June 26, 1897. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
t!88 
sbine. Vines are also in full growth and bloom. 
Bee, bird, and butterfly are in full activity, and flit 
about in their various pursuits. The gardens of 
Athens are practically at their best in April, and 
richly fragrant, especially during the morning and 
evening or cooler parts of the day. 
Other seasons, or rather months, in the early part 
of the year, especially, have their special flowers, 
whether of herb or tree. Anemones, Asphodels, 
and other subjects grace the month of March. 
Daffodils form the glory of February. Lemon trees 
flower while yet the new year is but a few days old. 
Opuntias and other Cacti, Mesembryanthemums and 
others of that type are also characteristic features of 
the warm south-eastern corner of Europe. The 
Mesembryanthemums form in many gardens broad 
green patches, characteristic of vegetation in dry 
climates. Hedges of Rosemary flower all the winter 
and are very fragrant. 
Common trees in the gardens at Athens are the 
Mastic-tree, Lemons, Pines, Strawberry-trees, and 
various others. A large number of these trees are of 
a resin-bearing character, and have been favourites 
Mr. Geo. Nobbs. 
for centuries on the south coast of Europe. Pepper- 
trees resemble weeping Willows, and produce a 
wealth of long, trailing, leafy branches. 
-«*•- 
ROYAL GARDENERS. 
The present we consider a fitting time to say some¬ 
thing of the Queen’s gardeners, particularly those 
who seldom have the opportunity of coming before 
the horticultural public owing to their respective 
charges being situated in the more retired parts of 
the United Kingdom, and distant from horticultural 
centres. 
Mr. Geo. Nobbs. 
As will be seen from the accompanying photograph, 
Mr Geo. Nobbs is relatively a young man. He nas 
charge of the Royal Gardens at Osborne in the Isle 
of Wight, where his Royal Mistress enjoys the 
seclusion which it affords and a mild climate where 
the Myrtle and the Orange blossom against the walls 
of the terraces, sheltered from the wind, which 
often blows hard even in this otherwise highly 
favoured isle. 
Mr. Nobbs commenced his gardening career as a 
lad in the gardens of William Angerstein, Esqr., 
Weeting Hall, Brandon, Norfolk, under Mr. J. 
Kendall, who was a thoroughly good gardener, 
especially with plants. Mr, Nobbs can look back 
with pleasure to the days of those enormous plants 
of Adiantum farleyense, grand specimens of Eucharis 
grandiflora &c. He commenced in 1878, serving in 
the various departments for about five years. From 
thence he went to the gardens of Mrs. Lyne Stephens, 
Lyndford Hall, Mundford, Norfolk, where he was 
under Mr. Lee. Here was the place to learn the 
culture of fruit and flowers. Grand Muscat of 
Alexandria Grapes used to be exhibited at various 
places during the time at least when Mr. Nobbs 
served in the gardens. The pleasure grounds were 
also a picture. Since then, however, sad to say, both 
the gentleman and the lady owners of the above re¬ 
spective places have passed away. 
Mr. John M. Troup. 
Leaving Lyndford Hall, Mr. Nobbs went to the 
nurseries of Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, 
from whence he was sent to the gardens of the late 
Lord Ashburton, The Grange, Alresford, Hampshire, 
where he was under Mr. D. Allan. His next situa¬ 
tion was The Grove, Watford, Herts, where he was 
under Mr. Myers, gardener to the Earl of Clarendon. 
Mr. Myers was a thoroughly practical man in horti¬ 
culture. From thence he was appointed on the staff 
of Hamar Bass, Esqr., Byrkley Lodge, Burton-on- 
Trent, Staffs., under the present gardener, Mr. James 
Hamilton, we believe. From this fine place he went 
to the nurseries of Messrs J. Veitch & Sons, to await 
a situation as head gardener. Meantime he served 
as house decorator to Alfred Rothschild, Esqr., for 
two years under the supervision of Messrs. J. Veitch 
& Sons, by whom he was sent to fill his present posi¬ 
tion on the 2nd October 1894. Mr. Nobbs has, 
therefore, employed his time well in every branch of 
horticulture, fitting him for the responsible post he 
has been called upon to fill; and we hope he will 
long remain a gardener of his Royal Mistress. 
