Charleston in Early Spring
It was a glorious sunny day in Charleston last week but unseasonably cool and breezy. Nonetheless, it was dreamy being back in this southern town with its sherbert- colored houses.… Read More
Tag Archives: green thumb
Newport, the Arboretum
In my first book, Private Newport: At Home and in the Garden (2004), I shared that I am first a tree lover, then a gardener, and hinted at a little… Read More
14 Signature Images from Parterre’s Early Summer Garden
While spring’s newsworthy amount of rain has definitely impacted moods in Newport, the silver lining in the clouds has been the bountiful appearance of every blooming thing — from trees… Read More
Planning Your Summer Garden: 9 ‘Oops’ to Avoid
Spring, and its established ritual of “opening the garden,” is surely a gardener’s favorite time of the year. Top of my list is to check my “to do” notes and update… Read More
5 Colorful Facts You’ll Love about Daffodils
Daffodils signal spring — bringing us out of the winter doldrums with their cheery yellow faces and swaying forms. Even Wm. Wordsworth was smitten, penning his now beloved verse —… Read More
Spring on the Eastern Shore
The past four months have been a glorious blur of travel — revisiting favorite sights, chancing upon design inspirations in the most unlikely places, taking a fresh look at things… Read More
Casa Tranquila: At Home in Palm Beach
It’s seldom that I pair a home and its garden with individual posts. But Terry Rakolta’s exterior and interior are so elegantly and sympathetically considered — one flows gracefully into… Read More
A Miniature Spring Tablescape
Spring…at last? In trying to hasten the green landscapes that seem so long in coming, I resorted to creating my own for spring entertaining occasions in the house. And what a fun… Read More
Inspiring Garden Design: Island Charms
A chance conversation during my brief lecture stop in Vero Beach, Florida resulted in a visit to a most singular garden. The “surprise” factor played out with the Dutch Cape… Read More
Inspiring Garden Design: London’s Small Gestures
England’s justifiably famous gardens receive so much attention that sometimes one forgets that this heritage of “greening” trickles down to small gestures in urban surroundings. I’m always fascinated to see… Read More