Tea and the Art of Thoughtful Giving
September is always the most beautiful time of the year in Newport. Many facets of summer slide easily into this month without missing a beat, but it is always clear… Read More
Behind the Private Gates
Newport, the Arboretum
In my first book, Private Newport: At Home and in the Garden (2004), I shared that I am first a tree lover, then a gardener, and hinted at a little… Read More
Water Lilies: Jewels of the Aquatic World
There is a time in late summer…just about now…that I anticipate all year long. It is so special that I mark it on my calendar — the water lily pond… Read More
The Whim: A Newport Seaside Garden
One of the joys of having guests is sharing places and experiences you love about Newport…like friends’ gardens. An all-time favorite of mine is The Whim, owned by Oatsie Charles… Read More
Hot Summer, Cool Garden
One need only enter an exquisite jewel box of a tiny, shaded garden on a hot day to appreciate the adage that “less is more.” Even before I opened the… Read More
The Making of a Mini Vegetable Garden
What are two young darlings to do when dwelling in the eighth oldest home in Newport and desperate for a garden of their own? I am delighted to share with… Read More
Hydrangeas: Summer Favorites
Hydrangeas are usually such an iconic flower in Newport but for the last two years (due to weather and other “acts of Mother Nature”) there has barely been a bloom… Read More
Innisfree Garden in Nantucket
On a small peninsula on the northern coast of Nantucket is a view so compelling that uber architect, Robert Venturi, was coaxed into doing one last residential project…for clients, Susie… Read More
Window Boxes of Nantucket
When I landed in Nantucket, navigating my way through the charming narrow streets of downtown became a frustrating exercise (there was a funeral and three blocks of the center of… Read More
Fêtes des Fleurs at Parterre
The Newport Flower Show theme this year at Rosecliff — Fêtes des Fleurs — might just as well have been talking about what was going on next door at Parterre,… Read More