Confessions of a Gardener
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
Gardening How-Tos
Sharing Garden Secrets with a Good Friend
My lovely friend, Andrea, at the chic Glam Pad blog, invited me to pen my thoughts about planning a garden as a novice (I’ve been there before…). One of those… Read More
12 Ideas to Borrow from St. Louis Gardens
There is inspiration in every garden, if perhaps only as confirmation, but “visiting and viewing” is the very best way to up your garden game. For me, it is one… Read More
A Fall Centerpiece: Intriguing Combinations with Garden Favorites
Even though Parterre’s gardens are formal in a design sense, I always find a few spots where I can include certain plant material that is not usually associated with French… Read More
All Around the House: Decorating with Pumpkins
Who doesn’t love driving past a farm stand packed with those jolly, fat fellows that always signal “it’s fall.” And I’ve noticed this year that more of the quirky, odd-colored… 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
Planning Your Summer Garden: 9 ‘Oops’ to Avoid
Spring, and its established ritual of “opening the garden,” is surely a gardener’s favorite time of the year. Top of my list is to check my “to do” notes and update… Read More
Dressed in Autumn Finery
It’s the end of the growing season; time for cutting back, pulling out, bedding down. And thinking about making an arrangement with leftovers from the garden and “roadsidia” (a gardener’s… Read More
Creating Your Own “Iris Apfel-Inspired” Dahlia Arrangment
Table centerpieces are probably my favorite part of the entertaining process, made all the more satisfying when the flowers are fresh from the garden. At this time of the year… Read More
10 Inspiring Tips from a Lush Florida Garden
My recent stay in Palm Beach, Florida provided two exceptional opportunities to admire and gain a better understanding of gardens in a subtropical clime. On one afternoon, I arrived at… Read More