Rough Point and Doris Duke's Flower Gardens

In my four years in Newport, I have only visited the Breakers, Rosecliffe, and, as of today, Rough Point.

Doris Duke, the last owner of Rough Point, played a major role in restoring Newport to being a beautiful, living historical destination. Duke, who was a tobacco heiress who inherited a fortune from her father, bought over eighty  properties in Newport and restored them to their former glory. A traveler, an athlete, an avid learner and a compassionate person who believed in noblesse oblige, the idea that the wealthy have an obligation to give back, Duke left an estimated $1.2 billion fortune to the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation when she passed away in 1993. Rough Point, Duke's summer residence, is now part of the Newport Restoration Foundation, another organization founded by Doris Duke. 

I strongly recommend seeing Rough Point--the tour guide had not only given a full overview about the mansion, but also provided a full picture of who Doris Duke was. 

**To learn about Rough Point's current exhibit, "No Rules: The Personal Style of Doris Duke," read a Q&A with the exhibit's curator with About.com and the Providence Journal's article on the exhibit.

Photography is not permitted inside Rough Point, but I was able to get gorgeous shots of the grounds, including the flower gardens.

Doris Duke loved her camels. When Hurricane Bob hit, Doris kept the camels in the solarium to keep them protected from the elements. 

This small green passage reminded me of Binsey in Oxford

The view of the Cliff Walk and the ocean from the backyard 

Building a Backyard Eden

Last month, I started to a potted garden on the back porch. I bought several organic seed packets--lettuce, arugula, sweet potatoes, sunflowers, bell peppers, cucumbers and watermelon. To start, I planted the lettuce, arugula, sweet potatoes and sunflowers. The birds ate the sunflower seeds from the pot, but everything else has sprouted and continues to grow.

The one thing about planting a vegetable garden, though, is that it doesn't have the same elegant charm of a flower garden--the romance found in flower gardens surpasses the utility of vegetable gardens. 

So, I bought a peony plant. 

After cutting the first flower, I'm considering buying another peony plant...