Hydrangeas in the Newport Landscape
As of July 4th, summer is in full swing in our City by the Sea, and just like clockwork, an iconic flowering shrub, the hydrangea, comes into bloom. This presents… Read More
In the Garden
Parterre’s Green and White Garden
While it is the Fountain Garden that receives the most attention on posts, there is another somewhat hidden garden at Parterre that deserves its own attention, the Green and White… Read More
Designing with Roses
Surprisingly, a rose garden was not in the plans for landscaping our 3 acres at Parterre twenty-two years ago. My dear friend, and “garden whisperer,” announced that they were too… Read More
Parterre’s Rose Chain
Patience is a virtue that every gardener has learned to accept. Those dreams and visions we have that inspire design decisions, plant selections, and tree placements may take years to… Read More
Ode to the Peony
Invariably, when I ask friends their favorite flower, whether they are gardeners or not, the answer is always peonies. And, yesterday at a small lunch party, my male friend on… Read More
Breakfast Under the Pergola
Missing some much-anticipated travel this spring was offset by the sheer pleasure of being at home every day for three months. In earlier posts I’ve chronicled the glories of the… Read More
Please Don’t Ask Which One I Love More
Long before we decided to build our home, I had an obsession with proper proportion and scale in architecture. And, as an extension of that, the accessories and garden furniture… Read More
Reflecting on Gardens
Like many of us, I have found myself reflecting over the past two months about a health crises that no science-fiction writer could have scripted. Blessedly, chaos brings it owns… Read More
Almost an Oops! In the Garden
Here comes my annual salute to the real Parterre, the behind-the-scenes realities that few visitors think about. Given this provoctive, tell-all title, this is always a readers’ favorite (no surprise).… Read More
Welcoming the Tulips!
There’s a wonderful overlap in my garden that happens about this point in the spring…as the four flowering cherries finish their magical bloom time, glorious tulips start popping up in… Read More