The Castle
The garden west of the Vogt's cabin is dominated by a miniature castle built on top of a little mountain surrounded by a tiny moat. Tiny bridges similar to those in the rock garden span the moat, but they are too small for human visitors to cross. A tiny stone staircase climbs the hill past small-sized greenery. Behind the out-of-scale juniper trees, a miniature water wheel is fed by a stream flowing down into the moat. Behind the castle to the left in the photo is another miniature of a lighthouse with a gold gazing ball on top.
Miniature castles, lighthouses and other doll-sized architectural garden ornaments made from cement and pebbles can be found at other rock garden art environments such as Hartman's Rock Garden. Plans for simple outdoor miniatures appeared in craft magazines, but this castle is likely designed from Hugo Vogt's imagination. Miniature garden buildings sometimes called "fairy houses" evoke a feeling of delicate mystery in well-tended areas of the garden. Miniatures encourage visitors to look closely and imagine a small world which is visible directly but not accessible physically. The moat around the castle here reinforces the idea of a magical tiny realm which is isolated from the rest of the garden.
The castle and moat are ringed by a circular path and numerous pieces of concrete garden furniture such as benches and planters. The stout junipers planted along the path make for a bit of a crowded area. Two concrete tables near the castle with built- in stools provided a place for visitors to sit under a patio umbrella on summer days. In the postcard below, Arnold Vogt relaxes at one of the tables. The surface of the tables featured a geometric design of triangular marble slabs filled in with round cobble stones. The table is supported at the base by rectangular brackets similar to those at the base of the Guest Register. A wooden arbor at the edge of the lawn was likely a gate to a working garden where the Vogts grew vegetables and was likely closed off from visitors. Strings visible on the side of the arbor supported beans or other climbing vegetables.
The concrete tables still stand in 2017, though a bit worse for wear. The interior of the broken stool reveals that Hugo Vogt did not build the support around a wood or metal skeleton. Most likely the tops of the stools and table were cast in a round container flat on the ground and then lifted on top of supports.
The castle still stands as well and is well cared for by the current owners. Two of the juniper trees on either side of the path which can be seen in the postcard view above are now about 40 feet tall!
The lawn appears more open nowadays without the crowded branches of the young junipers. The nursery garden which seen in the postcard photo above is now just open grass. In the distance behind the castle is the Pool of the Nymphs.
