Inspiring Garden Design: 8 Lessons in the Snow

Every winter I’m reminded of why I love being in Newport rather than warmer climes–it provides the opportunity to rest up, gather oneself, reflect on the past year, and set… Read More

Inspiring Garden Design: America’s Eden

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Happy 2022! In January of each year I so look forward to starting my annual “Inspiring Garden Design” series. It is such a welcome antidote to the post-Christmas duldrums. This… Read More

Embellishing Autumn in Newport

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While it is the majestic beech trees for which Newport is so renowned, come this time of the year it is the graceful, multi-hued Japanese maples that steal the show.… Read More

Fall Decorating 2021: Part 1

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The weather has been so pristine and sparkling that I was beyond inspired to start creating fall decor vignettes as soon as I returned from Texas. Each one prompted another… Read More

A Tuscan Retreat: Castello di Reschio

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Tranquil…Secluded…Peaceful. Atop a tree-shrouded series of hills that had once been its own independent fiefdom under the direct influence of the Holy Roman Empire, an eleventh century castle has been… Read More

Parterre’s Bountiful ‘Limelight’ Hydrangeas

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Fall came very early this year, seemingly the first of August. Having been spared the typical end of summer heat, my long-awaited, much-anticipated bank of ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas was not missing… Read More

A Green Scheme

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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

Confessions of a Gardener

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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

16 Signature Images from Newport’s Private Gardens

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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

Sonnenhof: The Evolution of a Garden

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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