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Harry and Meghan are known to be taken with the Frogmore estate and gardens

Frogmore Cottage Landscaping


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By —— Bio and Archives February 16, 2019

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Frogmore Cottage Landscaping"Forget Frogmore Castle: Come back to Toronto Harry and Meghan!" The Toronto Star headlined late last year. Toronto has more ducal lodgings--the Casa Loma, perhaps--and far superior landscaping than Frogmore. Alas, it is unlikely the couple will relinquish England, however asinine. Still, the quaint name of their new home might prove an attraction. Then again, it might not. They are expected to take up residence this spring. It is far from being a castle and never was. Frogmore Cottage is located on the estate of the same name, part of Home Park, Windsor Castle in Berkshire, 25 miles west of London. The cottage was built in 1801 at a cost of £450 by Queen Charlotte and was used by her unmarried daughters. Originally it was known as the "Double Garden Cottage."
By the time Queen Victoria breakfasted there on 28 June 1875, she recorded that there were an 'immense number of little frogs' which were 'quite disgusting.' So, presumably 'Frogmore' for the estate name--and the considerably more dignified nearby mansion of Frogmore House. Close to the Thames River, the cottage is in a marshy area ideal for amphibians. Perhaps mosquitoes also. The record is silent on this. What is apparent is that like Frogmore Cottage itself, the surrounding grounds have been allowed to deteriorate. A few untended shrubs, an equally neglected lawn now surround what was once an attractive five-bedroom stucco residence. Reportedly in recent years it had been divided into five units to house royal staff members. It will require much work to raise it to a residence fit for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex--and several million pounds sterling. Permission has reportedly been sought from the council of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead for building renovations and "landscaping" its grounds. No further details have been made public on the grounds of "security." Harry and Meghan are known to be taken with the Frogmore estate and gardens, Maria Puente reported in USA Today. And well they might. Elsewhere it is attractively landscaped with winding lakes, wooded mounds, glades, walks and bridges laid out in the 1790s. The 35 acres are somewhat more extensive than the beautiful gardens surrounding Toronto's Casa Loma. But where else would this most delightful of royal couples find an enormous wine cellar, secret passageways, underground access to the royal stables and more? Indeed, return to Toronto Harry and Meghan!



Wes Porter -- Bio and Archives | Comments

Wes Porter is a horticultural consultant and writer based in Toronto. Wes has over 40 years of experience in both temperate and tropical horticulture from three continents.


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