It’s Beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

I was thrilled for many reasons to return to Texas this month for a talk and book signing at the magnificent sixty-six acre Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. But little… Read More

A Fashionable Garden: the Texas Rose Festival

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I may not have made it to England for garden tripping this year (or last) but a visit to the Texas Rose Festival in Tyler was the next best thing!… Read More

Fall Decorating 2021: Part 2

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Last week’s blog “Fall Decorating 2021: Part 1” highlighted fall decorations for the outdoors, including the front door and other chosen spots around the grounds of Parterre. Today, I’m focusing… Read More

Anticipating Fall

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It’s October 12th and I’m off to Tyler, Texas for their annual (and much-celebrated) Rose Festival. This rose lover has been counting the days. And by the time I return,… Read More

Newport’s Clarendon Court

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Clarendon Court (1904) represents everything the words elegant, classical and sublime bring to mind. In this important Newport residence, there is the added distinction of a noted Gilded Age architect,… Read More

Champ Soleil, a 17th Century-Style French Chateau

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By any measure, 1929 was not an auspicious year…except, perhaps, in Newport. For that was the year that an exquisite version of the hunting lodge at Versailles, La Lanterne, was designed… Read More

The Orchard, A Notable Newport Estate

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Summer is just around the corner, when friends return from all parts of the country and houses are “opened for the season.” One of those homes has been beautifully readied… Read More

The Floral Charms of Easter

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Easter is a bit early this year, but the first signs of spring are pushing their way through the frozen earth. The snowdrops in the front courtyard, the volunteer crocus… Read More

Private Perspectives on Palm Beach

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Since I missed making it south this winter, I took time to scroll through hundreds of images that I’ve snapped in the past. No surprise, my collection was over-represented by… Read More

A Writer’s Lair: Honoring a Literary Heritage

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Welcome to 2021! Perhaps for you, as it is for me, reminiscing is part of a new year ritual and I now find myself remembering back with great sentiment to… Read More