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The Paine Estate |
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Welcome to the Paine History of the Paine Mansion Introduction Tour the Mansion Gardens Introduction Tour the Gardens |
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| GARDENS INTRODUCTION |
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| In the mid-1920s, Nathan and Jessie Kimberly Paine began planning their new home, which was to be much more than a house, but an elaborate setting in the style of an English country estate. Once the family’s cow pasture, this property was vacant and had several majestic oak trees that Nathan admired. He envisioned a house that appeared to be carved out of the woods, and as the plans for the house developed, he oversaw the planting of five hundred trees, mostly evergreens, that triple-ringed the property and created a secluded glade. When the estate opened to the public in 1948, it was called the Paine Art Center and Arboretum, with “arboretum” referring to the predominance of trees as well as shrubs and vines. However, over time, the original landscape design waned as aging, diseased, and damaged trees needed to be removed. The grounds evolved into a series of display gardens in various historical and contemporary styles incorpo-rating thousands of plant specimens. Although the current landscape design differs from the Paines’ original vision, the pride in their English heritage is reflected in various plant materials and garden designs. Now called the Paine Art Center and Gardens, the estate features numerous garden areas for enjoyment and education. In concert with the architecture, the garden designs create outdoor “rooms” showcasing a wide variety of plants. Like the mansion’s rooms and galleries, the gardens demonstrate careful design decisions about style, view, color, line, shape, and texture. The gardens showcase perennials that are especially hardy in Wisconsin’s climate as well as trees, shrubs and wildflowers native to the state. Displays of annuals and bulbs change each year and present new varieties and unusual combinations to inspire every level of garden enthusiast. Continue to Tour the Gardens Return to the Paine Estate Welcome Page |
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