Thursday, August 4, 2016

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Tonight's picture was taken in June of 2004. That week we went to Boston to visit Peter's parents. Outside their home they have a tree swing. Mattie loved being outside and was getting the hang of being on a swing. Mattie particularly liked the time he spent with Peter and me, and having our undivided attention. Which we always gave Mattie right from the beginning. We did not want to miss out on any of the stages of his life and fortunately we made this decision because we wouldn't have gotten a second chance. 





Quote of the day: We deceive ourselves when we fancy that only weakness needs support. Strength needs it far more. ~ Anne-Sophie Swetchine


Today we went to visit Green Animals Topiary Garden in Portsmouth, RI. It is a very unique place, because it features topiaries, a wonderful Estate, and gardens. 

This small country estate in Portsmouth was purchased in 1872 by Thomas E. Brayton (1844-1939), Treasurer of the Union Cotton Manufacturing Company in Fall River, Massachusetts. It consisted of seven acres of land, a white clapboard summer residence, farm outbuildings, a pasture and a vegetable garden.

Gardener Joseph Carreiro, superintendent of the property from 1905 to 1945, and his son-in-law, George Mendonca, superintendent until 1985, were responsible for creating the topiaries. There are more than 80 pieces of topiary throughout the gardens, including animals and birds, geometric figures and ornamental designs, sculpted from California privet, yew, and English boxwood.

Green Animals is the oldest and most northern topiary garden in the United States. Mr. Brayton's daughter Alice gave the estate its name because of the profusion of "green animals." She made the estate her permanent residence in 1939. Upon her death in 1972, at the age of 94, Miss Brayton left Green Animals to The Preservation Society of Newport County. Today, Green Animals remains as a rare example of a self-sufficient estate combining formal topiaries, vegetable and herb gardens, orchards and a Victorian house overlooking Narragansett Bay.

One of the interior rooms of the estate. This house was filled with all the original furnishing that belonged to Alice Brayton. 

The Sailing ship--- Topiaries made in the 1940s, continued to be made from California privet. Privet is a semi evergreen shrub is fast growing with dark green, elliptic leaves. It was used because it produced relatively quick results. Since it was a summer residence, it was not a concern that privet was deciduous and sheds its leaves in the fall. It requires regular pruning and maintenance including weekly hand trimming. Some conservation metal supports have been discreetly positioned inside the forms to provide stability in wind and snow.

A Camel

 Flower basket

 Another favorite of mine, the giraffe!

A lion, since my astrological sign is Leo the Lion, I am kind of partial to this fellow. 

A bear, which apparently is a community favorite!

The grounds also include a small orchard, a cutting garden, a vegetable patch and gourd arbor, and a damask rose garden. Vegetables from the garden are maintained by a community farm program and the produce is used by the Rhode Island Food Bank.

Beech tree -- which is over 160 years old, greets you as soon as you enter the property. 

There are over 35 formal flowerbeds, geometric pathways, rose arbor, grape arbor, fruit trees, and vegetable and herb gardens.

 Unbelievable Dahlias

One of my favorite flower sights.... the Sunflower

Isn't this artichoke a cutie? 

Beach house -- we had lunch by the bay today, and this restaurant is voted as one of the top scenic dining views in Rhode Island.