All good things have to come to an end, and so does our visit to Chanticleer, the glorious gardens of the former Adolph Rosengarten Sr. estate (his firm eventually became part of Merck Pharmaceuticals). In previous posts we entered the grounds, began touring, and came across a great sweep of lawn to a field of poppies bordered by pines.
To complete our visit we stroll into the Woodland Gardens, where shy bluebells hide:
Further along are Asian Gardens, lavish with wildflowers and native Asian plants. Several of the plantings are complete with streams, the “blood” of Japanese garden symbolism:
In one of these inviting watery places sprawled a visitor all at ease. A vintage Northampton postcard to the first viewer who can identify this visitor for us:
By all accounts Adolph Rosengarten Sr. had a lively sense of humor. He named his showplace Chanticleer after an estate in Thackeray’s novel The Newcomes, which was “mortgaged up to the very castle windows” but “still the show of the county.” He, or his son, or someone close to the family, decided that this showplace, like any proper 18th century property, would only be complete with a hermit and a ruin. And so, in 18th century style, one was provided. The Ruin was built that way, to look like a ruin, on the site of the home Adolph Sr. had built for Adolph Jr. It is a regular hermit’s hideaway, and we were lucky enough to glimpse the shy hermit himself:
There are many kinds of humor, some of which are black rather than sunny. In a corner of The Ruin is a dark stone trough filled with running water, and in the water are strange big stones. It wasn’t apparent what they were at first sight, so we wandered over to take a closer look:
Wow! Some escapes are more drastic than others. A rather permanent way of getting away from it all, I’d say. Other escapes, like the Playhouse, are simply whimsical, however odd:
How would you like to be a child, and grow up in this enchanted landscape as your own?
I’ll say – ah – it’s a snake? Am I right!?!? 🙂
I enjoyed all the photos, but that last one is fabulous!
A snake! Wow!
Nice try, Gemma, but no postcard winner — 😉
Snaketrivia! I love a good ID challenge. I’m going to guess either a Northern Brown Snake or an Eastern Hognose.
I knew I could count on The Naturalist! Gonna research both — Google Images, here I come — and see what I see.
I stayed discreetly far above and am proud to say there’s no evidence of camera shake in the photo. 😉
Research (such as it is) complete.
I think you are the winner with the Eastern Hognose snake. Triangular head, right length (20 – 33″). If you email me an actual address, a vintage postcard will be winging its way to you shortly.
Meanwhile, it looks like the Hermit enjoyed himself this day as well! What whimsical nooks and crannies in this garden. THANK YOU for sharing with us!
Most of the Hermit enjoyed very much.
His feet — another story!
We used to have bluebells at our house when I was growing up. I had not thought of those for years. Thank you for bringing back warm memories to me!
Bluebells must be widely grown (although not in New England). My mother, who grew up in Texas, used to tell us wistfully about the bluebells there.
The Japanese garden is gorgeous – but I will admit those faces in the water freaked me out a bit.
In person they were pretty darn freaky, I can tell you!