The waterworks, those elaborate fountains then in vogue, were supplied by water pumped up from the Thames into a tank above the kitchen, which held fifty tons of water. Buckingham House was then a red-brick building, consisting of a central square structure, with stone pillars and balustrade along the top, and two wings attached to the main building by a colonnade. It was this style of house when King George III. bought it, originally for a dower-house for Queen Charlotte, instead of Somerset House, where the Queens-Dowager had previously lived. These formal gardens were not suited to the taste of the time, and George IV. had all the garden altered, as well as the house rebuilt by Nash. The whole of the parterres, terraces and fountains and canal were swept away, and most of the lime-trees cut down. A wide lawn and five acres of ornamental water, glades, walks and thickets took their place. When first made the water was severely criticised by a writer of the landscape school, the chief fault he found being that too much was visible at once from the path which encircled it, so that the limits were not well concealed. This seems to have been altered to the satisfaction of later critics. Dennis, writing in 1835, gives a plan in which the path has been made a little distance from the water's edge, and the outline broken by clumps of trees and a promontory, which later on was turned into an island, on which a willow from Napoleon's tomb at St. Helena is said to have been planted, though no old willow now exists. This writer gives great praise to Aiton, who superintended all the execution of the plans. The pavilion in the grounds was added in 1844, and decorated with paintings of scenes from Milton's Comus by Eastlake, Maclise, Landseer and other artists, with borders and gilt ornaments by Gruner. During the last four years his Majesty has had a great deal done to improve the grounds. His appreciation of what is beautiful in gardening has led him to effect several changes, which, while keeping the park-like character of the gardens, have added immensely to their scenic beauty and horticultural interest. The dead and dying trees and others of poor and stunted growth have been removed, giving air and light to those remaining. Several good specimens of plane, lime, elm, beech, ash, ailanthus and hawthorn have thus secured more space to develop. A very large assortment of all the best flowering shrubs which will flourish in London have taken the place of worn-out evergreens. The best of the hollies, arbutus and healthy evergreens have been encouraged by careful attention. The great object in laying out the garden originally was naturally to obtain as much privacy as possible, and the earth taken out of the lake was formed into a great bank, which was thickly planted to screen the stables and distant houses. This bank, which was stiff and formal in appearance, has now been artistically broken by planting and rockwork - not merely by a few stones, which would seem small, unnatural, and out of place, but by bold crags, over which roses climb, and where gorse, savin and broom, and countless other suitable plants look perfectly at home. The aspect of the lake is also greatly enhanced by the substitution of rustic stone bridges for the iron structures. The water's edge is well furnished with iris and other water-loving plants -the finest Marliac lilies brighten its surface-and the stiff, round island is now varied by striking rocky promontories and is prettily adorned with broom and cherries.
