Initial Thoughts

Paris, Thanks for the Memories!

The events of the last 3 months have given a new meaning and vividness to the memories we each hold dear — almost as though a bright celestial light has…

The Centerpiece of Parterre Garden

If there can be a silver lining to having had some glorious trips cancelled this spring it is that I am here, in Newport, to see my two beloved matched…

Faux and Behold: The Dovecote at Parterre

A dear reader left a lovely comment on last week’s post asking about “the charming cylindrical shaped structure with the conical roof at the corner of the hedge.” She could…

Through the Garden Gate

Humor is such an important antidote to this “journey” we all find ourselves on. And I had to look no further than my own garden and the pair of frogs…

New Beginnings at Parterre

Photo Credit: Maaike Bernstrom Easter and new beginnings are taking on a special meaning at Parterre this year. Only a very few times in the twenty years that we’ve lived…

Private Newport, Home at Seafair

Photo Credit: Lila Delman Real Estate “Home” has never meant as much as it does now (as we self-quarantine) or carried as much significance as a place of refuge in…

Topiaries, Whimsy in the Making

Last week I posted about a very favorite topic for this gardener, hedges. And what’s the natural follow-on? Topiaries, the next step in a hedges artistic evolution.The art of training,…

English Hedges

While one might think of England as all about herbaceous flower borders, there is actually an entire design discipline that has made an art form of hedges. They seem to…

Yellow, Spring’s Signature Color

Doesn’t yellow just signal spring to you? Perhaps because it is the first color that dots the bare landscape, from daffodils (above) to forsythia (below). And this year, (fingers crossed!),…

Blue and White in the Bahamas

No surprise! That winning, ever popular color duo, white and blue, is alive and well in the Caribbean. But there are fresh takes, unusual pairings, and new perspectives at play…