Friday, July 2, 2010

English Garden Tours - Victoriana Magazine



If you are writing a Victorian Historical, Victoriana Magazine can be quite helpful and inspiring!In my novel, Call Me Duchess, I visualize my heroine, Marguerite Wiggins, walking leisurely in Kensington Gardens surrounded by suitors.





Kensington Gardens, one of the Royal Parks on this English garden tour, has 275 acres of formal avenues of magnificent trees and ornamental flower beds. The Gardens are located at Kensington Palace, the choice of William III and Mary II for their London home. Queen Victoria was born in Kensington Palace and lived there until she became queen in 1837. Queen Victoria commissioned the Italian Gardens and the Albert Memorial. Outside Kensington Palace stands a statue of Queen Victoria sculpted by her daughter, Princess Louise, to celebrate 50 years of her mother's reign.



During the 19th century, many magnificent English gardens were located within traveling distance from the center of London; because these English gardens were accessible by steamboat, omnibus or steam railroad, an English garden tour became a popular public attraction.

The gardens were undulated with carriage drives around and through the grounds; with broad graveled walks in various directions, opening long vistas through well grown trees—some in rows, but generally irregularly planted with plenty of room for the full development of each and every tree.

3 comments:

AnneMarie Brear said...

Thanks for sharing that information, Maggi!
Lovely photos too.

Deborah Swift said...

Apparently I was pushed in a pram around these gardens! Great pictures.

Maggie Dove said...

Yes, the pictures are lovely. They are from Victoriana Magazine. Looking at them, I can almost imagine myself in the beautiful surroundings!