Landscape Ideas from Me



Marble House Back Garden-Alba Roosevelt

Chinese Tea House (On Marble House Grounds)

The first to visit was the Marble House.  Marble House was given to Alva Vanderbilt from her husband William K Vanderbilt in 1882 as a gift for her 39th birthday.  Inside are walls constructed of marble and embossed with 22 caret gold overlay as requested by Alva.  After spending only three short summers in the 11 million dollar Marble House Alva divorced William and married neighbor Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont one year later.  She moved down the street into a simpler Belcourt Castle and kept the Marble House for storage and use of the laundry, which in her opinion, was much better there.   After the death of her second husband Alva moved back into the Marble House and used it to hold rallies and raise funds for womens suffrage making her one of the largest advocates for women.  No one is quite sure why but in 1913-14 Alva decided to have the above Chinese Tea House constructed on the Marble House grounds.  The Newport Preservation Society now rents it out for various social occasions. 

Marble House Backyard

As a gardener I noticed the simplicity of the gardens around these mansions, mostly neatly manicured hedges of boxwood and rose gardens...very traditional with majestic planters carved of stone. Towards the front entrance of the Marble House is a mature Copper Beach Tree (below) majestic in its own right.

Copper Beach Tree Outside Marble House

                                                Not just any ordinary tree...

Rosecliff Mansion The next visit is to the Rosecliff Mansion.   This 21 acre summer home was completed in 1902 for 2.5 million dollars and was the home of Nevada heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs. Due to its perfect layout Rosecliff has been used as the set scene for several popular movies including the Great Gatsby with Robert Redford and True Lies with Arnold Schwarzennager and has been the site of many lavish Newport parties.  Rosecliff is now maintained by the Preservation Society of Newport County.  The last private owners Mr. & Mrs. J. Edgar Monroe of New Orleans generously donated the home, all its furnishings and a maintenance trust fund to the Preservation Society in 1971.

Rosecliff Mansion Garden Here are some of the beautiful gardens of Rosecliff...a pergola

Rosecliff Rose Garden and the formal rose garden.

Rosecliff Back View Lawn Area

Cliff Walk

If you come to Newport the best way to see many of the mansions is to take a leisurely stroll along Cliff Walk, funded by the National Park Service, Land & Conservation Fund and the State of Rhode Island.  Cliff Walk runs about 3.5 miles so plan accordingly and wear comfortable shoes and clothing.  Plan on approximately two hours or so depending on how far you want to go.  I was enjoying the walk so much that I didnt really pay attention to the time and it was well worth it...so much to see including the view of the ocean below.       

Cliff Walk View of Ocean



Ochre Court Back View from Cliff Walk Ochre Court (along Cliff Walk) was the summer home of wealthy New York banker and yachtsmen Ogden Goelet.  It was constructed in 1892 and modeled after a French Chateau for 4.5 million.   It is the second largest mansion in Newport after the Breakers (further below).  Ochre Court was gifted to the Religious Sisters of Mercy in 1947 and is now owned and maintained by Salve Regina University. Newport Cliff Walk This is a newly constructed gazebo which it a nice addition to the walk.

View Looking Down from Cliff Walk

 

Doris Dukes Rough Point (View from Cliff Walk)

Rough Point (also along Cliff Walk) constructed of red sandstone and granite was originally built by Frederick W. Vanderbilt and completed in 1892.  In 1894 the Vanderbilts began renting Rough Point to summer guests and in In 1922, James Buchman Duke (benefactor of Duke University) and his second wife Nanaline bought the mansion.  The house and grounds were left to Dukes only daughter Doris.   After Nanalines passing Doris revisited Newport frequently and reopened Rough Point in 1962.  Doris Duke founded the Newport Restoration Foundation in 1968 which still runs the mansion today. Rough Point is now open to the public as a museum.  

Cliff Walk-Goldenrod Along the Cliff Walk are some Goldenrod during the month of September.

Garden Topiary Animals

and on the way back I just had to get a photo of this not so ordinary garden.

The Breakers (Back Ocean View) Cliff Walk Last but not least is the largest the of Newport mansions, the 70 room Breakers Mansion established by Cornelius Vanderbilt in 1895.   The original structure of the home suffered a fire in 1892 and Vanderbilt insisted that the home be reconstructed of fire resistant material which was done so as a cost of 12 million dollars.  Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt was a well known established entrepreneur in the steamship industry and later on in the New York Central Railroad and was the model of wealth in the Gilded Age.  This is the back view of the mansion from the Cliff Walk.

