On the shore of Narragansett Bay are two unexpected and delightful gardens. Aside from the growth of trees, little has changed in the Rock Garden over the years. Today, Blithewold’s staff and garden volunteers maintain the garden, as Bessie Van Wickle McKee would have, with simple plantings and sweeps of color. Our constant challenge is to grow plants that tolerate this seaside proximity, and the current mix has withstood the test of time. We have found the greatest success with sea pink (Armeria maritima), astilbe, corydalis (C. lutea), daylily, hosta, geraniums, and dwarf veronicas.

Bessie McKee designed the Rock Garden in the late 1920s. Rocks for the garden were brought up from the shoreline by oxen, and artfully placed on and around a small existing rise, and along paths. Bessie referred to the highest point of the garden as her “Little Mt. Hope” after Mt. Hope in Bristol, and the stone bench there she named “King Phillip’s Seat” after the chief of the Wampanoag. This bench became her favorite
refuge for reflection.

The Water Garden was built around 1909 in close collaboration between Landscape Architect John De Wolf and Bessie Van Wickle McKee. De Wolf chose this setting because it is the lowest area of property and as such, the pond remains full except under severe droughts. At its onset, the pond was stocked with tropical fish until the family realized that local seabirds were enjoying fresh fish dinners every evening!

You will find plenty of seating in the Water Garden to enjoy this quiet space, planted with ferns, perennials, Japanese maples, cherries, and a weeping willow.