A Garden of One’s Own
“Well, of course,” you say, “a garden is one’s own.” But this friend’s new little garden elicited just that sentiment as I was viewing it. Having pushed out a bedroom… Read More
Author: Bettie Bearden Pardee
Celebrating 12 New York Townhouses
Skipping down to New York is easy by train from Newport and squeezing in a stroll through the side streets of the Upper East Side is always a priority. So,… Read More
Newport in the Snow
What is possibly more beautiful than a Newport home in the summer? A Newport home enrobed in snow! Each year, about this time, a welcome sighting of snowflakes comes along… Read More
Inspiring Garden Design: Gone, but Not Forgotten
As we’ve all experienced, “life happens” — which also relates to a garden. Storms roar in and decimate an elegant knot border. Or a new home owner isn’t quite as… Read More
Inspiring Garden Design: Creating a Monochromatic Garden
It is a challenge to recreate a garden that was first installed in 1913 and had been lost to the ravages of weather and real estate development since the 1950s.… Read More
Inspiring Garden Design: Parterre in the Snow
I’ve been wistfully looking back at snow images from the last two to three years, a spectacle we’ve missed so far this month. Of course, with such tempting images at… Read More
Inspiring Garden Design: A Classic French Sanctuary
One of Newport’s most pristine estates, the 9 acre Ker Arvor (French Breton for “seaside”), is what I affectionately refer to as a design trifecta — an exceptional example of… Read More
Inspiring Garden Design: 8 Tips for Creating a Sunken Garden
It is perhaps difficult to believe that behind this formal chateau (above) is a sunken garden that in its simplicity provides the lessons for creating your own version. But indeed… Read More
Inspiring Garden Design: Express Your Personality!
January is a much anticipated month for me! I welcome some downtime after the excitement of the holidays to sit by the fire, reflect and plan for the opening of… Read More
Newport Society: The Passing of a Legend
My first post of the New Year is in honor of Marion Oates Charles, a legendary hostess and fixture of society in Newport and Washington D.C. since the 1950’s. “Oatsie,”… Read More