A Closing Act on the Summer Season
Like so many silver linings in this Covid summer, the ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas are proving themselves the stars of my September season. Blooming a bit later this year than usual, perhaps… Read More
Author: Bettie Bearden Pardee
Strolling the Gardens at Bellevue House
Up the street, exactly one mile from me door to door, is a historic house renowned as one of only two homes in America both designed and decorated by Ogden… Read More
Parterre’s Madcap Cutting Garden
As summer 2020 ends (Yikes! it’s already September 3), I find myself bemused and a bit befuddled by the bounty of the Cutting Garden. For as orderly and manicured as… Read More
Pampered Pets of Private Newport
Traditions are important. As this wonky summer of 2020 comes to a close, I’m been very muck looking forward to penning this annual post. To add a bit more magic,… Read More
Ode to Newport 2: The Parterre Bench
As summer comes to a close, I’m reminded again of how much I treasure our magical town. I’m sure that was obvious when you were reading my recent post, “Ode… Read More
The Orangerie at Parterre
For both sentimental reasons (it was a surprise Christmas gift from my husband) and aesthetic reasons (it is in the middle of the garden), the Orangerie plays an outsize role… Read More
Ode to Newport
By this point in the summer, Newport would already have been a beehive of activity–from large fund raisers to music festivals to sailing regattas –and house guests galore. But this… Read More
Celebrating Summer Al Fresco
Discovering these brightly colored and small decorated umbrellas has given me countless opportunities to brighten up my al fresco summer activities (Etsy Indian parasols). Amusing as well, they are accented… Read More
Parterre’s Signature Garden Images
This “staycation” (quarantining as I prefer to call it) over the past five months provided the opportunity to capture in images many details of our Parterre garden that I would… Read More
Hydrangeas in the Newport Landscape
As of July 4th, summer is in full swing in our City by the Sea, and just like clockwork, an iconic flowering shrub, the hydrangea, comes into bloom. This presents… Read More