Private Newport - with Bettie Bearden Pardee

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Design


A Green Scheme

9 / 30 / 219 / 30 / 21

This is the month we all celebrate in Newport, September. While rain has played its part (along with two storms in one week), we end this month with an (almost)… Read More

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Confessions of a Gardener

9 / 23 / 219 / 22 / 21

A perennial favorite, this is the blog where I “dish the dirt,” or rather, confess my horticultural missteps. I long ago found that in formal gardens it is more difficult… Read More

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16 Signature Images from Newport’s Private Gardens

9 / 9 / 219 / 8 / 21

It’s been a somewhat interesting summer in Newport. While the town seemed busier than ever, confirming yet again that our City by the Sea is a very desirable destination, the… Read More

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Sonnenhof: The Evolution of a Garden

8 / 19 / 218 / 18 / 21

In my 2016 blog on Sonnenhof “Designing with Stone,” I closed with…”The owners’ decisions and their implementations have resulted in a landscape that provides a valuable lesson in the evolution… Read More

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Landscaping with Hydrangeas

8 / 12 / 218 / 11 / 21

It’s usually about this time that I begin photographing for my annual hydrangeas of Newport post. Looking over past entries, I’ve realized yet again that Newport’s summer flower can be… Read More

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Wonky and Witty Sakonnet Garden

8 / 5 / 218 / 4 / 21

A garden worthy of visiting twice in a summer, Sakonnet is testimony to the design truth that garden rooms increase the illusion of a property’s space. On not quite one… Read More

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Roses on Parade

7 / 15 / 217 / 15 / 21

My good friends at The Garden Conservancy just put out a special publication on preserving gardens in America. In one of the articles, Mac Griswold, noted landscape historian and author,… Read More

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Down the Garden Path

7 / 8 / 217 / 7 / 21

As we move into our 23rd year in our Newport home, I thought you might enjoy a bit of histoire on its past. Parterre, taking its name from the delineated… Read More

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Rose-y News from Parterre

7 / 1 / 217 / 1 / 21

Perhaps I put “the cart before the horse” in posting the rose chain before a story on Parterre’s roses overall, but I was just so excited about their beauty this… Read More

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A Peony Chat

6 / 24 / 216 / 23 / 21

I’m so excited about the prospects for summer ’21 that I’m going to celebrate by “chic-ing up” the feature image for this post! Knowing how much we are all besotted… Read More

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About Bettie

Author of Private Newport and Living Newport, designer of the Parterre Bench, national lecturer, and entertaining expert.
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Insta Happenings

privatenewport

Soon, soon, soon our gorgeous pairs of matched ‘Hally Jolivette’ cherries will be coming into bloom. Always a reason for celebration here at Parterre, when other trees don’t even have leaves. Their delicate pink flowers herald what spring is all about! 🌸💕
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#privatenewport #springhassprung #privatehomes #springgardens #springinnewport

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Apr 9

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Open post by privatenewport with ID 17943130740178794
Soon, soon, soon our gorgeous pairs of matched ‘Hally Jolivette’ cherries will be coming into bloom. Always a reason for celebration here at Parterre, when other trees don’t even have leaves. Their delicate pink flowers herald what spring is all about! 🌸💕
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#privatenewport #springhassprung #privatehomes #springgardens #springinnewport

privatenewport

Early whispers of spring are starting to show themselves in Newport… though the real season is still just out of reach along our coastal shores.

This in-between moment always brings back memories of the many beautiful spring landscapes I’ve encountered across the country during my book travels, each destination marking the season in its own unforgettable way. The Gardens of the North Shore of Chicago will always be memorable🌷🌸🌿
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📸credit: Scott Shigley Photo
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#springtimeinnewport #privatenewport #springhassprung #privateliving #gardensofthenorthshoreofchicago

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Apr 7

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Open post by privatenewport with ID 17926927095087301
Early whispers of spring are starting to show themselves in Newport… though the real season is still just out of reach along our coastal shores.

This in-between moment always brings back memories of the many beautiful spring landscapes I’ve encountered across the country during my book travels, each destination marking the season in its own unforgettable way. The Gardens of the North Shore of Chicago will always be memorable🌷🌸🌿
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📸credit: Scott Shigley Photo 
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#springtimeinnewport #privatenewport #springhassprung #privateliving #gardensofthenorthshoreofchicago

privatenewport

Easter arrives early this year, just as the first signs of spring begin to appear. Snowdrops, crocus, and muscari quietly announce the season of renewal - each delicate bloom a reminder of nature’s simple blessings🐰🤍

For me, Easter has always been a signal to bring on the flowers… celebrating the beauty, joy, and promise that spring brings🐣🥂
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#happyeaster #privatenewport #springishere #privateliving #newportspring

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Apr 5

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Open post by privatenewport with ID 18069457085302148
Easter arrives early this year, just as the first signs of spring begin to appear. Snowdrops, crocus, and muscari quietly announce the season of renewal - each delicate bloom a reminder of nature’s simple blessings🐰🤍

For me, Easter has always been a signal to bring on the flowers… celebrating the beauty, joy, and promise that spring brings🐣🥂
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#happyeaster #privatenewport #springishere #privateliving #newportspring

privatenewport

At Parterre, even Easter arrives with a sense of occasion. 🌸🐣💜

Pastels, polished silver, and a table set as if spring itself were the guest of honor… soft lavender linens, garden-fresh florals, sugar-dusted confections, and chairs dressed for the occasion in their holiday best. A reminder that some of the most memorable celebrations aren’t the grandest, but the ones thoughtfully set.

