green animals topiary gardens

ChillyinAlaska

I've been to the Gardens many times over a 40 year period. Husband is from Portsmouth and grew up watching the animals being created. I really enjoyed the gardens, and the skill of the gardeners is very good.

GNRMatt

The Green Animals Topiary Garden, which is part of the Newport Mansions ticket, is a cute garden that has topiaries shaped like animals ranging from lions to birds to teddy bears. You'll spend probably less than an hour here, but it is something that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

museumgirl53

This is not Disney where the topiaries are shaped on metal wires. These are grown and trimmed into shapes taking many years.It is artistry at it's best thanks to the loving care of the Preservation Society Of Newport County. Their stewardship is what makes it all happen. Besides the garden is a charming house belonging to the Brayton family who started the gardens. The house is filled with original furnishings and an antique toy collection that make everybody smile. Later enjoy sitting on the veranda and enjoy the beautiful view of Narraganset Bay.

jonathane210

We visited the Green Animals as one of the attractions included in the five-mansions deal that you can get if you buy a ticket to see The Breakers or one of the other mansions in Newport.It was a little further out of town than I expected, so it took a bit of a drive to get there. The house is interesting, but we mainly walked around the gardens. It took about 45 minutes to wander around, and luckily the weather was nice and warm. So it became a very pleasant experience to wander among the different topiary animals, and try to work out what they were supposed to be. Most of them were in pretty good condition, and there is a bit of history to them as well, in a genteel kind of way.I would go back, but if I had to plan this again, I would arrange it so it was a stop on a journey either into or out of Newport, so it's a convenient stop.

LAtoEverywhere

Enjoyed our trip to the Green Animals Topiary Gardens. We started the day at Blithewold Mansion in Bristol, RI. Then we went for "brunch" to the restaurant across the street from Linden Place, then Linden Place, then the Topiary Gardens, then ended our day at Hunter House. I liked the Topiary outside. I was able to tell what most of the animals were without the map. Wed didn't spend a long time at the house and gardens, but since we planned it into a day, it was a great stop. This is considered an AHS garden for reciprocal memberships as well as part of the Newport Preservation Society membership. Two more reasons to visit. We were the only ones there and it was raining a little. Better than some crowded place.

newyorkcb

The topiary animals are great fun and make you want to take lots of pictures. Kids will enjoy thus garden. On a beautiful day it's a beautiful place to be.

gregh696

We went to Newport to tour the mansions and came across this gem. Green Animals is included on the Newport Mansions pass, but it is located in Portsmouth. Both the gardens and the house are worth a visit. The gardens are over 100 years old and include many types of flowers in addition to the topiary. The house is furnished with antiques and has a beautiful view overlooking the water. We saw four mansions in Newport, but this house was our favorite.

Patnvic

We usually try to visit Green Animals once a year, as we live in the vicinity and like gardens. This year, something was just " different" about the place. The gardeners had been extra busy, and it was a good year for gardens, I don't know. But it was extra lush and beautiful. Of course there are the topiaries to look at, and they are a marvel, swans, bears, a giraffe, you name it. But the gardens themselves were just fabulous this year. This is such a lush and beautiful place to visit in the midst of all the summer rushing around. The location is on the bay, rolling green lawns, a house with a huge porch, a place to slow down and just enjoy. The house was a summer home of a wealthy family, just so so, considering the other "over the top" mansions in the area. But if you do go in, check out the great display of Victorian toys on the second floor. Really worth a visit!

DennehyA

Simply colorful and spectacular! My 3 girls...ages 7, 5 and 22 months, a niece,11, and I had a picnic on the grounds and then walked around enjoying all the scenery of flowers and topiaries. They enjoyed walking around with the map and looking to identify what each topiary was. The house on the ground had so much to take in too, they really enjoyed the history and displays of dolls, toys and much more. Ms. Alice Brayton's love for children was apparent everywhere. It was without a doubt a relaxing and pleasant place to visit.

redeco

The Preservation Society of Newport County is best known for its opulent ‘cottages’ such as Marble House, The Breakers, The Elms, and more. But about 30 minutes outside of Newport is a small country estate consisting of a charming white clapboard summer house on seven acres that is quite different. The house is roomy and quite comfortable, but the property is best known for its topiary garden, the oldest in the United States.Created by Joseph Carreiro in 1905, the garden consists of about 80 ‘green animals’ topiaries. The figures include a giraffe, elephant, seated bear, birds, and other shapes and are absolutely delightful! You don’t need much time to tour the house and gardens, perhaps an hour or hour and a half, but you’ll be enchanted by this Victorian house overlooking Narragansett Bay and its orchards, gardens, and topiaries. Don’t miss it.

Annct103

While this is owned by the Newport Mansions, the Green Animals Topiary Gardens is set off in its own area and not in Newport so just know that to begin with. But knowing that is important…you are in a land of your own…bring your camera for you will see beautiful topiaries and beautiful gardens throughout the grounds. The house itself should only take you about 10 minutes but spend a long time on the grounds--well worth it. And save time for either a picnic (bring your own snack) or a snooze--the environment allows for that under a few trees. There are a few Adirondack chairs or benches. But a lot of yard for you to just enjoy time on and savor the beauty. It is really a beautiful place to visit!!!

ChrisandCarlos

Part of the Newport Mansions, the Green Animals Topiary Gardens was a lovely and inviting retreat. We could have easily brought a picnic lunch and spent a better part of a day there. The farmhouse is full of history and collections, and the gardens are colorful and whimsical, full of topiaries and perennial beds as well as a vegetable garden. I could have just sat on the wraparound porch and enjoyed the view for hours. You can purchase your admission as part of a mansions package or by itself. A really nice thing about the single admission is that for $10 more, you can get into any other mansion for up to a year after your purchase -- that is a terrific deal, and one we intend to take advantage of!

484AngelaH

A trip to the Green Animals Topiary Gardens was well worth it. The gardens are beautiful, the animals shaped out of hedges are wonderful, leaving no doubt as to what animal they represent. The entire garden has been well thought out and executed. There is also the home of the Brayton family to visit while there and you can take a self guided tour through it. The rooms with the children's toys and doll houses were wonderful.

TASN1

A nice trip that was lessened by rude ticket agent. Want to wait under the tree next to the parking lot for the rest of your party to arrive...nope Marette(sp) will come out and tell you that is part of the grounds and you get a ticket or leave. Kept seeing her patrolling the entrance giving the place a bit of a prison feel.

kitn552

The gardens are extensive, varied and wonderfully maintained. Volunteers were each very friendly and helpful. There were a number of volunteers in the garden, likely preparing for the larger weekend crowd of visitors. The home, which is quite lovely, sits on an expansive property with some water views. There is a remarkable large collection of antique children's toys, awards and collectibles on the second level, not to be missed.