Admire the Landscape Artistry at this Charming Warwick Nook

A riot of blooms in the Browns’ backyard. Photography by Wolf Matthewson

Egrets, herons and butterflies are equally at home on Buckeye Brook in Warwick as are artists Lorraine and Cathal Brown. Situated on a tidal river, their small cottage and surrounding garden utopia are the perfect destination for the birds’ midday lunch or afternoon respite once the waters recede. And that’s just as the homeowners intended. 

A verdant stone walkway leads to the front of the home. Photography by Wolf Matthewson

friends gave the couple rose bushes as wedding gifts. Photography by Wolf Matthewson

The Browns’ lush garden was a blank slate in 2008 when they purchased the less-than-quarter-acre property and 600-square-foot cottage. But the couple, with varied knowledge of plants and gardening, was undaunted. They renovated the home, built a cheerful studio for Lorraine, and slowly tended the garden year after year. The result is a whimsical manifestation of nature inside and out, as well as a prime spot for fauna to forage. 

“We started in the back, in the shade garden. We brought plants from other places we lived or that friends gave us,” Lorraine says. “Now it has a mind of its own.”

Their “give it a go” strategy was simple: to rescue remnant bargain plants and fill their yard with interesting layers, textures and colors that bring them joy. They also didn’t fret too much if a hosta or azalea didn’t make it, because that’s nature, they say.

A grapevine-shaded pergola is the perfect place for tea. Cupcakes courtesy of Celebrated, Richmond, celebrated.co. Photography by Wolf Matthewson

At the front of the property, beds of vibrant hellebore, marigolds and peonies invite visitors to follow a stone path that meanders through a courtyard of ivy at the foot of a large dogwood tree. It connects to the studio on one side and a grapevine-covered pergola on the other. A shade garden there offers respite from the sun, while a hammock anchored on a huge willow tree invites relaxation. 

“You have to feel your way into nature and let whatever shows up in front of you be part of the story. Especially the broken, damaged plants that are so appreciative to be bought for $1,” Cathal says. “The Mikawa yatsubusa [dwarf Japanese maple] cost us $380 and I never thought I’d pay that much. It’s right beside a tree that cost $3 at Ocean State Job Lot that I stuck in the ground and now it’s a huge thing. And they’re beautiful together.”

Lorraine Brown’s studio. Photography by Wolf Matthewson

Friends also gave plant clippings, as well as rose bushes, as wedding gifts, so sections of the property bear names like Irinia, Jared and Cheri in remembrance. Strolling the paths through the lush landscape, the couple remembers friends and family among the Asiatic lilies, climbing clematis, yellow St. John’s wort and pops of bright blue irises. 

The Browns say the space is a culmination of these memories and peaceful moments of reflection. This serenity, in lieu of vibrancy, showmanship or expense, is a Buddhist influence, and is inspired by their practice. Adjacent to the river, a torii gate — a traditional Japanese gate located at the entrance to a Shinto shrine — is inscribed with “om mani padme hum,” a Sanskrit mantra of compassion. Inside is a sacred reliquary featuring a bead bracelet, prayer flags and charms blessed by the Dalai Lama.

A Japanese torii gate is inscribed with “om mani padme hum,” a Sanskrit mantra of compassion. Photography by Wolf Matthewson

“Buddhists say the way you live life, you should be like a honeybee. Come into the garden, pollinate the flower, then you leave and no one knows you were there. You just do some good but make no disturbance,” Cathal says. “And we want people to come and have that kind of experience.”

It seems only natural that the garden would inspire the couple’s artistry, too. Cathal is a sculptor, and there are tokens of his work tucked in a bed of climbing English roses and supporting a container of begonias. Meanwhile, Lorraine’s watercolor paintings of vibrant florals and rural landscapes, as well as an entire series of butterfly paintings, seem to be pulled straight from their environs. 

The backyard leads to Buckeye Brook. Photography by Wolf Matthewson

As beautiful and inclusive as the space may be, it’s not without its heartache and backache. The Browns have labored many hours throughout the years weeding, planting, replanting and strategizing. They recently bulldozed a shed that bamboo and raccoons had overtaken and plan to build a meditation hut in its place. They’ve lost count of the plants that have died for some reason or another.  

But in the end, they relish the space they’ve transformed from a forlorn postage stamp of a lot into a welcome respite to share with friends and family. And it’s just what the Browns needed to spread a little peace in their world, even to hungry birds.

A picturesque idyll in the yard. Photography by Wolf Matthewson

“It doesn’t matter where you sit, you know there’s something to paint or draw. I think my friends really enjoy that. They have a lot of choice, a lot of options on the river, all different heights of trees, and colors and shapes,” Lorraine says. “So sometimes it can even be a little confusing what to paint but after you sit in the garden, you figure it out. Something calls you.”