Parterre in the Snow
We all know that Newport is gorgeous year ’round. But there is an added magic quality when snow is falling and laying so softly on the landscape, within the curves… Read More
Design
A Clicquot Moment in the Garden
What’s more fun than throwing caution to the wind and being unabashedly honest about a personal like! In my case, it would be champagne…not Prosecco or Cava, but the real… Read More
Capturing Fall’s Golden Light: The Parterre Bench
I’ve been thrilled about red, crazy about blue — and now I’m simply mad about golden yellow. That soft, golden light of fall is so seductive; it’s also the first… Read More
Outdoor Fall Decorating
When pumpkins start appearing, we really know that summer is over and fall (or Autumn, as the rest of the world refers to it) is here. This presents a first… Read More
Crazy for Blue!
When deciding what color to paint the original Parterre Bench, I was torn between the sage (“Parterre”) green and the blue that seems to be a favorite among French gardens… Read More
A New Fall Wardrobe: The Parterre Bench
Just the words “Chinese Lacquer Red ” conjure up for me romantic visions of Mandarin silk jackets; Louboutin soles; Diana Vreeland’s legendary New York apartment; a sexy, sexy red lipstick;… Read More
A Life of Its Own: Musings on the Parterre Bench
It’s been an exciting past three summer months — not only for me but for the Parterre Bench as well. After her formal introduction following the Newport Flower Show in… Read More
Ode to the Autumn Clematis
Vivacious… embracing…enveloping…a bit free with her favors…and goes by the honeyed name, Sweet Autumn Clematis. Am I describing a lady of questionable behavior or a trailing vine that appears with… Read More
Planted Containers: Horticultural Delights for an August Garden
It’s about this time of the summer that planters are “strutting their stuff,” full and bounteous with mature horticultural offerings. From breathtaking and dramatic (repeating the planting around the gates… Read More
Bunny Williams: On Garden Style
The Newport Flower Show is always a much-anticipated start to the “summer season,” but it was especially so this year! Bunny Williams was a guest speaker, an esteemed designer that I’ve… Read More