The most pleasing gardens, regardless of the style of the house they surround, have assorted plantings. These plantings include specimens of flowers, trees, bushes, vines, and herbs.
At the height of age of Victorian houses, British landscaping principles dominated. Victorian gardens and landscapes required constant attention, as did the Victorian house inside and outside. Neatly trimmed hedges surrounded spacious grassy lawns groomed to a height of 3-4 inches. Trees were often tied together to create arches accented by hedges and vines that were continuously trimmed and trained by the groundskeepers. The Victorian house landscape displayed symmetry, winding walkways with benches for relaxing, gazebos for meeting others, statuary, and urns overflowing with colorful flowers and trailing vines.
As Victorians increased their travel abroad and within the country they returned home with new plants to include in their gardens. The well-groomed Victorian garden soon became a mix of plants. Azaleas were brought from Japan, tulip and other types of bulbs came from Holland. Trips to South America and Africa brought aloe, lavender, orchids, poinsettia, and bromeliad to the Victorian garden.
The Industrial Age ushered in the building of smaller houses, row houses with little space for gardening, and the demise of the groundskeepers and personal landscapers for all but the wealthiest of citizens. With houses being built on smaller plots of land, the fantasy Victorian garden was replaced with gardens capable of being sustained within the realities of city life.
Containers and urns were now placed near entry doors. Plantings of colorful flowers were positioned under windows where household members could view and enjoy their sweet scents from indoors. Herbs planted in containers or near the kitchen door allowed ease of collection for use in cooking.
Perhaps the most popular and enduring practice of the High Victorian Age of gardening is the use of poinsettia during the holiday season. Set about the house during the holidays the poinsettia continues to flourish during the summer months under the shade of a flowering tree and frequent watering. With the coming of cooler days, the poinsettia can move indoors to be nurtured and bloom the next holiday season. Although we may no longer have personal groundskeepers and conservatories, we are able to fill our gardens with the many plant varieties the Victorians collected and cultivated.
Proprietor, Iron Gate Antiques & Collectibles
I am a buyer and seller of antiques and collectibles. I research and write extensively on a variety of topics related to antiques and collectible items.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Beverly_A./1678916
At the height of age of Victorian houses, British landscaping principles dominated. Victorian gardens and landscapes required constant attention, as did the Victorian house inside and outside. Neatly trimmed hedges surrounded spacious grassy lawns groomed to a height of 3-4 inches. Trees were often tied together to create arches accented by hedges and vines that were continuously trimmed and trained by the groundskeepers. The Victorian house landscape displayed symmetry, winding walkways with benches for relaxing, gazebos for meeting others, statuary, and urns overflowing with colorful flowers and trailing vines.
As Victorians increased their travel abroad and within the country they returned home with new plants to include in their gardens. The well-groomed Victorian garden soon became a mix of plants. Azaleas were brought from Japan, tulip and other types of bulbs came from Holland. Trips to South America and Africa brought aloe, lavender, orchids, poinsettia, and bromeliad to the Victorian garden.
The Industrial Age ushered in the building of smaller houses, row houses with little space for gardening, and the demise of the groundskeepers and personal landscapers for all but the wealthiest of citizens. With houses being built on smaller plots of land, the fantasy Victorian garden was replaced with gardens capable of being sustained within the realities of city life.
Containers and urns were now placed near entry doors. Plantings of colorful flowers were positioned under windows where household members could view and enjoy their sweet scents from indoors. Herbs planted in containers or near the kitchen door allowed ease of collection for use in cooking.
Perhaps the most popular and enduring practice of the High Victorian Age of gardening is the use of poinsettia during the holiday season. Set about the house during the holidays the poinsettia continues to flourish during the summer months under the shade of a flowering tree and frequent watering. With the coming of cooler days, the poinsettia can move indoors to be nurtured and bloom the next holiday season. Although we may no longer have personal groundskeepers and conservatories, we are able to fill our gardens with the many plant varieties the Victorians collected and cultivated.
Proprietor, Iron Gate Antiques & Collectibles
I am a buyer and seller of antiques and collectibles. I research and write extensively on a variety of topics related to antiques and collectible items.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Beverly_A./1678916