Private Newport - with Bettie Bearden Pardee

Menu

Skip to content
  • About
    • Welcome to Private Newport
    • Meet Bettie
    • Press
    • Lectures & Appearances
  • In the Garden
    • Design
    • Gardening How-Tos
    • The Parterre Bench
  • The Newport Diary
    • Behind the Private Gates
    • Gilded Age
  • Travel Notes
    • Architecture & Interiors
  • Living with Style
    • Design & Décor
    • People, Places & Spaces
    • Personal Style
    • Entertaining
  • Shop
    • Bookstore
    • Parterre Bench

The Parterre Bench


Capturing Fall’s Golden Light: The Parterre Bench

11 / 3 / 168 / 14 / 20

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

Share

Crazy for Blue!

10 / 20 / 166 / 13 / 22

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

Share

A New Fall Wardrobe: The Parterre Bench

10 / 13 / 168 / 14 / 20

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

Share

A Life of Its Own: Musings on the Parterre Bench

10 / 4 / 168 / 14 / 20

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

Share

Iris Apfel: Out and About in Newport

9 / 8 / 168 / 14 / 20

Visitors always give us an opportunity to see Newport through someone else’s eyes. Imagine the fun when those eyes belong to Iris Apfel (and special access is afforded). Saturday presented… Read More

Share

Summer Picnics: 14 Don’t-Miss Pointers

8 / 16 / 168 / 14 / 20

Picnics! What is summer without them? And sometimes the best spot for the occasion just may be on your own plot of heaven. If truth be told, I find myself… Read More

Share

Planted Containers: Horticultural Delights for an August Garden

8 / 4 / 168 / 14 / 20

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

Share

Realizing a Dream: The Creation of the Parterre Bench

7 / 21 / 168 / 14 / 20

When something has been a dream for so long, it begins to take on mythic proportions…and begs that inevitable question…am I really going to design this bench? Somehow in my… Read More

Share

The Works of Hunt Slonem: A Distinct & Delightful Charm

7 / 12 / 168 / 14 / 20

Newport in the summer enjoys a gracious plenty of captivating visitors — last week it was designer and gardener Bunny Williams at the Newport Flower Show; this week it is celebrated… Read More

Share

Bunny Williams: On Garden Style

7 / 5 / 168 / 14 / 20

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

Share

Posts navigation

Previous Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next Page

About Bettie

Author of Private Newport and Living Newport, designer of the Parterre Bench, national lecturer, and entertaining expert.
Meet Bettie »

Explore the Site

Popular Posts

Insta Happenings

privatenewport

Nothing here is accidental.

Set around a storybook-like stone cottage, often described as something out of Hansel and Gretel - this garden is just one of the many private homes opened during @historicgardenweek .

Where detail like this isn’t added… it’s expected.

Save & follow along for the kind of inspiration that’s hard to come by➡️🌳
#virginiagardenweek #richmondvirginiagarden #fyp #privatenewport #gardensofvirginia

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Apr 30

268 11
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18090018584242115
Nothing here is accidental.

Set around a storybook-like stone cottage, often described as something out of Hansel and Gretel - this garden is just one of the many private homes opened during @historicgardenweek .

Where detail like this isn’t added… it’s expected.

Save & follow along for the kind of inspiration that’s hard to come by➡️🌳
#virginiagardenweek #richmondvirginiagarden #fyp #privatenewport #gardensofvirginia

privatenewport

An outstanding botanical garden has always felt like the quiet measure of a great city… and in Richmond, that standard is met beautifully at @lewisginter

Founded in 1984 and now considered one of the top botanical gardens in North America, it has grown into an 82-acre oasis, complete with four lakes, fifteen distinct gardens, and conservatories showcasing plants from around the world.

But it’s in spring that it feels almost cinematic…
roses climbing effortlessly, peonies just beginning their debut, and the kind of blooms that stop you mid-step.

And of course, there’s always one..
that singular flower you didn’t expect to fall for.

(For me, it was this deep violet bearded iris… appropriately named Superstition.)

Even the smallest details feel considered here, pollinators drifting from bloom to bloom, the entire landscape quietly in motion.

A place worth returning to… perhaps even in winter, when the garden transforms for its famed Festival of Lights.

Save this for later - and send it to someone you’d wander here with 🌿
#lewisginterbotanicalgarden #richmondvirginia #botanicalgardensofvirginia #privatenewport #lewisginter

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Apr 28

175 13
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18262702786289214
An outstanding botanical garden has always felt like the quiet measure of a great city… and in Richmond, that standard is met beautifully at @lewisginter 

Founded in 1984 and now considered one of the top botanical gardens in North America, it has grown into an 82-acre oasis, complete with four lakes, fifteen distinct gardens, and conservatories showcasing plants from around the world.

