278 THE GARDENER. [June 



be carted to bring the site of the winter garden flat. It is supported on two sides 

 — the side next the river and that farthest from the house — by a retaining wall of 

 granite. The wall accomplishes another thing besides supporting the garden, it 

 joins it on to the house. The garden thus, as it were, forms part and parcel of 

 the house. The wall is surmounted at intervals by balls and vases of granite, the 

 whole work executed by native workmen ; and very creditably executed it is. 

 The vases and coping of the wall are beautifully cut. 



" The garden is intersected by two gravel- walks, 15 feet wide, thus cutting 

 it into four quarters. From the house the garden is entered by a broad flight of 

 highly ornamental metal steps. But to the eye these steps have the appearance 

 of granite, being coated over with granite sand. One of the 15-feet walks 

 runs straight down the centre of the garden from the steps to the retaining wall. 

 The side of the garden farthest from the river joins on to the arboretum already 

 mentioned by a sloping grass terrace. The other intersecting walk, from the re- 

 taining wall next the river, ascends the terrace by means of a flight of granite 

 steps, and is carried straight up the sloping bank for about 100 yards, when 

 it is stopped by a huge tree and a seat. Thus, while the winter-garden is 

 kept a very distinct design, it is joined easily and naturally on to the other 

 grounds. 



"The four quarters of the garden are each a sunk panel 20 inches below the 

 general surface of the ground. The space between the panels and intersecting 

 walks is a carpet of smooth grass ; in fact, the panels are set in a framework of 

 grass. These 15-feet walks are the perfection of walk-making. They feel 

 under the feet almost like a carpet; they are just sufficiently raised in the centre 

 to throw off the water ; their surface is covered with a thin coating of washed 

 sand ; and they are as smooth as if a carpenter's plane had been over them. The 

 comfort afforded by walks like these, especially in winter, can be best appreciated 

 by those who have not enjoyed the luxury of a well-made walk. 



" To come now to a description of the panels. All the minutiae and details 

 cannot here be given without a plan. Perhaps a general idea may be given in 

 words. The area of each panel is a scroll-work of shrubs resting on gravel. We 

 see in these panels what fine results can be obtained from shrubs and shrublike 

 plants without the help of flowers. The panels are worked out in two distinct 

 designs or patterns; the two next the house are one pattern; the two farthest 

 from the house are another; but there is a unity of design in all four. Unity, 

 not uniformity. Bat how is this effected ? By the disposition, size, and colour 

 of the plants. Much skill and practical acquaintance with the habits of the 

 different plants employed are necessary to bring out a pleasing result in work of 

 this kind. Of the thousands of plants employed, any one of them misplaced, as 

 regards shape, colours, or size, would be incongruous, and mar the beauty of the 

 whole. There is almost every shade of colour from the darkest deepest green to 

 the lightest silvery grey. Then, as regards the size of the plants, the lowest are 

 6 inches, the highest 6 feet, with every intermediate size. 



"The outlines of the scroll-work are formed of low hedges, about 18 

 inches high and as much broad, of various kinds of shrubs. One of these is 

 the common Portugal Laurel, than which, for this kind of work, nothing 

 can be better. Lauristinus, Common Yew, and so forth, are also used. But 

 these low hedges are edged with Box 6 inches high and 6 inches broad, thus 

 relieving and lightening the higher hedge. The filling up of the scrolls is 

 managed with much artistic skill, the object being to have a variety of colour as 

 well as height. For silver grey the Lavender-Cotton is much used. Nothing 

 can look prettier than low masses of this small-leaved plant. Aucuba Japonica 



