You don't have to visit the zoo to see lions and camels and bears. Just stop at a little-known garden for an animal adventure of a different kind. In this week's great escape, 7's Chikage Windler takes us to the green animal’s topiary garden in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
"You can find beautiful gardens throughout New England, but there's one place you can go that takes greenery to a whole new level. Just hop in your car and head to Rhode Island. You can get there on less than a tank."
Picturesque Portsmouth, Rhode Island is a small town on Narragansett Bay. Its biggest draw, the green animals topiary garden.
"There's this huge elephant and a giraffe and the camel, just really huge and true to life, they're really beautiful, " Green Animal's visitor Barbara Labonte said.
This unusual collection of animals ranges from a reindeer to a Rhode Island rooster. You'll see a dog named "spot" and spot a horse with his rider. There are 21 "green animals" in all.
"Oh now see I didn't know it was the donkey jumping up like that, " Green Animals visitor Mary Klein said.
As you guide yourself through the gardens, you'll come across other topiaries too, like this giant-sized pineapple and even a policeman dressed in green from head to toe.
"Its like wow! Just wow. Its cause it's so big," Green Animal's visitor Cody Klein said.
Keeping these larger than life artforms in tip-top shape is the job of expert gardeners.
"It just takes practice and getting over the fear that you're going to really make some mistakes on these."
"You have to constantly stand back and look at what you're doing and make sure that its in the spirit of what it should be, " Topiary gardener Eugene Platt said.
That spirit started with the original green animals still thriving in the formal garden.
"They're older than we are. They are they date back to the early 20th century, 1902 to 1910 and they've been maintained continually since then. So it represents thousands of hours of gardeners time. It's just amazing. It is. Quite a heritage, " Green Animals horticulturist Jim Donahue said.
For some visitors, it's hard to believe
"That you could make animals out of trees," said 16-year-old visitor Alex Labonte.
But seeing is believing. And if you need a little proof, you'll find plenty of photo ops.
You can take pictures to your heart's content, tour the historic Brayton home, and enjoy beautiful views of Narragansett Bay for just ten dollars.
"This place is just, like a fairyland, " said visitor Barbara Labonte
Boston to Portsmouth and back, just 126 miles.
Green Animal's Topiary Garden
Portsmouth, RI
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