Newport Rhode Island Visitor Center

Hope you enjoyed the virtual tour of the Newport mansions and gardens.   Many of the mansions have either guided tours or self tours in which you can rent a headset.  Also be sure to go into town and stop by the visitor center.  They have lots of information on all the mansions and you can choose which you would like to see. 

 

Thank you for visiting and As Always...Happy Gardening!

 

 

Author: Lee@A Guide To Northeastern Gardening, Copyright 2012. All rights reserved 

 

 

Recently I was asked to do a design that had a touch of everything in it...


The property owner had made requests for:

• a pool with a water feature
  
• enough patio space to allow for a chiminea and sun lounge chairs
  
• deck space for dinning and BBQ area
• a covered hot tub space
• the cabana house with a small bar area incorporated in it
• privacy
• grass or lawn space to allow for kids to play and possibly have an ice rink in winter
• storage areas
• and last but not least....gardens!!!

When presented with these requests...it can sometimes seem like a tall order for smaller yards but the idea of a landscape design is to make things fit and organize the space so it fits well! The particular drawing shown above displays a slightly larger than normal typical sub-division lot which allowed for me to fit everything in that the customer had on their wish list! I was able to do it in a way that kept things in balance in terms of where things were located.

The end result.... a cool looking backyard that will provide hours of entertainment that would extend into the winter months with the addition of the skating rink, the chiminea spot and the hot tub!!!

 Landscape Design to celebrate beauty and style. Dont think that landscaping refers only to trimming trees, mowing your lawn or planting flowers! They are indeed important tasks, but a landscaping Design has to transform the Property into a great living place. Creativity and imagination have to rule in order to offer the best results. And size doesnt matter, because a small lawn can be Designed just as well as a huge one.
Your house should be a center of relaxation, and this is why it must have an appropriate

Front

When guests come to visit you, the first thing they see is the front lawn. Through this, they start to get an impression on your personality. If you want to make an elegant and classy statement, it wouldnt hurt to have an immaculate Landscape, a great walkway, and even a paved driveway. The attractive elements present in your yard will send everyone a message of pride. Not to mention that this represents a good starting point for the rest of the Landscape.

Key elements

If you want to update, improve or redo the Landscape that you already have, take into account some key elements that can be incorporated. There are various categories of elements (soft and hardscape, water features, etc.). While the hardscape Design includes pathways, patios or courtyards, the softscape is represented by the living elements (gardens, trees, flower beds, etc.). And then there are the water elements (waterfalls, ponds, fountains, pools or streams). The perfect Design makes sure that your desired elements incorporate into your style flawlessly.

Materials

The materials that you plan to use in your Design symbolize your taste and dreams in terms of outdoor paradise. They also talk about the maintenance necessary in order for your Property to look perfect. If you like to see lots of flowerbeds or garden paths, you might want to go with softscape materials. On the other hand, if you like to have an entertaining space located around a pool, you should choose hardscape materials (cement, gravel, paver stones). You can even mix the materials you plan to use. For instance, you can create walkways that are paved with stone mixed with wooden retaining walls. This way you can make your Landscape look more comfortable.

Lighting

Many landscaping Designs overlook lighting. But if you want your Property to look great all day long, you will have to accomplish this. Lighting is also useful during the night, when the visibility is reduced. When it comes to lighting, the possibilities are endless. You can choose to go with lighting pathways or illuminating tree, bushes, water features and so on. In addition to this, including lighting in your Landscape will offer you a ton of other options.

Patio

When you start transforming your patio into a completely new thing, stop for a moment and think at all the ways in which you can take advantage of your patio. If you are dying to have a kitchen outside, you can include cupboards, grills, mini-fridges or a brick oven. Having everything that is necessary into a kitchen in the outdoor space will make things even more fun and entertaining. Friends and family will help with the preparation of the food, and the cook will not be isolated into a corner, missing out on all the fun. Plan in advance and you will see what it means to have fun in a beautiful space. With a bit of professional help, you will turn your Landscape into a unique piece of art.