Private Newport’s Most Singular Oceanside Rooms
The cover of my first coffee table book, Private Newport: At Home and in the Garden, conveys in so many ways the sensibilities and design spirit of this post…shining a… Read More
Author: Bettie Bearden Pardee
Harold Peto’s Iford Garden
Surprisingly, the unanticipated highlight of my May week in the Cotswolds was the visit to Iford Manor, outside of Bath. Clearly, this property was created by one who marched to… Read More
My Newport Diary: The Week That Was
Along with this week’s heatwave came a bevy of trunk shows, fundraisers, Tennis Hall of Fame tournament, houseguests, suppers… and the list goes on. One might say July is “heating… Read More
India Hicks: A Slice Of Newport
One soon learns, and then takes for granted, that Newport is an epicenter, in an understated way… truly a destination for many fascinating individuals. And often they bring stories that… Read More
Over the Moon About Roses
All the rain that we’ve been receiving must have been laced with Miracle Grow! I have never seen such bountiful blooms or healthier plants, with canes that were as thick… Read More
Independence Day 2019
On this special day in our country’s history, I take pride in the pivotal role that Rhode Island, and Newport specifically, played in the American Revolution. The fiercely autonomous colony… Read More
My Newport Flower Show Tastemakers’ Diary
What a weekend!! Where to start? The Newport Flower Show is such a destination for all who wish to see and celebrate the bounty of summer gardens. From “garden club… Read More
The Parterre Bench Salutes the Newport Flower Show
What’s more fabulous than a seaside flower show in a Newport “summer cottage” (where The Great Gatsby and many other movies were filmed)? The Newport Flower Show at Rosecliff, Parterre’s… Read More
A Homage to Rhododendrons
While we may have had many reasons the past few months to curse the weather, it has proven a boon to some plant groups. This year in Newport, rhododendrons are… Read More
Halcyon Days in the Cotswolds: Part 2
To say that I am a fool for follies is an understatement. In fact, Hidcote was on my itinerary as much for the gardens as for their most charming example… Read More