s customary for dinner guests to arrive with a bunch of flowers, but not so at Keturah Louise’s house. The visionary behind floristry business Baumè has already set the table for this evening’s meal with bountiful blooms that cascade into a lush, living sculpture.
Like an artist with a brush, Keturah paints her canvas – only with petals, foliage and grass.
Keturah, 33, has invited nine equally inspiring entrepreneurial women for dinner at her stunning Summertown property, spanning almost a hectare. A haven for garden enthusiasts, the landscape bursts with rich and rare plantings established by late horticulturalist Graham Deane Miller following the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires.
Hosting, Keturah says, is about taking care of people – from offering a drink on arrival, to keeping dirty dishes out of sight.
“I feel like care for each other is getting so diluted these days, because we’re all so busy,” Keturah says. “We’re so busy, we forget to reply to each other’s text messages.
“But when you slot out a time and give your everything to that person or group, it makes them feel valued. And I think that’s the most important thing; that people feel a sense of belonging.”
Keturah begins to assemble Champagne glasses and dress oysters for her soon-to-arrive guests. Tonight’s share-style meal is anchored by flavour, vibrancy and generosity.
Lamb has been slow-cooking for the rich ragu that will coat wide strands of pappardelle, while slices of grilled eggplant await their glow-up with fresh herbs, crunchy pistachios and the ruby jewels of pomegranate.
“I really love the rhythm and energy shared through a meal together,” says Keturah. “Drinks on arrival, placing the dishes on the table and watching everyone get excited over the food they’re about to eat; dessert, then digestives (liquors) – always!
“But also, the conversations that happen – the real-life conversations, not just the social media aesthetic. It’s about connection.”
The significance of care and connection strikes a deep chord with Keturah. Having children is not possible for her, she explains, and “this is a way I can create a fulfilled life”.
Shortly after arriving at Keturah’s architecturally-designed 1980s home, guests traipse down landscaped steps to a grassy terrace for just-popped bottles of Daosa sparkling wine, olives and oysters.
Among the party is Crystal Jagger, who recently launched a unique range of colourful, non-toxic chopping boards under the brand name Maison Appret; partners in life and business Firlie and Raegan Greening-Kelly, who run web design and SEO agency New Leaf Digital; and Nicola Matthews, part-owner of Greenhill Wines Cellar Door and Restaurant Hester, just up the road.
Also here is Carly Humphries, who, with her husband Brad Nixon, founded Elementary Coffee; The Love Scribe celebrant Hannah Miller; Victoria Shackal of Solve Creative along with content creator Georgia Scicluna, and Keturah’s sister, Leah Kitto, a cardiac nurse.
There’s much to admire, here – not just in these inspiring women’s achievements, but also the picturesque setting. Equal parts creative and perfectionist, Keturah has designed a tablescape that echoes its historical surrounds.
“For the dinner party, I had to have that terracotta anthurium – that spoke to the colour of the bricks on the wall of the terrace area, and those bricks were from the original cottage that burnt down in the Ash Wednesday fires, so it felt like a fitting tribute,” Keturah says.
“I wanted something that fell from the table onto the ground, which emulates the feeling I wanted for my guests – you arrive, and by the end you’re feel really relaxed and loved up.”
The vision is fluid, she says, evolving as she applies different seasonal blooms and textures. Papyrus, local hydrangea, asparagus fern and cymbidium orchids also feature in tonight’s arrangement, which captures the attention of guests.
Once seated, guests break bread – both metaphorically and literally, with warmed sourdough from Uraidla Pantry and cultured butter, topped with salt. The table is surrounded by lush greenery and trees.
“We’ve been here for just over four years now,” Keturah says. “It’s such a rare property.
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“We had been saving to go travelling around the world, but Covid stopped that, so we decided to buy a little piece of home here in Summertown.”
Back in the kitchen, Keturah pulls a big bowl of tahini-spiked yoghurt from the fridge. She lathers the glossy white mixture onto serving platters before topping it with layers of eggplant and the textural garnish.
The platters are served, share-style, along with big bowls of belly-warming fettucine ragu, crispy potatoes, and a zesty rocket and fennel salad. Plates are piled, wine is poured and conversation is shared, and towards the end of the night, there’s a fresh sense of companionship within the group. Differences in age – from 23 to 41 – dissipate as discussion turns to common experiences of life in business.
“We’re all from diverse business backgrounds but we share the same challenges,” says Crystal, 39. “This is how we do it – sharing resources; sharing anything is really important.”
Firlie, 41, adds: “The grind gets you. It’s the support and celebrating each other’s wins that’s really big – to get behind other women who’ve taken that plunge and taken that leap to put themselves out there. They’ve had an idea and put everything into it.”
A cool chill sets upon the Hills as the sun sets. Empty plates and courtesy blankets are left at the table as guests retreat to the cosy lounge, where dessert is served.
It turns out Firlie has a secondary talent to her business prowess – as a sweet treat home baker. Insisting on making tonight’s dessert, she delivers two – roast apricots with labneh and sesame brittle, and an impressive rhubarb and pistachio frangipane tart from Petra Galler’s Butter, Butter cookbook. There’s applause when it’s carefully released from its tin unbroken.
As spoons tuck into tarts with enthusiastic nods of approval, Keturah offers a range of Italian digestive liqueurs. Amaro Montenegro and Frangelico are the top picks.
It’s a timely celebration. May marks the first birthday for Baumè – pronounced boh-may and the French word for ‘balm’; a nod to the “soothing and transformative power of flowers”. The business has evolved from an e-commerce store to a boutique flower styling service for high-end events, brand activations and corporate partnerships.
Leah becomes teary when asked if she feels proud of her little sis.
“She was always so creative,” Leah recalls of their childhood years. “She would sit down at a piano and make up a tune and it would be beautiful.
“She always had an attention to detail, and I think you can see that tonight.”
This article first appeared in the May 2026 issue of SALIFE magazine.
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