Autumn in Newport: A French Setting
It was the perfect pairing for a Saturday in early Autumn — lunch with friends, to include a croque forestiere (loaded with wood mushrooms) and a stop by my favorite… Read More
Author: Bettie Bearden Pardee
A Wine Cellar Supper for Halloween
Happy Halloween! I normally don’t give much thought to this particular fall “holiday” (other than a few years ago when I over indulged with a Venetian Masquerade Fête). But a… Read More
A Passion for Fall Plants
While our gardens may already have been put to bed, there is one garden source that never seems to sleep — “The Farmer’s Daughter,” just over the Newport Bridge in… Read More
Dressing the Library in Fall Color
Fall is my favorite season, though it looks like it will be very late this year (the leaves are all still happily green). So to tide me over, I’ve gathered… Read More
Oops! in the Garden
This annual post has proven to be as much a confessional as it is a reality check, always prompting me to remember that without these learning experiences there couldn’t be… Read More
Celebrating 20 Years at Parterre
Parterre and its gardens celebrated their 20th anniversary this summer. And yet, it seems like only yesterday that we were creating our own little “paradise” on what had long ago… Read More
Reuniting with Downton Abbey
Our beloved Downton Abbey television series ended in March of 2016 and since then millions of Americans (including this writer) have been patiently anticipating some sequel or follow-on. Finally, on… Read More
Entertaining at Home: Inspirations from Celebrated Hosts
One never knows where life’s chance meetings might lead. Five years ago, Ronda Carman and I were signing our respective books at the Theta Antique Show in Houston. Two weeks… Read More
Boston Townhouses in their Summer Finery Part 2
Aaah, the happy memories that these posts have brought back. We lived at 61 Commonwealth Avenue, in the heart of Back Bay, and I treasured every moment. My childhood dream… Read More
Boston Townhouses in their Summer Finery Part 1
Having lived in Boston for a few years, I’m very partial to the term “Boston Proper” as describing the old in-town neighborhoods that included Back Bay, Beacon Hill, South End,… Read More