July 1, 2016

Green Animals Topiary Garden (Portsmouth, RI)

By New England Nomad

Date Visited: June 25, 2016

Location: 380 Corys Ln, Portsmouth, RI (about 15 minutes north of Newport, RI and 1 hour south of Boston, MA)  (401) 683-1267 

Hours: Open everyday  10-5 seasonally (May 21 – Oct. 10 this year but the dates may change each year)

Cost: $15.99 for adults, $6.99 for youth (ages 6-17).  There are discounts available if you provide an AARP card (I’m not quite that old yet) and if you have AAA and possibly if you’re in the military.  Take note that the Green Gardens is considered part of the Newport Mansions and their prices are based on how many houses you visit.  In this case, the price was based on a one house tour because there is only one mansion on the premises (the Brayton House)

Parking: Free parking for 24 vehicles

Dog Friendly: No (service dogs may be allowed)

Highlights: shrubs and bushes cut into shapes of animals and other shapes, pretty flowers and gardens, mansion (Brayton House)

DSC_0506

If you think the grass is always greener on the other side, you’ve never been to the Green Animals Topiary Garden in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

Located adjacent to the Brayton house, the Green Animals display is the brainchild of gardener Joseph Carreiro.  Carreiro began the topiary in 1905 and the 80 pieces of topiary have been in place at the garden ever since.

The topiary may be the main  attraction.  But the flowers and plants are also very pretty.  In fact, as much as I loved the different shapes at the topiary, I found the flowers and the garden near the side of the topiary to be just as appealing.

The website states there are 80 different shapes sculpted into the greenery (although I don’t remember seeing that many).  I have included the most interesting of these 80.

The Damask Rose Garden is featured at the entrance of the topiary.

DSC_0245

The topiary has shapes of all kinds of animals. Like this giraffe.

DSC_0306DSC_0303with her/his baby giraffe (the black dot in this and some other photo is dirt on my sensor which I didn’t notice until after I got home unfortunately)

DSC_0314

And this duck.

DSC_0311

This is a growly bear (it is standing on its hind quarters)

DSC_0291

Not all of the shapes are made in the image of creatures that are presently with us.  This dinosaur was one of the scarier shapes in the garden.

DSC_0373

This colorful shape is of a yew rooster

DSC_0355

I don’t usually get this close to lions.

DSC_0347

This swan peaked her head out among the other green animals.

DSC_0351

This appears to be a bird

DSC_0460DSC_0462

It was a little warm for a polar bear

DSC_0464

Reindeers aren’t just in the North Pole.

DSC_0470

There are even human shapes cut into the greenery.  This human is riding a horse.

DSC_0360

This police officer helped direct traffic around the green garden.  I am not sure if he is affiliated with the Portsmouth department.

DSC_0246

There’s even a mythical unicorn

DSC_0295

This baby bear just wants a hug

DSC_0349

There are even inanimate objects cut into the greenery.  For instance, you can take a seat in this chair if you get tired (I am just kidding, you’re not allowed to climb and/or touch the greenery)

One of the few birds who actually sits still long enough for me to photograph him

DSC_0358

I looked like this elephant was going to charge!

DSC_0301

I don’t mean to boar you with this piece from the topiary.

DSC_0353

The handout I received did not have a description for this shape.  it appears to be a train.

DSC_0467

This mommy and baby bear were sitting outside the Brayton mansion.

DSC_0502

There is also a pet cemetery located at the topiary.  Four pets of the owners are buried there.  This section is very peaceful and decorative.  The cemetery has a bench for sitting and reflecting and gravestones with the names of the deceased friends.  It is very tranquil.

The flowers and garden are well kept and have some very vivid colors. I thought it was cute how they had “scarepeople” instead of scarecrows.  I also liked the different chairs and wind vane and other decor around the grounds.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

There is also a fish pond with goldfish in it.

DSC_0328

I also liked the Brayton House.  They do not allow flash photography in the house (although you can take photos with your cellphone).  I don’t like how photos look on my cellphone so I didn’t take any photos in the house but it is a must see on the tour.

 

 

 

About New England Nomad

Hi I'm Wayne. Welcome to my blog. I am a true New Englander through and through. I love everything about New England. I especially love discovering new places in New England and sharing my experiences with everyone. I tend to focus on the more unique and lesser known places and things in New England on my blog. Oh yeah, and I love dogs. I always try to include at least one dog in each of my blog posts. I discovered my love of photography a couple of years ago. I know, I got a late start. Now, I photograph anything that seems out of the ordinary, interesting, beautiful and/or unique. And I have noticed how every person, place or thing I photograph has a story behind it or him or her. I don't just photograph things or people or animals. I try to get their background, history or as much information as possible to give the subject more context and meaning. It's interesting how one simple photograph can evoke so much. I am currently using a Nikon D3200 "beginner's camera." Even though there are better cameras on the market, and I will upgrade some time, I love how it functions (usually) and it has served me well. The great thing about my blog is you don't have to be from New England, or even like New England to like my blog (although I've never met anyone who doesn't). All you have to like is to see and read about new or interesting places and things. Hopefully, you'll join me on my many adventures in New England! View all posts by New England Nomad
This entry was posted on Friday, July 1st, 2016 at 10:58 pm and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , and posted in flowers, garden, New England, photographs, photography, photos, plants, Rhode Island, topiary, trees, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

24 responses to “Green Animals Topiary Garden (Portsmouth, RI)”

Leave a comment