Green Animals Topiary Garden — a botanical garden in Newport County, Rhode Island — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Melville, about 1.6 km (1.0 mi) away (Green Animals Topiary Garden lies NNE of town).
The Green Animals Topiary Garden, located in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, is the oldest and most northern topiary garden in the United States. The 7-acre (28,000 m2) estate overlooks the Narragansett Bay. It contains a large collection of topiaries including eighty sculptured trees. Favorites include teddy bears, a camel, a giraffe, an ostrich, an elephant and two bears made from sculptured California privet, yew, and English boxwood. There are also pineapples, a unicorn, a reindeer, a dog and spot a horse with his rider. There are over 35 formal flowerbeds, geometric pathways, rose arbor, grape arbor, fruit trees, and vegetable and herb gardens. A greenhouse is used extensively to provide seedlings used on the estate. The 1859 Victorian Brayton house museum contains a small display of vintage kids toy and the original family furnishings. Ribbons for prize-winning dahlias and...From the Wikipedia article “Green Animals Topiary Garden”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Green Animals Topiary Garden the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:49 AM | 90° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 57° ENE | 8:23 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:33 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 121° ESE | 4:19 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:13 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:37 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:53 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:56 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 5:25 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:33 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:16 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:48 PM | 9h 11m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Green Animals Topiary Garden, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:14 AM – 5:14 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:15 AM – 4:15 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:13 AM – 3:23 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:31 PM – 3:01 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 1:31 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 11:32 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 9:31 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:38 PM – 7:38 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (69%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 58 | 54 | 67 | 82 | 82 | 90 | 96 | 92 | 89 | 81 | 72 | 65 |
| Low °F | 0 | -3 | 9 | 24 | 36 | 44 | 54 | 55 | 47 | 31 | 17 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this botanical garden
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Green Animals Topiary Garden, closest first.
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Botanical Garden
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State Park
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LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Green Animals Topiary Garden?
What time is golden hour at Green Animals Topiary Garden?
Where does the sun rise and set at Green Animals Topiary Garden?
Can you see the Milky Way from Green Animals Topiary Garden?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Green Animals Topiary Garden?
How far is Green Animals Topiary Garden from Melville?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.