Febninry 20, 1873. ) 



JOURNAL OF HORTIODLTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



167 



Anne, one of the sacrificed wives of Henry VIII. Sir Thomas 

 usually resided, when in the country, at Eochford Hall in 

 Essex, but he also resided occasionally at Blickling, and here 

 Anne was born in 1507. It has been stated that here also she 

 was married to Henry VIII. in 1533. It is certain that the 

 marriage was private, but we know of no contemporary autho- 

 rity which states that the ceremony took place at BUckling. 



From the Boleyns it passed by marriage to the family of 

 the Cleres. One of them, Sir Edward Clere, to relieve him- 

 self from debts resulting from his extravagance, sold it about 

 the year 1600 to Sir Henry Hobart, then Attorney-General, 

 and afterwards Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. His son 

 built the house now remaining. It was finished in 11J28. More 

 than a century later it was described, and the description is 

 still nearly correct, as being of " two courts, with a fine library. 



elegant wilderness, good lake, gardens, and park." In 1716 

 the Hobart then its possessor was created Earl of Buckingham- 

 shire. His second daughter married to the eldest son of Lord 

 Suffield, and who succeeded to that title. The offices in front 

 corresponding to the rest of the mansion, together with the 

 west front, were rebuOt in 1769 by theEarl of Buckinghamshire. 



Blickling Hall was Lady Suffield's dower house. The pre- 

 sent Marquis of Lothian was her nephew, and therefore suc- 

 ceeded her, as she had no children. Lord Suffield having it 

 only in right of his wife. 



The park and gardens include about one thousand acres. 

 The park is divided and adorned by woods and plantations 

 of noble forest trees. The lake, nearly a mile in length, is 

 crescent-shaped, and 400 yards across in its widest part, and 

 its banks are beautifully wooded. The garden is a mile in 



Kl.ICKLINtj HAT.T. . 



circumference. The gardens at the present time, especially 

 the flower garden, are undergoing extensive alterations. The 

 new wall and terrace steps just erected, enclosing two acres for 

 flower garden, were designed by Sh- Digby Wyatt. The plans 

 for groundwork were furnished by Mr. Nesfield, and executed 

 by that well-known contractor Mr. Meston. The present de- 

 sign of the flower garden is entirely Lady Lothian's, and car- 

 ried-out by the present gardener, Mr. S. Lyon. 



Our view of the house and garden in front— we wish we 

 might include the old carved oaken staircase inside— is from a 



photogi-aph taken by Mr. Finch, Photographer, Aylsham. This 

 front garden is bounded, as shown in our engraving, by those 

 massive Yew hedges so common two centuries since, but now 

 so rarely remaining. These Yew hedges measure 110 feet in 

 length, are 17 feet in height, and 10 feet in breadth. They 

 are known to be two hundred yeai's old. The kitchen garden 

 is four acres in extent, and since Mr. Lyon's appointment to 

 the gardens in 1870 have been thoroughly remodelled. One 

 great feature is a fine old Oak standing in the orchard ; stem 

 50 feet high. 



WORK FOB THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAKDEN. 



As soon as the "weather is favourable give the Artichokes their 

 spring dressing : Basil and Marjoram should now be sown in 

 pans or pots, which may be placed in a forcing house. Earth-up 

 the early-sown crops of Broad Scans ; if any were sovm iu boxes, 

 place them where they can have abundance of air nijrht and day 

 to harden them off for planting. The autumn plantation of 

 Cabbages should now be fiUed-up, and fresh ones may also be 

 made. Sow more seed to produce plants for summer and au- 

 tumn use, also seed of the Red for pickling. If Cauliflower 

 seed was sown early on a hotbed with Carrots or Radishes, the 

 plants should now be prioked-out on a slight hotbed, or in a 

 cold frame where they can be protected in severe weather. The 

 present sunless and cold weather is highly unfavourable to the 

 health of the Cucumier plants, as it will not allow of an ad- 



mission of fresh air daily without fear of their receiving injury. 

 After linings have been renewed, keep a constant watch on the 

 state of the bed. Lettuce. — Fill-up any vacancies in the au- 

 tumn plantation. Sow some seed of the Green Cos on a warm 

 border. Musli/room beds out of doors must be protected from 

 wet, damp Htter should be removed and its place supplied with 

 dry. Autumn-sown Onions may be planted-out iu favourable 

 situations. The general spring sowimr may be made at the end 

 of the month in light and dry soils. Harden-off the Peas sown 

 in pots and boxes previous to planting them out, place them in 

 a cold frame, and let the hghts remain off night and day in 

 mild weather. Earth-up the early crops when the soil is some- 

 what dry. Make another sowing of liaclislirs to succeed Ihose 

 sown at the beginning of the month. Bhubarb may be for- 

 warded in the open groond by placing a hand-glass or Sea- 



