Entrancing...
The entryways to the URI Horticulture Gardens extend welcome and promise tranquility to passersby. Each whispers "come in... revive... replenish your spirit..." in its own way.
The southwest entrance to the Cooperative Extension Education Center is dedicated to Cheryl Tefft, keeper of the gardens from 1993 to 2004.
The entrance nearest the Fine Arts building is a memorial to Jennifer Ryan, class of '92, who died in February 2000. The $30,000 structure was donated by her family, friends and fellow URI landscape architecture alumni. It was designed by Landscape Architect Angelo Simeoni. Jen's classmate, John Manchester, donated time and materials to build the stone columns. The site was selected because Jen really enjoyed the special qualities of the Dawn Redwood -- the large coniferous tree adjacent to the structure. After the circular steel rings were set, it is said that several of the tree's branches lowered themselves down into the center of the ring, bringing both the Dawn Redwood and the memorial together as one piece.
This blue trellis invites you into a quiet circle, with a waiting wooden bench, the perfect spot for a quiet conversation or a moment of reflection.
Largely hidden from Upper College Road, the center of the garden holds the annual graduation ceremonies for the College, as students pass across this stage on their way to greater glory. It is also a popular spot for weddings!
The Gazebo, dedicated to Robert Novo, former chief of operations for the RI Agricultural Experiment Station, invites you into another quiet corner for a luncheon with friends, a fleeting moment away from the buzz of campus life.
The simplest entrance, a path through the trees, serves to invite into a protected inner sanctum. Here, the approach is from the walkway past the greenhouses. The curious visitor will find a beautiful oasis of decorative grasses marking entry into the gardens.
Tefft
Fine Arts
Blue Nook
Backstage...
Gazebo
Off the path
