What’s in YOUR guest room?
In a play on that funny TV commercial (“What’s in YOUR Wallet?”) it’s time to be thinking about this detail as summer entertaining kicks into gear. And here in Newport,… Read More
Author: Bettie Bearden Pardee
Tastemaker: The Aerial Sculptures of Janice Lee Kelly
Janice Lee Kelly is a graduate from the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, whose wit and sharp eye for identifying design trends has intrigued her friends and public alike… Read More
My London Trilogy – Part III : Charlotte Moss and the Nancy Lancaster Legacy
Having London and the Chelsea Flower Show on one’s May calendar is exciting enough. When it also includes an itinerary specifically designed to touch the high points of storied decorator… Read More
My London Trilogy – Part II : The Fluorescence of London
The beauty, fragrances and floral inspirations of Chelsea aren’t just contained within the walls of the Royal Hospital grounds. The whole of London gets in the spirit and supports this… Read More
My London Trilogy – Part I: The Chelsea Flower Show
The Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show (as it’s formally known) is the penultimate mecca for gardeners young and old, pro or novice and really, anyone who just loves flowers.… Read More
Peony Madness: How to Make the Most of a Fleeting Season
It’s a frequent gardener’s lament…”Why don’t they last longer? What can I do to enjoy every second of their brief season?” And no one loves peonies more, or misses them… Read More
Newport Landscapes – A Cultural View
I’m reminded often – on warm days brushed by sea breezes, on cool misty nights – that as early as 1789 Aquidneck Island, of which Newport is the southernmost point,… Read More
A Floral Topiary for Mother’s Day
We all share special memories of our mother, some out-sized, others a snippet, some prompted by a song, another by an occasion… and still others by personal items that we… Read More
Favorite Design Details–Atlanta Decorators Show House
There is nothing like a Southern spring, especially in Atlanta where I lived and worked as a young single girl and new bride. While Newport is experiencing “the blahs” (gray,… Read More
10 Effective Tips for Photographing Gardens
My friend, Mick Hales, a genteel photographer, and a Brit, is acclaimed for capturing the essence of romance in gardens around the world, and for his roster of ” in-the-know” clients …Audrey Hepburn,… Read More