The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-30
A Crown PriMcess' Gardening.
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grounds of Sans Souci to the New Palace,
the residence of the Crown Prince of
Germany, stately building in Corinthi-
an style, 4SO feet long, with 1922 win
dows, the center cupola bearing a colos-
sal group of the three graces, holding a
royal crown aloft. The palace was erect
ed between 1863 and 1869 at an enor-
nous cost, to show that the great Kings
exchequer was not quite exhausted by
the Seven Years War.
A few years after his marriage, the
Crown Prince of Prussia selected the
New Palace as permanent residence for
his family, and our Princess Royal, his
consort, set to work to rescue the garden
surroundings of her home from the sad
decay into which they had fallen. With
the assistance Of her tead gardener,
Emile Sello, she devised all the projects
of amelioration herself, and even
sketched the plans with her own hand.
The semi-circular parterre in front Of
the palace was converted into symmetri-
cally arranged flower beds set in turf,
plots of English grass; the orange trees
which until then had in summer kept
watch like soldiers round the half-circle,
were distributed in picturesque groups all
over the grounds. The seven garden
squares adjoining the parterre, and sepa-
rated from it by high lockwood hedges,
trimmed in French fashion, next attract
ed the attention of the Crown Princess.
Those south of the principal avenue she
had arranged in the style of English
orchards, and planted with the choicest
fruit trees, picturesquely intersected with
sheltered walks and trellis-work, covered
with wild vine and various creepers,
whilst the spare space was utilized for
plantations of asparagus, artichokes, rhu-
barb, seakale, etc. Another square was
entirely devoted to the cultivation of
strawberries, which the Crown Princess
grows there in rare perfection, by covering
the soil between the plants with fakes
of flint, which Prince Putbus
had sent her as present from the Island
of Rigden. By retaining and rejecting
the heat of the sun, the surface of the
flint contributes in a remarkable degree
to the early ripening of the luscious ber-
ry, and preserves it from communicating
contact with the soil. The monotony Of
the plantation is effectively relieved by
growing rose bushes, and large-leaved
plants like rhubarb or seakale amongst the
Strawberries.
The garden squares close to the north
ern wing Of the palace, which serves as a
special summer residence for the family
Of the Crown Prince, are entirely devoted
to ornamental flowers. The great feature
of this part of the grounds is the rose
garden, separated from the adjoining por-
tions by high beech-tree hedge. Hun
dreds Of rose trees, alternating with rose
bushes, creeping aud climbing roses, and
beds of moss roses-the favorites of the
Crown Princess-cover the velvet-like
turf in perfect arrangement as to colors
and size of growth. Amidst this world
of roses, porcelain groups and vases
are placed within geometrical outlines of
carpet plants-a quite original idea of
the Crown Princess, which produces an
admirable effect. In the rose garden too
stands the rustic arbor. covered with
bark, which has witnessed so many merry
gatherings of the Crown Princes family,
described in the Princess own poetic
words inscribed on a tablet:
This plot Of ground call my own.
| Sweet with the breath of flowers.
OF memories Of pure delights,
| And toll di summer hours
The nursery for these beautiful gar.
dens is behind the Commons, and like
wise creation of the Crown Princess. Al
early as 1864 she caused the place inter.
vening between the Commons and the
park Of Sans Souci to be cleared of the
weeds and shrubs, and had house erect
ed there for her gardeners and her own
plants. Flowering plants were brought
from England to stock the Conservatives
and forcing-houses, and the grounds
planted out with vines from Jerusalem
Gambia and Switzerland. A second plot
was devoted to an arboretum, and most
Of the trees reared from seeds and plant.
ed by the Crown Princess herself, or by
the young princes under her supervision.
For allaying hoarseness and irritation ol
Ill. AI-L II