As Newport prepares for another beautiful spring season, gatherings like this at Parterre feel like a quiet welcome back to spring… where entertaining is truly an art form and every detail feels intentional.

Wishing you a beautiful Easter filled with elegance, renewal, and just the right amount of something sweet✨
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#privatenewport #happyeaster #parterre #easterinnewport #springdécor

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Apr 2

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Open post by privatenewport with ID 17913630363161652
At Parterre, even Easter arrives with a sense of occasion. 🌸🐣💜

Pastels, polished silver, and a table set as if spring itself were the guest of honor… soft lavender linens, garden-fresh florals, sugar-dusted confections, and chairs dressed for the occasion in their holiday best. A reminder that some of the most memorable celebrations aren’t the grandest, but the ones thoughtfully set.

As Newport prepares for another beautiful spring season, gatherings like this at Parterre feel like a quiet welcome back to spring… where entertaining is truly an art form and every detail feels intentional.

Wishing you a beautiful Easter filled with elegance, renewal, and just the right amount of something sweet✨
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#privatenewport #happyeaster #parterre #easterinnewport #springdécor

privatenewport

New Zealand is celebrated for its extraordinary gardens, and Auckland’s Eden Garden is among its quiet standouts. A vision in layered greens, the landscape unfolds with sculptural plantings, stacked stonework, and a delicate waterfall that casts a soft mist into the air above🍃

After wandering the paths, a proper high tea awaits nearby… a civilized pause that feels entirely in keeping with the garden’s sense of calm beauty🌳

Proof that in New Zealand, even a simple afternoon can feel like an occasion🌊☁️
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#privatenewport #newzealand #edengarden #auklandnewzealand #gardensofnewzealand

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Mar 31

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Open post by privatenewport with ID 17964458514052014
New Zealand is celebrated for its extraordinary gardens, and Auckland’s Eden Garden is among its quiet standouts. A vision in layered greens, the landscape unfolds with sculptural plantings, stacked stonework, and a delicate waterfall that casts a soft mist into the air above🍃

After wandering the paths, a proper high tea awaits nearby… a civilized pause that feels entirely in keeping with the garden’s sense of calm beauty🌳

Proof that in New Zealand, even a simple afternoon can feel like an occasion🌊☁️
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#privatenewport #newzealand #edengarden #auklandnewzealand #gardensofnewzealand

privatenewport

Nothing makes you feel quite "back home" after a few weeks in New Zealand like revisiting a piece of Newport history🪞

A recent stop at the @newportartmuseum brought me to the works of storied painter Howard Gardiner Cushing, whose legacy continues to quietly shape the city`s cultural fabric ✨

The evening continued just a short distance away at @flora.newport the charming restaurant tucked inside the boutique Gardiner House hotel - opened by Cushing`s great-great-grandson, Howard G. Cushing III.

Flora itself carries a meaningful name, chosen in honor of Flora Payne Whitney, daughter of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney and part of the extended circle of families who helped shape Newport`s social and artistic history.
A particularly thoughtful touch: a version of Cushing`s portrait from the museum now serves as a striking focal point above the restaurant`s bar... a subtle bridge between Newport`s past and its present.
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#privatenewport #newportartmuseum #floraresturant #newportliving #newportrhodeisland

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Mar 29

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Open post by privatenewport with ID 18369697900206760
Nothing makes you feel quite "back home" after a few weeks in New Zealand like revisiting a piece of Newport history🪞

A recent stop at the @newportartmuseum brought me to the works of storied painter Howard Gardiner Cushing, whose legacy continues to quietly shape the city's cultural fabric ✨

The evening continued just a short distance away at @flora.newport the charming restaurant tucked inside the boutique Gardiner House hotel - opened by Cushing's great-great-grandson, Howard G. Cushing III. 

Flora itself carries a meaningful name, chosen in honor of Flora Payne Whitney, daughter of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney and part of the extended circle of families who helped shape Newport's social and artistic history.
A particularly thoughtful touch: a version of Cushing's portrait from the museum now serves as a striking focal point above the restaurant's bar... a subtle bridge between Newport's past and its present.
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#privatenewport #newportartmuseum #floraresturant #newportliving #newportrhodeisland
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Bettie's Faves

  • Charlotte Moss
  • La Dolce Vita
  • My Beautiful Paris
  • The Enchanted Home
  • The Glam Pad
  • The Lush List
  • The Potted Boxwood
  • Vicki Archer
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