Private Newport - with Bettie Bearden Pardee

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Initial Thoughts


The Daily Joys of my Garden

9 / 21 / 239 / 21 / 23

It’s about this time of year when I have a sec to catch my breath and pen my “oops in the garden.” But 2023 has been a very different year,… Read More

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Saluting Rosecliff!

9 / 14 / 239 / 14 / 23

Rosecliff to me is like a BFF with whom you’ve shared 24 years of incredibale memories. I’ve danced in her ballroom more times than I can count, dedicated a chapter… Read More

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Designing a Woodland Garden Part 2

9 / 7 / 239 / 6 / 23

When writing the first post on our new Woodland Garden I began to ennumerate (in my head) the different steps we went through over the years…very slowly at first but… Read More

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Parterre’s New Woodland Garden Part 1

8 / 31 / 238 / 30 / 23

There’s nothing like completing a years-in-the-making-garden to give one a new lease on life! While each of Parterre’s existing gardens are tweaked each year, the Woodland Garden didn’t truly deserve… Read More

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My Summer ’23 Ode to Newport

8 / 24 / 238 / 24 / 23

Summer of ’23 was like no other, by many measures. The town was busier, and more crowded. Parties and events took off with a bang earlier in “the season”, and… Read More

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11 Ideas to Steal from British Gardens… Part II

8 / 17 / 238 / 16 / 23

Old gardens have a lot to teach us…especially we young ones whose garden may be only 24 years old. Many lessons in design as well as patience are available to… Read More

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11 Garden Ideas To Steal From Arundel Castle

8 / 10 / 238 / 10 / 23

Arundel Castle’s noteworthy Tulip Festival was the raison d’etre for last spring’s garden trip…and today’s blog. Yes, these images may seem extravagant to most of us, but it just proves… Read More

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A First Ever Video Tour of Parterre’s Gardens

8 / 3 / 238 / 2 / 23

Last year at this time, I had my first introduction to the opportunities afforded by YouTube when a former award-winning former producer for “Good Morning America” came to town. Alison Kenworthy… Read More

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The Neighborhoods of London: Marylebone

7 / 27 / 237 / 27 / 23

As I’d mentioned in an earlier blog, the small neighborhoods of London are one of the many assets that make this city such a glorious strolling experience. It’s another reason,… Read More

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Horticultural Delights from Parterre, Part II

7 / 20 / 237 / 20 / 23

When selecting the images for this first blog a week ago, I was surprised at the number of pictures I had chosen. And then I was reminded…Parterre is a summer… 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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privatenewport

One of the last great mansions built in Newport, Bois Doré has quietly watched generations come and go. Its name translates to ‘gilded wood,’ a fitting tribute to the golden avenue of pollarded lindens that transforms the entrance each autumn. Beyond the pink stucco walls lies a house where every room tells a story, of art, gardens, entertaining, and a distinctly European elegance that still feels timeless today.

Some homes are admired. Others are remembered. Bois Doré has always been both.

Which detail would you linger over first?✨
#privatenewport #boisdoré #gildedwood #privateliving #privatehomes

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jul 23

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One of the last great mansions built in Newport, Bois Doré has quietly watched generations come and go. Its name translates to ‘gilded wood,’ a fitting tribute to the golden avenue of pollarded lindens that transforms the entrance each autumn. Beyond the pink stucco walls lies a house where every room tells a story, of art, gardens, entertaining, and a distinctly European elegance that still feels timeless today.

Some homes are admired. Others are remembered. Bois Doré has always been both.

