Newport Rhode Island Mansions and Gardens: A Visit to Chateau-Sur-Mer and Rough Point

This past September I had the pleasure of returning to the Newport Mansions and gardens in Newport, Rhode Island.  We visited the lovely Chateau-Sur-Mer and Rough Point Mansions and their grounds. Come along and I will share some of the sites and amazing history behind these mansions.

Chateau-Sur-Mer Newport Mansions Restoration Foundation

Chateau-Sue-Mer, Newport, Rhode Island

Chateau-Sur-Mer was the first of the grand Bellevue Avenue mansions (before the Vanderbilt family arrived in the 1890’s) and home to three generations of the Wetmore family. The Victorian style mansion was built in 1852 as a villa for William Shepard Wetmore, a well known China trade merchant. The centerpiece of the mansion is its Great Hall, a three story chamber with broad balconies and a massive 45 foot ceiling. An Italianate design library was actually designed and constructed in Italy, then disassembled and transported to Newport and a giant Green Room served as a ladies reception area.  The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1968 and purchased by the Preservation Society of Newport County in 1969. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2006.  

European Beech Tree

The back grounds of Chateau-Sur-Mer are the home to a croquet field and huge collection of mature trees of different species.  Mature Beech trees (such as the one pictured above) are known to grace the landscape of the mansion.

Japanese Cedar

Japanese Cedar is also among the specimens.

Monkee's Seat Gate at Chateau-Sur-Mer

 The moon gate that exists at the back of the property at Chateau-Sur-Mer onlooks the street and water beyond. William Shepard Wetmore built the gate with steps and seat to the southern entrance to the estate in 1860, and legend has it that monkeys he brought back from the Far East would sit there and alert him of any oncoming visitors. 

Chateau-Sur-Mer Beech Tree on Grounds

Rough Point Mansion

Rough Point was the Newport home of Doris Duke, famous heiress, art collector and philanthropist. The 105-room English style home was originally designed for Frederick William Vanderbilt and is one of the larger Gilded Age mansions. The red sandstone and granite mansion was completed in 1892, and in 1894 the Vanderbilts began renting Rough Point out to summer guests. 

Rough Point Mansion, Newport, Rhode Island

In 1922, the estate was purchased by James Buchanan Duke, the founder of fortunes in electric power and tobacco, and benefactor of Duke University, along with his second wife Nanaline. Dukes only child, Doris when born was nicknamed the million dollar baby and upon James Dukes passing in 1925,12-year-old Doris Duke inherited the roughly estimated 80 million dollar Rough Point. The estate came close to being sold twice at Nanaline's insistence; nonetheless, eventually became one of Doris' most prized properties.  Doris Duke continued to spend her summers at Rough Point; but her visits became less and less frequent. In the early 1950s, Duke took up permanent residence in New York City but after Nanaline's death in 1962, Doris once again became a frequent visitor to Newport.

Rough Point Camel Topiary

The grounds of the mansion are known for the impressive back yard view overlooking Cliff Walk and the Atlantic Ocean, along with the unusual camel topiary on the front lawn. The story behind the topiary is that Doris was gifted two pet Bactrian camels, Princess and Baby from Adnan Khashoggi, billionaire Saudi arms-dealer and businessman, and the camels would travel to the mansion with her for the summer. Doris had also adopted many shelter dogs that would roam the house with its expensive Turkish carpets, Louis XVI furniture and Chinese porcelains. These topiary standing on the front lawn were created for Doris representing her two most prized pets. 

Rough Point Solarium and Back Lawn

While Dukes pet camels would spend summers in Newport she would set up a tent on the back lawn for them and during Hurricane Bob in 1991, the camels were brought inside the house's solarium, which served as a shelter for Princess and Baby. It was known that Doris would buy her camels large quantities of peanut butter cookies as treats, and at times Baby, the more rambunctious of the two, would often sneak up at the estate security guards at night, chasing and nipping at them if she got close enough.

