October though it was, the garden was still very sweet with dear, old-fashioned unworldly flowers and
shrubs - sweet may, southern-wood, lemons, verbana, alyssum, petunias, marigolds, and chrysanthemums.
Take a leisurely stroll through the gardens of a Victorian home. Note the tidy boxwood hedges, the kitchen gardens brimming with savory herbs and vegetables ready to be popped into a hearty vegetable soup, the perennial flower borders that surround the house and bring new surprises with each new passing season, the orchards with trees laden with peaches and cherries, perfectly ripe and juicy. Wander the stepping-stone path through the flower beds, some geometrically shaped with plants precisedly placed, others carefree and wild in a cheerful commotion of colors and varieties. Spend time alone in a private corner of the garden, deep in comtemplation. Or mingle with other well-dressed guests at the social event of the summer - the garden party. Welcome to the Victorian woman's garden, the outdoor rooms of her house, carpetted in green velvet and furnished with floral finery.
The wide carpet of turf that covered the level hilltop seemed but the extension of a luxurious interior. The great still
oaks and beeches flung down a shade as dense as that of velvet curtains; and the place was furnished like a room, with cushioned seats,
with rich colored rugs, with the books and papers that lay on the grass. The first flowers of the season, the tiny crocuses dressed in their cheery lilac and lemon-yellow best, nudge up through the snow, opening their petals tentatively. Soon they are joined by delicate white snowdrops, bright yellow jonquils, jewel-colored tulips, and fragrant pastel hyacinths. When these flowers come calling, the Victorian lady welcomes them into her garden as if they were princesses, attending to their every need and offering them places of honor in her home.
As spring turns to summer, the brilliant show in her borders, beds, The autumn palette reflects the bronze, orange and golden hues of the fallen leaves and setting sun - marigolds, chrysanthemums, and late summer sunflowers.
....the branches of purple and white lilac - the floating golden tressed laburnum boughs. Besides these, there were stately white lilies, sacred to the virgin - hollyhocks,
fraxinella, monk's-hood, pansies, primroses; every flower which blooms profusely in charming, old-fashioned country gardens was there... Other areas of the garden are pleasing to eye and palate alike. The Victorian lady plants her kitchen garden with great care, making sure it is conveniently located near the back door and filling it to overflowing with her favorite vegetables - tomatoes, beans, carrots and peppers - and herbs - lemon, thyme, lavender, rosemary, sage, dill and chives. She'll have to walk deeper into the garden to reach the orchards, but the crisp apples and flavorful peaches will be well worth her walk. And along the path back to the house, she takes a moment to fill her basket with strawberries, currants and gooseberries. Like the Victorian house, no Victorian garden would be quite complete without the imaginative details that transform an ordinary space into a haven that renews spirit and soul. Besides residing in the usual beds and borders, flowers, herbs and vegetables find themselves quite content in window boxes, clay and ceremic pots and vases, and wire hanging baskets. The Victorian lady furnishes her outdoor rooms with sundials, cast-iron garden seats, and wooden benches that compliment the home's verandas, trellises, and porches. When the weather is fine - and sometimes she ventures outdoors even when it's not, especially if she has a sturdy umbrella - the lady of the house will linger in her outdoor rooms, exploring the hidden corners and arranging them to her liking, drawing peace from the serene creations.
The old lime-tree walk was like green cloisters, the very shadows of the cherry trees and apple trees were heavy with fruit, the gooseberry bushes were so laden that their branches arched and rested on the earth, the strawberries and raspberries
grew in like profusion, and the peaches basked by the hurdred on the wall.
~ Alfred Lord Tennyson
by Janna C. Walkup 
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and window boxes continues, with the new display featuring
lively geraniums and fuchsias along with soft-spoken primroses, violas, and forget-me-nots. Bowers of roses, climbing clematis, and towering sunflowers
help anchor the old-fashioned favories - hollyhocks, sweet peas, foxglove, delphinium, phlox, and canterbury bells.