Which detail would you linger over first?✨
#privatenewport #boisdoré #gildedwood #privateliving #privatehomes

privatenewport

The rains have come and gone. The heat has broken. A languid, sublime afternoon awaits arriving houseguests, the kind of afternoon Newport seems to reserve for late July alone☀️

There is a quiet magic here after a summer rain. The gravel settles, the gardens glow, and every stone, shutter, and tree feels as though it has been waiting for the light to return✨

Aaah, late July in Newport🌊

Follow @privatenewport for the Newport most visitors never get to see..
#privatenewport #newportri #privateliving #newportsummer #privatehomes

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jul 20

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The rains have come and gone. The heat has broken. A languid, sublime afternoon awaits arriving houseguests, the kind of afternoon Newport seems to reserve for late July alone☀️

There is a quiet magic here after a summer rain. The gravel settles, the gardens glow, and every stone, shutter, and tree feels as though it has been waiting for the light to return✨

Aaah, late July in Newport🌊

Follow @privatenewport for the Newport most visitors never get to see..
#privatenewport #newportri #privateliving #newportsummer #privatehomes

privatenewport

The color of a Newport summer? Hydrangea blue💙

From quiet garden paths to historic estates, these blooms have become as iconic as the mansions themselves. Some traditions don’t need reinventing, they simply return more beautiful every year.

Save for your Newport bucket list, and follow @privatenewport for more timeless Rhode Island beauty
💙🩵💜💙🩵💜
#hydrangeaseason #privateliving #hydrangealove #newportsummer #newportri

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jul 19

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The color of a Newport summer? Hydrangea blue💙

From quiet garden paths to historic estates, these blooms have become as iconic as the mansions themselves. Some traditions don’t need reinventing, they simply return more beautiful every year.

Save for your Newport bucket list, and follow @privatenewport for more timeless Rhode Island beauty
💙🩵💜💙🩵💜
#hydrangeaseason #privateliving #hydrangealove #newportsummer #newportri

privatenewport

As July settles over Newport, another familiar ritual quietly returns. The hydrangeas bloom with the same dependable grace they’ve carried for generations, softening marble terraces, winding carriage drives, and hidden garden paths alike.

Some are expected. Others still surprise you.

Which Newport hydrangea display stops you in your tracks every summer? 🌿💙
#hygrangeaseason #hygrangeas #privatenewport #privateliving #newportsummer

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jul 16

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Open post by privatenewport with ID 18118560511865752
As July settles over Newport, another familiar ritual quietly returns. The hydrangeas bloom with the same dependable grace they’ve carried for generations, softening marble terraces, winding carriage drives, and hidden garden paths alike.

Some are expected. Others still surprise you.

Which Newport hydrangea display stops you in your tracks every summer? 🌿💙
#hygrangeaseason #hygrangeas #privatenewport #privateliving #newportsummer

privatenewport

Beyond the mansions, Newport reveals another kind of beauty…

A winding gravel path. Perfectly clipped hedges. A quiet bench tucked among summer blooms.

Parterre proves that elegance doesn’t have to be loud.

Follow along as we continue opening the gates to Newport’s most extraordinary gardens, homes, and hidden places💫
🌿 Save this for your Newport inspiration
#privatenewport #newportri #privateliving #newportestates #privatehomes

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jul 13

130 4
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18131518648613378
Beyond the mansions, Newport reveals another kind of beauty…

A winding gravel path. Perfectly clipped hedges. A quiet bench tucked among summer blooms.

Parterre proves that elegance doesn’t have to be loud.

Follow along as we continue opening the gates to Newport’s most extraordinary gardens, homes, and hidden places💫
🌿 Save this for your Newport inspiration
#privatenewport #newportri #privateliving #newportestates #privatehomes

privatenewport

If this is your first time seeing Parterre… welcome🌸

Hidden behind its gates is one of Newport’s most enchanting private gardens, a place where every path, bloom, and clipped hedge feels like stepping into another era.

Follow @privatenewport for more places most visitors never see💫
#privatenewport #parterre #privateliving #newportgardens #newportsummers

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jul 12

523 22
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18098672288188343
If this is your first time seeing Parterre… welcome🌸

Hidden behind its gates is one of Newport’s most enchanting private gardens, a place where every path, bloom, and clipped hedge feels like stepping into another era.

Follow @privatenewport for more places most visitors never see💫
#privatenewport #parterre #privateliving #newportgardens #newportsummers
Follow Bettie on Instagram

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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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