But it’s in spring that it feels almost cinematic…
roses climbing effortlessly, peonies just beginning their debut, and the kind of blooms that stop you mid-step.

And of course, there’s always one..
that singular flower you didn’t expect to fall for.

(For me, it was this deep violet bearded iris… appropriately named Superstition.)

Even the smallest details feel considered here, pollinators drifting from bloom to bloom, the entire landscape quietly in motion.

A place worth returning to… perhaps even in winter, when the garden transforms for its famed Festival of Lights.

Save this for later - and send it to someone you’d wander here with 🌿
#lewisginterbotanicalgarden #richmondvirginia #botanicalgardensofvirginia #privatenewport #lewisginter

privatenewport

You would never guess where this is…

For one elegant week each spring, homes like this quietly open their doors to the public.

It’s called Historic Garden Week in Virginia, a long-standing tradition by the Garden Club of Virginia, where private estates and gardens are revealed… just briefly.

The kind of access that feels almost impossible now💫

Save this, it only happens once a year🌳
#privatenewport #richmondvirginia #gardenweek #gardensofvirginia #gardensofrichmond

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Apr 27

1685 38
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18093916601151379
You would never guess where this is…

For one elegant week each spring, homes like this quietly open their doors to the public.

It’s called Historic Garden Week in Virginia, a long-standing tradition by the Garden Club of Virginia, where private estates and gardens are revealed… just briefly.

The kind of access that feels almost impossible now💫

Save this, it only happens once a year🌳
#privatenewport #richmondvirginia #gardenweek #gardensofvirginia #gardensofrichmond

privatenewport

America is quietly hiding places like this…
and most people drive right past them💐

No passport. No plane ticket.
Just beauty, history, and a moment that feels completely out of place, in the best way 💫

Would you stop here??

Save this for when you need a reminder to romanticize your surroundings and follow for more places that feel like they belong somewhere else💞✨💝
#richmondvirginia #privatenewport #travelcontent #gardensofrichmond #virginiagardens

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Apr 26

1321 17
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18112436239697929
America is quietly hiding places like this…
and most people drive right past them💐

No passport. No plane ticket.
Just beauty, history, and a moment that feels completely out of place, in the best way 💫

Would you stop here?? 

Save this for when you need a reminder to romanticize your surroundings and follow for more places that feel like they belong somewhere else💞✨💝
#richmondvirginia #privatenewport #travelcontent #gardensofrichmond #virginiagardens

privatenewport

Garden Week may belong to Virginia… but certain gardens never quite leave you.

Bunny Mellon Oak Spring remains one of those rare places - where restraint feels intentional, and every path seems to lead you somewhere quieter than before.

A return visit, in memory at least, felt only appropriate.

For a closer look, today’s blog awaits

Follow along for more places that linger long after you’ve left them🌷🌼💐
#virginiagardens #springinrichmond #privatenewport #virginiarealestate #richmondvirginiarealtor

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Apr 23

391 18
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18079468052416101
Garden Week may belong to Virginia… but certain gardens never quite leave you.

Bunny Mellon Oak Spring remains one of those rare places - where restraint feels intentional, and every path seems to lead you somewhere quieter than before.

A return visit, in memory at least, felt only appropriate.

For a closer look, today’s blog awaits 

Follow along for more places that linger long after you’ve left them🌷🌼💐
#virginiagardens #springinrichmond #privatenewport #virginiarealestate #richmondvirginiarealtor

privatenewport

Aaah, the homes and gardens of Richmond, on a picture-perfect day.

Garden Week in Virginia is a much-anticipated annual event, when a curated collection of private homes and gardens open their gates, offering a rare glimpse into spaces usually kept just beyond view🌳

The kind of beauty you don’t rush through… you linger in

Save this for your next spring escape🌿
#privatenewport #richmondvirginia #gardenweekvirginia #gardensofrichmond #privategardens

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Apr 21

238 48
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18080423957390466
Aaah, the homes and gardens of Richmond, on a picture-perfect day.

Garden Week in Virginia is a much-anticipated annual event, when a curated collection of private homes and gardens open their gates, offering a rare glimpse into spaces usually kept just beyond view🌳

The kind of beauty you don’t rush through… you linger in

Save this for your next spring escape🌿
#privatenewport #richmondvirginia #gardenweekvirginia #gardensofrichmond #privategardens
Follow Bettie on Instagram

Let’s be Social!

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
Subscribe via email to receive our latest blog post in your inbox»
Lectures & Booking Inquiries  |   Parterre Bench Inquiries  |   General Contact
© Pardee Designs, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are property of Pardee Designs, LLC.
Site Design & Development by WOMA Design
Angie Makes Feminine WordPress Themes