A Writer’s Lair: Honoring a Literary Heritage

Welcome to 2021! Perhaps for you, as it is for me, reminiscing is part of a new year ritual and I now find myself remembering back with great sentiment to…

Happy New Year!

As this old year ends (and not too soon) this post gives me the chance to once again marvel at what pictures can mean to us…2020 definitely assured those of…

A Parterre Christmas

Every Christmas has its signature. This year, not knowing what draconian measure or which “pause” we were honoring, I hadn’t done much planning for decorations. But one thing I knew…

Bedecked and Bedazzled: Christmas at The Breakers

What is more joy-filled than a fifteen foot Christmas tree of live, brilliant red poinsettias?! Newport’s own legendary creation takes pride-of-place in the Great Hall of The Breaker’s, obviously deserving…

Past Christmases at Parterre

In spite of 2020 being an “annus horribilis” (to quote Queen Elizabeth) we’ve made it to the merry month of December. So I say, with a nod to rhythm and…

The Adventures of a Narrative Gardener

My friend, Ron Fleming, is a Renaissance man in the truest sense of the word–writer, city planner, preservationist, inveterate traveler, philanthropist and all ’round Bon Vivant. And gardener! His talents…

Enjoy Your Cozy Thanksgiving!

I wanted to take the opportunity at this wonderful time of the year, especially with so many challenges besieging us, to offer some “words of wisdom” that carry such truth in their simplicity.

A Newport Autumn at Parterre

With our wonky weather this past month–snow on October 30th, an earthquake 8 days later–fall as we knew it last year has almost been nonexistent. So I was thrilled to…

Inspiring Architectural Design: “Commodore” James’s Boathouse

Count on Newport, one of the yachting capitals of the world, to have a singular example of historic nautically-inspired architecture. A hundred plus years later, “Harbour Court” (now the New…

Gardens of the North Shore of Chicago

For you garden lovers like me, I’m betting that a gorgeous, exceptional new book on our favorite topic is cause for celebration! Just published, Gardens of the North Shore of…