Gardens & Landscape
Rough Point’s Historic Landscape
Rough Point’s landscape has a distinguished history. Frederick Law Olmsted, the renowned father of landscape architecture and designer of Central Park, and his firm designed the grounds for Frederick Vanderbilt. Completed in 1890, the site still reflects the original vision of a “picturesque” landscape that enhances the natural beauty of the rocky shoreline. Also visible are alterations made by the Duke family in the early 20th century to reflect changing tastes and new uses, such as adding a symmetrical automobile-friendly driveway, hedged formal gardens and new plant choices, as well as removing the tennis and croquet courts. Today, it is under the careful stewardship of the Newport Restoration Foundation which continues to preserve the site for public education and enjoyment. According to landscape historian Lucinda Brockway, the property remains an attractive mixture of luxury and “rustic simplicity,” honoring the natural features of the site and acting as “a strong counterpoint to the ostentatious formality of Bellevue Avenue’s other summer chateaux and palaces.”
We invite you to take a Landscape History and Gardens Tour of Rough Point.
Rough Point Gardens
The Formal Gardens
While at Rough Point, be sure to enjoy the lovely formal garden. The geometric layout and surrounding arboretum reflect Rough Point’s distinguished past, while the plant choices reflect the creative flare of head gardener Katie Parent. More than 35 different varieties of dahlias are grown here, and the rose arbor with its spectacular American Pillar Rose display is not to be missed.
The Kitchen Garden
Rough Point’s vegetable garden has a long history of producing vegetables, herbs and cut flowers. Although the garden’s vegetation is based on historical records such as plant lists and recipes from the mid-to-late 1900s, the garden’s design and maintenance are decidedly 21st-century. Sustainable techniques are used, such as organic pest control and natural fertilizers, ample compost and mulch, and plenty of hands-on labor. Companion planting is another simple, but effective method that increases the yield’s quality and quantity. The harvest is shared with local food banks and NRF staff, or used in our educational programs.
Learn more about companion planting and organic gardening.
Try your hand at recipes from Rough Point’s archives, featuring vegetables and herbs grown for Miss Duke.
