Parterre at Christmas
This year, 2021, I must say I’ve loved getting ready for Christmas…just enough hustle and bustle to remind me that it’s the holidays (but not too much) and planning way… Read More
Author: Bettie Bearden Pardee
Gorgeous at Christmas: Marble House
A special holiday treat I like to give myself is a stroll through Marble House in early December; it truly puts me in a festive mood. With 500,000 cubic feet… Read More
It’s Beginning to feel a lot like Christmas
I was thrilled for many reasons to return to Texas this month for a talk and book signing at the magnificent sixty-six acre Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. But little… Read More
Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving celebration!
This year, we are reminded to be grateful for the small things in life; ever mindful of the silver linings in challenges we face; thankful for the opportunity to gather… Read More
Embellishing Autumn in Newport
While it is the majestic beech trees for which Newport is so renowned, come this time of the year it is the graceful, multi-hued Japanese maples that steal the show.… Read More
A Fashionable Garden: the Texas Rose Festival
I may not have made it to England for garden tripping this year (or last) but a visit to the Texas Rose Festival in Tyler was the next best thing!… Read More
Fall Decorating 2021: Part 2
Last week’s blog “Fall Decorating 2021: Part 1” highlighted fall decorations for the outdoors, including the front door and other chosen spots around the grounds of Parterre. Today, I’m focusing… Read More
Fall Decorating 2021: Part 1
The weather has been so pristine and sparkling that I was beyond inspired to start creating fall decor vignettes as soon as I returned from Texas. Each one prompted another… Read More
A Tuscan Retreat: Castello di Reschio
Tranquil…Secluded…Peaceful. Atop a tree-shrouded series of hills that had once been its own independent fiefdom under the direct influence of the Holy Roman Empire, an eleventh century castle has been… Read More
Anticipating Fall
It’s October 12th and I’m off to Tyler, Texas for their annual (and much-celebrated) Rose Festival. This rose lover has been counting the days. And by the time I return,… Read More