Mr. John M. Troup. 
Balmoral Castle is the highland home of Her 
Majesty the Queen, where she delights to spend 
several months in the year both in spring and again 
in the autumn from August till October, From here 
comes to us many incidents of the Queen's informal 
and neighbourly visits of kindness even to the poorest 
of her trusted and faithful servants. 
At this beautifully situated and secluded retreat in 
the highlands of Aberdeenshire, Mr. John M. Troup 
(see portrait) was appointed gardener to Her Majesty 
the Queen on the 1st March, 1892. He succeeded 
the late Mr. William Patterson, who at that time 
retired through failing health and old age, and whose 
death we recorded last year. The Queen’s motherly 
kindness and solicitous enquiries when her old 
gardener was lying ill, will ever be remembered. 
Previous to his appointment to the gardens of 
Balmoral Castle, Mr. Troup had charge of the indoor 
department in the nurseries of Messrs. Ben Reid & 
Co , Aberdeen, so that he had experience of plant 
culture under the trying conditions and rigours of a 
northern climate. He served Messrs. Reid & Co. 
for a period of fifteen years. The temperature at 
Balmoral often falls very low indeed during the 
winter months—much lower than at Aberdeen as a 
rule. The Castle is surrounded by mountains at no 
great distance off, so that plants which can be grown 
in the open air at Osborne would require the shelter 
of a greenhouse at Balmoral. 
Mr. John R. Stirling. 
This gardener of Her Majesty the Queen has served 
at Buckingham Palace for close upon fourteen years. 
He served his apprenticeship in the gardens of Lord 
Leconfield, Petworth House, Petwortb, Sussex. He 
then went to Rose Bank House, Cosham, Earl 
Poulett’s residence in Hampshire. From thence he 
moved to Leigh Park, Havant, near Portsmouth, the 
residence of General Sir F. Fitzwilliam. He next 
got a situation in the garden of Earl Stamford, 
Enville Hall, Stourbridge, Staffs, popularly known 
as the black country. 
From here he was appointed head gardener to H. 
H. Vivian, Esq., Park Werne, Swansea, Glamorgan, 
with whom he remained for eight years. H. H. 
Vivian, Esq., was made a Baronet when the Prince 
of Wales opened the new docks ; and later on was 
made a Baron, with the title of Lord Swansea. 
He has since died. 
For two years previous to his appointment to 
Buckingham Palace, Mr. Stirling had charge of the 
famous big Vine at Hampton Court, which annually 
bears 1,200 to 1,500 bunches of Grapes, and which 
Mr. John R. Stirling. 
thousands of people visit during the course of the 
year. He has seen a considerable amount of service 
in the cause of horticulture, and must now see a 
considerable amount of life at Buckingham Palace, 
where much decoration has to be done, while the 
Queen holds her Drawing Room Receptions, and 
gives garden parties there 
PLANTS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED. 
The awards mentioned hereunder were made by the 
Royal Horticultural Society on the 15th inst. 
Orchid Committee. 
Vanda Agnes Joachim, Nov. hyb . — This hybrid was 
obtained from V. teres crossed with V. hookeriana, 
the progeny being intermediate. The dorsal sepal 
and larger petals are suborbicular and soft purple ; 
the lateral sepals on the other hand are white,faintly 
tinted with lilac. The terminal lobe of the lip is 
very large, fan-shaped, bifid, with overlapping seg¬ 
ments, each of which is bifid. It is rich purple, 
except the base, which is yellow and spotted. The 
base of the lateral sepals is yellow, faintly spotted 
with purple. A plant about 6 ft. high was exhibited 
by Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart, (grower, Mr. W. H. 
White), Burford Lodge, Dorking. The flowers are 
really very handsome without being gaudy. First- 
class Certificate. 
Laeliocattleya Our Queen, Nov. hyb. bigcn.— 
The sepals and ovate petals of this handsome 
bigeneric hybrid are pure white. The lip has a 
white tube, the interior of which is bright yellow, 
finely lined with purple along the centre. The 
lamina is rich crimson-purple, with a wavy and 
