564 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  24,  1897. 
Majesty  first  became  possessed  of  it  and  what  has  been  done  to  improve 
it  since  that  time.  The  estate  was  purchased  so  far  back  as  1845,  and 
the  improvements  were  at  once  commenced.  The  chief  of  these  was  the 
rebuilding  of  the  mansion,  which  is  now  a  very  handsome  structure.  An 
excellent  idea  of  the  style  of  architecture  is  afforded  by  the  photographic 
illustration  (fig.  126,  page  576),  which  shows  the  sea  front.  “  Imposing 
and  substantial,”  is  the  verdict  of  most  of  those  who  look  on  it.  Within, 
the  style  is  one  that  tends  greatly  towards  comfort,  for  here,  as  at 
Balmoral,  the  Queen  seeks  repose,  and  it  is  doubtless  to  these  two 
resting-places  that  must  be  ascribed  the  remarkably  vigorous  retention 
of  the  faculties  for  which  her  Majesty  is  renowned.  To  us  it  seems  no 
better  place  of  repose  could  be  found  than  Osborne  House,  with  its 
delightful  situation  and  magnificent  surroundings. 
Beautiful  indeed  are  the  grounds,  with  their  miles  of  sea-board. 
The  character  of  the  land  is  very  undulating,  and  it  is  surprising  to  see 
how  almost  all  kinds  of  trees  and  shrubs  luxuriate.  Thousands  have 
been  planted,  and  probably  hundreds  of  them  have  a  history  of  intense 
interest.  As  progress  is  made  through  the  estate,  trees,  mainly 
coniferous,  are  constantly  being  seen,  whose  labels  tell  by  whom  they 
have  been  planted,  and  when.  Almost,  if  not  quite,  all  the  members  of 
our  Royal  Family  have  added  to  this  arboricultural  collection,  while 
scions  of  other  Royal  houses  have  also  done  their  share.  The  lover  of 
trees  would  find  much  to  interest  him  in  the  specimens  at  Osborne,  for 
well  as  the  majority  have  grown,  some  few  have  barely  survived,  while 
others  have  succumbed.  We  could  not  attempt  here  to  give  particulars 
of  the  many  trees — space  could  not  possibly  be  found  ;  but  it  may  be 
said  that  the  Thuias,  Retinosporas,  Piceas,  Librocedrus,  and  Abies 
amongst  the  Conifers,  with  the  Austrian  Pines  and  Cornish  Elms, 
which  form  the  magnificent  avenue  leading  from  the  East  Cowes 
entrance  (fig.  125,  page  575)  to  the  mansion,  are  very  conspicuous. 
Myrtles,  too,  as  is  well  known,  are  numerous  and  fine,  and  to  each  there 
is  attached  some  history,  as  also  is  there  to  some  of  the  Cedars  of 
Lebanon.  Besides  those  already  mentioned,  Rhododendrons,  Paulownias, 
Catalpas,  Arbutus,  Hollies,  and  Eucalyptus  globulus  are  abundant,  not 
to  mention  the  smaller  flowering  and  foliage  shrubs  that  are  met  with 
on  every  hand.  With  such  surroundings  as  these,  such  family  ties,  can 
one  wonder  at  the  Queen’s  attachment  to  Osborne  House  1 
Let  us  return  for  a  moment  to  the  illustration  of  the  house  to  call 
attention  to  the  terrace  therein  depicted,  and  shown  also  in  fig.  127,  p.  577. 
From  a  central  position  on  this  a  magnificent  view  is  commanded  of  the 
park,  with  occasional  glimpses  through  vistas  in  the  trees  to  the  Solent, 
and  beyond,  when  the  atmosphere  is  clear,  to  the  Hampshire  coast,  with 
Portsmouth  on  the  right,  and  Southampton  on  the  left,  but  neither 
actually  within  the  range  of  vision.  On  the  terrace  bedding  is  largely 
carried  out,  but  nothing  in  the  slightest  degree  out  of  the  common  is 
attempted.  It  is  her  Majesty’s  desire  that  no  radical  change  shall  be 
made,  so  that  each  year  sees  the  Zonal  Pelargoniums,  the  Lobelias,  the 
Calceolarias,  and  others  with  seasonable  regularity.  To  all  intents  and 
purposes  this  is  the  only  flower  garden  on  the  place,  though  each  of  the 
several  entrance  lodges  have  flowers  of  a  similar  character  planted  about 
them  by  Mr.  George  Nobbs,  the  gardener. 
