ROYAL GARDENS 



very varied foliage, and ornamented with splendid cedars and 

 other shade-giving trees, extends towards the park. As it 

 nears the sunk fence bounding the garden it is broken up 

 into several turfy glades with masses of woodland between. 

 Around groups of beautiful trees many flowering shrubs and 

 evergreens are growing, and between sombre foliage of trees 

 and smooth velvet of lawns, following in bold curves the 

 general shape of the woodlands, are wide mixed borders of 

 countless gay and brilliant flowers. It would be difficult to 

 speak in over-high terms of this method of gardening. The 

 flowers in the foreground supply a joyous contrast to the trees 

 and shrubs behind, and they, in their turn, provide a perfect 

 protection and background for the myriad colours of their 

 delicate sisters. And so great is the size of the garden that 

 from these flower-fringed glades many peeps of exquisite 

 distance, with here and there glimpses of Sandringham House 

 itself, complete a series of pictures whose elegance and charm 

 does not depend on the landscape beyond the boundaries, but 

 is none the less of unsurpassable interest and beauty. 



Near the north-east corner of the great garden, a very fine 

 group of Scotch firs standing on a slight eminence forms a 

 striking feature. And a most happy thought has led to the 

 planting of the ground beneath them with Erica carnea and 

 other heaths. Along the extreme garden boundary in this, 

 as in almost every other direction, there is a beautiful belt 

 of woodland. These have suggested opportunities for wild 

 gardening in many places, and no pains have been spared to 

 make the result answer to the promise. All through the 

 wilder outskirting glades innumerable bulbous plants have 

 been introduced, and at their flowering season the eff^ect must 

 be almost incredibly beautiful. 



The West Garden is separated from the eastern by a public 

 road. In the boundary wall of the former a small oaken 

 postern door opens to the highway ; across which, in a 

 curved shrub-bordered recess, a very handsome iron gate 

 admits to the latter. Here are the kitchen and fruit gardens, 

 and a truly magnificent range of glass-houses. Immediately 



