Newport has been very busy over the past two weeks, and Parterre has seemingly been at the center of the activities. June 23rd to 25th was the Newport Flower Show, which means houseguests, garden tours, a cocktail party, a tea…and entries in the show. My favorite division in the Show is the “cut specimens” which had an enthusiastic turn out; what a display of the best and noteworthy in everyone’s garden. Since we were all spiffed up for visitors, it’s just the perfect time to capture Parterre in its best season as it slips from June into July.
The 80′ rose chain, draped in ‘Crown Princess Margaretha’ and backed by a specimen weeping beech (featured image above also), always puts on quite a welcome display…and this year she also won a blue ribbon at the Show!
I love this picture greeting my houseguests at the breakfast table — a blue ribbon rose with honey from the Blue Garden bees.
Peonies (right across the driveway from the rose chain) always signal the beginning of the real flowering season at Parterre; one of my favorites makes for the cheeriest of flower statements for the house, ‘Coral Charm’, known for its habit of fading from brilliant coral to a rich parchment.
Peonies come and go so quickly, and yet their lush leaves carry on throughout the summer, which prompted me to plant Lady’s Mantle between the bushes, both dressing up the beds and supplying us with cut material for the house…
Voila! Our first arrangement coincides with the time that the summer slipcovers are put on in the library.
In the Cutting Garden, bouquets of the floriferous ‘Deelish’ rose will serve as a hostess gift for many parties throughout the summer. She and the new lattice fence have developed a very sympatico relationship.
While the large stone urn serving as a centerpiece for the Cutting Garden formal parterre sports an iconic and fetching combo, nasturtiums and curly parsley.
A scene straight from the English countryside…a cluster of multi-stemmed, blousy David Austin roses in all shades of pink against a four-tier pear espalier backdrop.
And, thank you to so many followers for your thoughtful comments on my Blue Garden blog. Here’s the link if you missed it (click here). Another highlight of these past two weeks!
Love this article! Your photography is breathtaking and you writing is superb. Happy Summer and congratulations on the blue ribbon!
Thanks, and Happy Summer back to you, Linda, wherever you may be. xB
Awards well deserved. Your gardens, flowers, photos are all superb.
Thank you for bringing us into your world.
BLue ribbons are always appreciated but are never a given, so it’s particularly exciting when the judging gods annoint a recipient…B
Congratulations on your blue ribbon, how exciting! The weeping beech is beyond words! As said above, thank you for sharing your beautiful visions with us all!
That weeping beech is a treasure that never ceases to awe me daily…and it’s still a “teenager!”Ultimately it will be 3 times this size… xB
Well…this took my breath away…heaven on earth… “The world” needs more to see beauty like this…IT IS STILL HERE. THANK YOU for ALL YOUR generousity sharing w/us. franki
Thank you, Franki, it gives me great pleasure to share with my Private Newport family…and to have your cheery comments grett me. xB
Our mutual friend, Debra, had emailed me that you had a “case of the blues!” Congratulations on the well deserved honors and the photography of the sumptuous roses, peonies, and Ladies Mantle. Breathtakingly beautiful as always.
“A case of the blues”…she is so clever. Happy you’ve seen all of these offerings in person at one time or another. xxB
lovely lady,
once again, thank you for your ability to allow – we mortals, the joy of freeing – the best of our
sensitive souls, in reaching those innermost sections of our minds … thus affording us the full appreciation and beauty of nature.
tom
It is always a treat to write my blogs when I know that there are so many appreciative souls at the receiving end. xB
Betttie!
I adore your blog, and these last few postings have set a new HIGH! Beautiful, and beautifully written!
Hi dear one, so happy to see that you are still receiving your childhood friend’s blogs !! xxB
Absolutely the best, topnotch Bettie. I love peonies but impossible in Florida. Thank you for your beyond gorgeous displays.
No peonies in Florida? Yet anooother reason for me to pen my blogs…thank you, Pamela xB
I really enjoy your newsletter. I get so many wonderful ideas for my yard and decks and I love looking at your photos. They transport me to a beautiful place only nature can provide.
I have a question about a couple of your vases. The one that showcases your first arrangement and putting on the summer slipcovers in your library. It is a beautiful vase. Can I purchase this somewhere? Also, the lovely vase with a blue ribbon rose arrangement and honey from your garden bees. What a lovely greeting for your breakfast guests.
Thank you for any help you may offer.
“A beautiful place only nature can provide”…how eloquently expressed!
Both of the containers have been in my mud room for years, and the tole one is an antique, so I regret that I cannot provide a source for purchasing them…xB
As ever truly inspired by your creations, having grown nasturtium for the past
15 years just from the seeds it gives me every summer , next year I will try the mix with parley, great combination!
And the roses…spectacular!
Thank you, dear one, for an, as always, stimulating lunch…touching on nasturtiums. xxB
Everything in your garden looks so lovely. And congratulations on your blue ribbon!!
This is Parterre’s favorite time of the year (though a cavalcade of bunnies have given us more garden headaches than I can ever remember). Thank you! xB
Bettie, I love receiving your weekly blog…it keeps me connected to you and the island.
I am definitely one of your appreciative souls who enjoy your wonderful pictures and eloquent prose describing the view before us.
So proud of you for producing a Blue Ribbon “Crown Princess Margaretha” rose.
It’s exquisitely perfect!
Enjoy your Newport summer…even though the rain.