Now  we  pass  down  from  the  terrace  by  the  broad  stone  steps  and 
along  '*  the  walk  to  the  sea.”  It  is  a  delightful  road  to  travel  by,  for 
interesting  trees  are  constantly  seen,  as  well  as  charming  views  through 
the  woods,  in  which  wild  flowers  are  at  home.  It  is  a  considerable 
distance  ere  the  shore  is  actually  reached,  but  it  is  grand  when  once 
there.  The  rising  ground  on  the  mainland,  about  seven  miles  distant, 
acted  as  an  admirable  foil  to  the  ship  making  its  way  to  Southampton. 
How  different  this  water  was  on  the  night  of  June  22nd  from  its 
appearance  on  a  day  in  May  will  readily  be  imagined. 
Passing  along  a  paved  promenade,  against  the  walls  of  which  the 
water  was  continuously  lapping,  we  quickly  arrive  at  one  of  the 
extremities  of  the  estate,  and  through  narrow  paths  and  broad  drives 
between  the  trees  reach  another  point  from  that  at  which  we  entered. 
On  our  way  across  the  grass  by  the  cattle  lazily  browsing  we  note  a 
handsome  pavilion  that  was  presented  to  her  Majesty  by  Messrs.  Sutton 
and  Sons  only  a  short  time  ago.  The  style  in  which  it  has  been  erected 
makes  it  quite  an  ornament  to  the  landscape,  the  design  being  light  and 
graceful  with  combined  evidence  of  strength.  Still  pressing  onward  to 
our  goal — the  garden — we  eventually  found  ourselves  amid  signs  of 
activity  in  preparations  for  the  bedding. 
If  the  beddipg  arrangements  to  which  Mr.  Nobbs  has  to  give  his 
attention  were  confined  to  the  terrace  garden  they  would  not  be  very 
arduous.  Such,  however,  is  by  no  means  the  case,  for  the  flower 
gardens  of  Kent  House,  Victoria  Cottage,  which  is  in  the  occupation  of 
Mr.  George  Woodford,  by  whom  the  three  photographs  were  taken, 
Albert  [Cottage, 
Osborne  Cottage, 
Swiss  Cottage,  May 
Cottage,  Arthur 
Cottage, the  Queen’s 
Almshouses,  and 
the  eight  entrance 
lodges,  each  have 
to  have  the  most 
careful  attention, 
so  that  the  bedding 
becomes  an  item 
that  must  be  reck¬ 
oned.  For  the  pur¬ 
pose  under  notice, 
then,  60,000  plants 
are  required  yearly, 
and  those  that  were 
about  to  be  planted 
showed  abundant 
evidence  of  excel¬ 
lent  culture.  For¬ 
tunately  the  num¬ 
ber  of  frames  for 
their  reception  is 
large,  or  the  diffi¬ 
culty  of  raising  and 
maintaining  in 
good  health  such  a 
quantity  would  be 
well  -  nigh  impos¬ 
sible.  They  looked 
sturdy,  strong  and 
clean,  stock  of  that 
nature  which  everyone  expects  much  from  before  the  season  is  over. 
Neither  does  the  work  finish  with  the  planting,  for  at  each  centre 
everything  must  be  scrupulously  neat  and  clean,  so  that  it  is  no  exagge¬ 
ration  to  say  the  bedding  as  a  whole  entails  much  thought  and  labour 
to  cope  with  it  satisfactorily. 
The  gardens — and  by  this  we  mean  the  vegetable,  fruit,  and  glass 
departments — are  very  limited  in  extent,  though  improvements  are  now 
being  gradually  made  therein.  The  vegetables  and  hardy  fruits  are  culti¬ 
vated  in  one  small  enclosed  garden ;  but  limited  as  it  is,  really  good  work 
is  done.  The  trees,  mostly  bush  trained,  were,  at  the  time  of  this  visit. 
Fig.  115.— Kitchen  Garden  Terrace  Cva9e  554). 
