The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-08-08
Ooman's Ways in Summer Days.

QUEEN vIcToRIA's LOVE OF FLOW
ERS

| QUEEN vICToRIAs LOVE OF FLOW
| ERS.
| Since the days when Queen Victoria
| used to be found tending her own car
nations I'm the flower beds near the win
dows of Windsor Castle, long time has
| indeed elapsed. but her love for flowers
and interest in all matters concerning
their growth have increased rather than
diminished with years. The most enter
prising experiments are made. by her
wish, In the royal gardens and green.
houses, and few novelties in varieties of
plants or methods of horticulture are
introduced into England without receiving
her attention, one OF her biographers tells
US.
Among the fruits cultivated under glass
are bananas and strawberrles-the Ior-
mer bear fruit, and the latter blossom
about Christmas time--while basketfuls
of ripe strawberries are picked every Feb
ruary to be placed on the Queens own
table Presents TO relatives at home and
abroad and foreign sovereigns are often
made out OF the earliest crops yielded
by the hothouses.
Grapes make "A fine show at Windsor,
and Queen Victoria likes 70 visit tho
Wineries often to admire the lovely exhi-
bition of the thousands OF punches. IN
these houses ii Is possible 10 gather
peaches in May, and this is where over
1900 strawberry plants are raised annual
ly. One novelty I'm the way of fruit which
is being tried is the Japanese date plum.
Here, too, or rather in specially con-
strlicted pits quite near. grow the pine
apples. which are ready in midwnter,
and are of noted excellence,
When the Queen inspects her gardens II
must be mentioned that her interest is by
no means limited to the ornamental
branches of the gardeners art: she mani
tests keen interest in the new kinds OF
vegetables especially tomatoes (Which
are 80 managed as never TO be out o.
season), green peas, beans and potatoes
An astonishing amount OF vegetables aro
sent in daily for the use of the royal
household.
The orchid house at Frogmore shows
some rare plants, and the sacred bean I
Egypt is always visited in it's towering
season by it's royal owner: few cultivators
succeed in blooming 1t yearly, AS happens
here, fact of which Her Majesty is
justly proud. The palm house is bright
ened by the scarlet flowers of the
poinsettia which are cut in quantities for
vase and table decoration. For maiden
hair ferns the queen has n fancy, and
her private sitting room Is generally
adorned by fine specimen or two.
Thouh gratihed to have witnessed SO
great an advance in all branches OF gar
dening during the years of her reign, and
fully convinced of the superiority OF mod
ern varieties of flowers and fruits, Her
Majesty preserves an affection for many
OF the good old plants and blossoms, es-
pecially the hardy outdoor subjects that
were generally grown in her younger
days.
Queen Victoria has always loved vio-
let's. The old as well as the new sorts are
cultivated by her gardeners, so that she
is never without some in bloom. Roses
under glass are also very successfully
managed, the climbing white niphetos be-
ing. it is said, the Queens favorite. Mig
nonette, wallfowers and honeysuckle are
among sweet-scented blossoms for which
the queen cherishes affection.