Historic Gardens of Coole Park on the grounds of Brittany Cottages and Guest Rooms.

Formal Gardens of Coole Park

Elizabeth Hull, daughter of Gregory and Cora Hull, the original owners of Coole Park, designed and built this garden sometime around 1920. A little discussion of the history of this type of garden will help to understand the motivation and design elements which you will see during your visit.

Gertrude Jeykll, a famous English gardener of the 19th century, was virtually and solely responsible for the return, toward the end of the 1800's, of the "cottage" garden, featuring the use of perennials in a "painterly" style. In 1875, she collaborated with William Robinson and wrote for his gardening magazines. She soon became a horticultural celebrity and began her own designing, as well as writing books about gardens and gardening. It was her partnership with English architect Edwin Lutyens, however, that was the most influential and lasting.

The gardening style they set in the 1890's was known as the Surrey School. In essence, this was an harmonious arrangement of informal gardens within formal structures. It was Jeykll's task, with the appropriate plantings, to soften the sharp lines of Lutyens' stone terraces, walls, and pergolas.

Clearly, Elizabeth Hull was greatly influenced by the Surrey School of garden design when she developed the Coole Park garden early in the 20th century. Working with the existing stone walls and paths, terraces, pools, tea house, and pergolas and the now-naturalized beds of lilies, foxglove, and ferns - all here from her original garden - we have begun to make our own garden.

The tea house and pergolas were built using historic photographs and a few pieces of the original pergola, and were erected in 1990 to our great delight. The pool and center fountain were restored and put back into use the last week of July, 1991. What a job! The entire garden was under about half a foot of prairie sod when we purchased the property in 1982 and the pool was filled with sand and had been in use as a children's sand box. You really can't imagine how exciting it is to see this garden finally returning to its' former life. Of course, it takes many years to make a garden. New plans will include decorative lighting, music, and a stream along the south side of the garden.

As with all gardens, there will be more plants, plants moved and changed, and all the ongoing work of gardening. We hope you will enjoy being in this garden and will keep checking back with us. It will get better and better each year.

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For additional information, please contact us:
Coole Park
Beth and Alan Fischlowitz, Proprietors
Old Fort Road – P.O. Box 458 – LaPointe, Wisconsin 54850
Phone: (715) 747-5023 – Fax: (715) 747-6263 – E-Mail:coolepark@cheqnet.net

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