Rough Point Doris Dukes Flower Garden 

While growing up Doris's father, knowing she would inherit his fortune, warned her to trust no one. During her stay at Rough Point, Doris kept high fences and hedges around her estate and even built a bridge to make Cliff Walk a little further away from her back property.  At Doris's direction secret flower gardens were filled each year with annuals from Duke farms to provide a steady supply of cut flowers. She wanted a sense of intimacy and seclusion to enjoy her peaceful retreat with her animals. Today the walled garden fosters beds of roses, dahlias, and numerous varieties of cottage style flowers.

Rough Point Doris Dukes Flower Garden Entry Live Arbor

Rough Point Doris Dukes Flower Garden 

Rough Point Doris Dukes Flower Garden 

Rough Point Doris Dukes Flower Garden Dahlia September

Rough Point Doris Dukes Flower Garden Vernonia noveboracensis NY Ironweed

Rough Point Doris Dukes Flower Garden Vernonia noveboracensis NY Ironweed

Rough Point Doris Dukes Flower Garden 

Cliff Walk Along Atlantic Ocean

Doris Duke was the founder of the Newport Restoration Foundation in 1968 to protect and preserve Newport’s 18th and 19th century buildings and cultural heritage. Along with her many donations as a philanthropist she contributed 40 million dollars to Trinity College which was then named Duke University, and at her death in 1993 she left a lasting legacy of support to medical research, the performing arts, environmental conservation and child abuse through the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Newport Mansions & Gardens

  I hope you enjoyed the tour! Newport with its mansions and gardens is such a wonderful place to visit and is accompanied by an abundance of Gilded Age history.

As Always...Happy Gardening!

For more information visit Chateau-Sur-Mer and Rough Point

Author: Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2015. All rights reserved

New England Gardens: Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboretum Rhode Island

BLITHEWOLD MANSION AND GARDENS

On a recent trip I had the pleasure of visiting the picturesque and serene Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboretum located on the Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island.  The area was developed in the mid 1890's when Pennsylvania coal magnate, Augustus Van Wickle and his wife Bessie purchased the land and built the first Blithewold mansion.  After Augustus's death in 1989, Bessie re-married William McKee in 1901 and after a disastrous fire in 1906, the original home was replaced with the mansion that exists today.  Bessie and her older daughter Marjorie Van Wickle proved to be talented horticulturists and Marjorie carried on her mothers legacy by developing the remaining 33 acres of Blithewold into the gardens that exist today. The mansion and grounds are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and are enjoyed by visitors.

BLITHEWOLD MANSION

BLITHEWOLD MANSION

BLITHEWOLD MANSION

NORTH GARDEN

NORTH GARDEN

NORTH GARDEN

NORTH GARDEN

 

ENCLOSED GARDEN

VISITORS CENTER AND GARDEN

MOON GATE AND GARDENS

GARDENS

LILLIUM

ALLIUM SEED HEAD

NORTH GARDEN FOUNTAIN

BLITHEWOLD ART EXHIBITION 

As part of an ongoing art exhibition " Sculpture Embraces Horticulture", several artists were featured in the gardens at the time of our trip using the elements of sun, rain and wind to power their creations. The above sculpture is a sunflower spiral solar powered creation from artist George Sherwood.  Sherwood’s sculptures are based on movement that is a combination of both subtle and obvious. At times it appears his sculptures do not move at all, and at other times the colorful stainless steel reflective discus twinkle with each breeze, integrating art with nature. 

BLITHEWOLD ART EXHIBITION 

Charissa Brock creates art with bamboo and was intrigued by the gardens and bamboo grove at Blithewold which is quite large for New England with its cold winters. Brock integrates the motion of the wind with bamboo and has created large “feathers” out of bamboo canes. Each feather has a skirt of short bamboo pieces and when the wind blows the feathers play with the wind creating music.

