Bunny Mellon at home with her topiaries, 1982, Oak Spring Farms, Upperville, Va.

We’re feeling a surge of energy this month, and you must be too, because we’ve had lots of requests to expand and expound on our Spring Cleanse post from a couple of weeks ago. We’re inspired by this humble but useful (and strangely beautiful) edit of 19 garment cleaning and mending products and this list of 25 gardens you must see in your lifetime, which is making us want to improve our own little oases.

Right now, we’re carefully assessing our closets, with the aim of buying only one or two new things that will work, work, work for us all summer long. The items below are pieces you can use all the time—we just don’t have space in our closets, brains, or budgets for anything else. Whether it’s the shoe you want to slide on every morning (and every evening), strand necklaces you’ll layer with a swimsuit or a dress, a basket bag that cocktails, grocery shops and beaches, or the only cardi you’ll wear from May to September, this shopping list is as practical as it gets.

We’re also picking up some things for the garden that feel essential: portable greenery that instantly posh-ifies your patio and the outdoor lantern to end all outdoor lanterns. Also, hostess gifts. Instead of scrambling day-of for the next three months, why not buy multiples of one brilliant little thing now, stow it all away in your gift drawer and relax for the rest of the summer?

For those of you who have hit our paywall, we are extending our Spring Cleanse 50% discount on paid subscriptions. Please enjoy!