Fleming collaborated closely
with architect JP Couture on
many of the garden’s follies.
In addition to Couture,
Bellevue’s gardens feature the
work of approximately
thirty-five artists and artisans.
Here, the draped branches of
this majestic cutleaf beech
create one of many magical
spaces at Bellevue; below,
daisies grow along a brick
wall with Bellevue House in
the background.
Magical Spaces
Tucked below the library that holds Fleming’s
vast collection of gardening books is a
nymphaeum — a shrine to the creatures (some
real, some mythical) whose beauty has
inspired him over the years. However, there is
an undeniable air of magic throughout the
garden spaces at Bellevue, which may lead
visitors to question if perhaps the nymphs are
wont to move freely beyond their dedicated
grotto. There is a white Secret Garden inspired
by author Sarah Orne Jewett and a majestic
cutleaf beech, the draped branches of which
create a hidden natural room; at one time his
daughters had reading chairs beneath it. “That
tree was dying and we cut off the top and it
started growing again,” Fleming explains of
the beech. “There were six feet of brambles
there. We cut all the brambles and moss
started to grow. It’s very fragile. It’s one of my
favorite places.” The scenery at Bellevue
makes it a charming stage for dance companies,
several of which have performed under
that tree’s canopy. “The dancers twirl
themselves out of that tree,” he says.
Fleming is aware of the gem he has crafted
over the past twenty years, and he also truly
wants to share it with the public. In light of
that, Fleming is working to bequeath a portion
of Bellevue’s gardens to the public. “I want to
save the garden and let the public use it and
have their own magic in it.” �
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l JULY 2020 79