BAMBOO GROVE

WATER FEATURE IN DISPLAY GARDENS

SHRUB WALK

SARGENT'S WEEPING HEMLOCK

These gardens were certainly an enjoyable visit.  I was happy to read that in order to preserve the integrity of Blithewold a small group of concerned citizens banded together and raised funding to keep it open to the public. They became known as Blithewold, Inc. and in 2010 along with Preserve Rhode Island, an amended lease for a period of 99 years was created with an extension option, so that Blithewold would be protected for the future. Today it is considered to be one of the finest gardens in New England and received a certificate of excellence in 2014.

 I hope you enjoyed the visit.  As Always...Happy Gardening!

For more information visit Blithewold.

Linking with Tuesday Garden Party

Author: Lee@A Guide To Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2015. All rights reserved

New for 2014 at A Guide to Northeastern Gardening!

Happy New Year everyone!  I didn't want to wait to get started on my new year's resolutions and one of them is a little reorganization.   Here's what's new at A Guide to Northeastern Gardening!  In an effort to categorize I have created two new navigation tabs:   My Gardens and Botanical & Community Gardens.  Simply go onto each individual link and check it out.  As far as other plans...well more gardening of course and many more photography moments!  Take a look.  These are short cuts but you can also find them at the top of the page for easy access.

 

 

My Gardens

My Gardens takes you through the years in my own personal gardens and highlights each month and season like a diary. Now it will be easier to keep track of how each year compares.

Botanical & Community Gardens

Botanical & Community Gardens visits various gardens from around the world and highlights each one.  I will keep adding as I visit new gardens on Long Island and elsewhere.

These pages will grow as I add new links so there should be frequently something new.  Again Happy New Year 2014 and I look forward to all your posts!

As Always...Happy Gardening!

  

Author: Lee@A Guide To Northeastern Gardening, Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

Green Animals Topiary Garden Rhode Island

Green Animals Topiary Garden

During a recent visit to Rhode Island I had the pleasure of visiting the Green Animals Topiary Garden in Portsmouth.  This small country estate consisting of seven acres of land overlooks Narragansett Bay and was purchased by Thomas E. Brayton in 1872.  Mr. Brayton was the treasurer for the Union Cotton Manufacturing Company in Fall River, Massachusetts from 1879 to 1920.  He hired Joseph Carreiro who was responsible for creating and maintaining the topiary garden.  Carrero's son-in-law took over and continued to develop new topiary upon Mr. Carreiro's death in 1945. Upon Mr. Brayton's death in 1940 his daughter Alice inherited the estate and resided there until her death in 1972. Alice Brayton known for her love of horticulture named the estate after its unique sculptured green topiary.  Green Animals Topiary Garden was left to the Preservation Society of Newport County and remains today under their care as a historic landmark. 

There are more that 80 pieces of topiary throughout the gardens and one of my favorites were these two teddy bears made of yew (Taxus).  The topiary animals are made of California privet and yew while the geometric figures are from California privet and English boxwood.

Here is the mighty lion made of California privet and surrounded by annuals. The beds are planted with annuals that change with each growing season.

Gardener Joe Carreiro designed these driveway arches as an entry to the garden.

The garden houses two arbors, one draped with Magnolia x soulangeana and on this arbor with  Grape (Vitus vinifera).

 A beautiful perennial border garden shows the colors of late summer.  This area was re-designed and replanted in the fall of 2004.  

This beautiful Dahlia Display garden is a joint project between the Preservation Society of Newport County and the Rhode Island Dahlia Society.  Blooms from this garden are entered into the Dahlia Society's annual show in early September...

and you can see why. 

Here is the full garden to give you an idea of the size.

The framework of the garden is made of boxwood and privet hedge.

The topiaries were started in 1901 in a nursery then moved to their present location in 1912. 

Every year Green Animals hosts several events and is visited daily by tourists.  I truly enjoyed visiting these wonderful gardens along with the mansions of Rhode Island.  I hope you enjoyed the virtual tour as well.

 

As Always...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee@A Guide To Northeastern Gardening, Copyright 2013. All rights reserved