Initial Thoughts

An Impromptu Evening in September

This summer unofficially closed with a rare “balmy” night that prompted me to embrace the spirit of the last few months — finding a creative way to breach the stifling…

A Closing Act on the Summer Season

Like so many silver linings in this Covid summer, the ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas are proving themselves the stars of my September season. Blooming a bit later this year than usual, perhaps…

Strolling the Gardens at Bellevue House

Up the street, exactly one mile from me door to door, is a historic house renowned as one of only two homes in America both designed and decorated by Ogden…

Parterre’s Madcap Cutting Garden

As summer 2020 ends (Yikes! it’s already September 3), I find myself bemused and a bit befuddled by the bounty of the Cutting Garden. For as orderly and manicured as…

Pampered Pets of Private Newport

Traditions are important. As this wonky summer of 2020 comes to a close, I’m been very muck looking forward to penning this annual post. To add a bit more magic,…

Ode to Newport 2: The Parterre Bench

As summer comes to a close, I’m reminded again of how much I treasure our magical town. I’m sure that was obvious when you were reading my recent post, “Ode…

The Orangerie at Parterre

For both sentimental reasons (it was a surprise Christmas gift from my husband) and aesthetic reasons (it is in the middle of the garden), the Orangerie plays an outsize role…

Ode to Newport

By this point in the summer, Newport would already have been a beehive of activity–from large fund raisers to music festivals to sailing regattas –and house guests galore. But this…

Celebrating Summer Al Fresco

Discovering these brightly colored and small decorated umbrellas has given me countless opportunities to brighten up my al fresco summer activities (Etsy Indian parasols). Amusing as well, they are accented…

Parterre’s Signature Garden Images

This “staycation” (quarantining as I prefer to call it) over the past five months provided the opportunity to capture in images many details of our Parterre garden that I would…