Exploring the Green Animals Topiary Garden in Portsmouth, Rhode Island
One of our favorite New England towns to visit in ANY season is Newport, Rhode Island with its beautiful beaches, Gilded Age mansions, and many historic sites. This past weekend, we enjoyed a wonderful morning exploring the Green Animals Topiary Garden in nearby Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
Green Animals Topiary Garden is the oldest topiary garden in America. The property was originally purchased in 1872 by manufacturing official Thomas Brayton, who later hired a gardener to create the formal gardens and topiaries, many of which are still in existence today. Brayton’s daughter Alice lived in the house on the property until her death in the 1972, when she bequeathed the entire estate to the Preservation Society of Newport County, which continues to preserve the property and open it to the public.
The seven acre estate includes over 80 topiary whimsical animals and shapes made from boxwood, yew, and California privet shrubs; 35 flower beds filled with everything from tulips and perennials to hydrangeas and day lilies; fruit trees and vines; and a large vegetable garden. While the Brayton House is no longer open to the public (although there is a virtual tour), visitors are welcome to relax in a rocking chair on the front porch and look out at Narragansett Bay.
There are also plenty of picnic tables and benches throughout the property to sit and relax and check out the topiaries from multiple angles. Kids will enjoy rocking on various wooden rocking horses, ducks, and donkeys. Green Animals Topiary Garden is a welcoming, peaceful spot the entire family will enjoy with new surprises each season: over 37,000 tulips in the spring, brightly colored annuals, hydrangeas and berries galore in the summer, and mums, daises, and dahlias in the fall. Note: The property closes in late September and reopens in May- put it on your spring and summer travel list now!
Travel Tips:
Ten Ways to Explore the Topiary Garden:
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- Make sure kids grab a Green Animals Safari and map to complete while exploring the property.
- Try to count the branches of the copper beech tree that is over 150 years old .
- Walk through the garden in chronological order with numbered zones (look for giraffe signs designating each zone) and stay on the designated stone paths.
- Choose a favorite topiary animal: there are several bears and birds, as well as a donkey, unicorn, dog, lion, elephant, giraffe, and reindeer. Some of these topiaries have been growing, and groomed, since the 1920s and many topiaries were added in the 1970s.
- Peek through the topiary heart, basket, or trophy for a photo. Be sure to walk around and see the topiaries from multiple angles.
- Look up in the trees for both bird houses and bat houses.
- Kneel down next to the Fish Pond and search for fish and frogs relaxing (and hiding) in the water. The original fish pond dates back to the 1920s and the fountain was added in 2012.
- Take a moment of peace to honor Alice Brayton’s deceased animals, including her favorite Lhasa Apsos dogs, in the Pet Cemetery.
- Search for grapes and various berries growing throughout the summer and fall near and around the Vegetable and Berry Gardens and Arbors, which grows over 100 varieties of herbs and vegetables. Keep an eye out for scarecrows who protect the gardens (they were handmade in the 1940s!)
- Walk down the green lawn to the stone wall and check out views of the Narragansett Bay (and a few more topiary trees). Keep an eye out for cyclists on the Rail Explorers who pedal rail bikes on a track along the water.
Looking for other adventures in nearby Newport? Check out our full City Guide to Newport, including several Preservation Society of Newport County mansion properties and our feature of 10 places to hike in the area.
Disclosure: We were given a media pass to explore the Garden; all opinions expressed are my own.
