482 



JOUKXAL OF HOETICULTUEE AKD COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ Jane 13, 1872. 



the " three distances ;" but here we shall only speak of fore- 

 ground and middle distance. The foregiound is a well-pro- 

 portioned terrace, supported on the left and front with massive 

 granite walls, omamenteJ with balls, urns, and vases of fine 

 proportions and highly- finished work. The ten-ace is divided 

 into four panels : the walks are 15 feet wide, with the same 

 ■width on each side of the smoothest grass, each panel being 

 sunk about 20 inches from the level of the main walks. The 

 two panels next the house are laid out on gravel with very 

 chastely designed scroll beds, planted with evergreen shrubs. 

 The gravel is of a wann red colour, and is found in seams 

 in a granite quany. Both panels have a frame of evergreens. 

 The chief plants used in beds and scrolls are Alexandrian 

 Laurel, Rosemary, Lavender Cotton, Savin, Juniper, EscaUonia 

 macrantha, and Box; for spiral trees, varieties of Yews and 

 Cypress are planted. The two panels farthest from the house 

 are laid-out in the form of St. Andrew's cross with stout 



edgings of Box. The two end parts ai'e laid-out on red gravel, 

 with scroUwork in the form of the Grecian Honeysuckle ; the 

 sides are bordered with low shnibs, and planted with flowering 

 plants in summer. A granite vase of great size (home manu- 

 facture) stands in the centre of each panel, which vases aie 

 filled with flowering plants. 



Two large beds with dressed stone kerbmg stand on each 

 side of the splendid flight of steps leading to the drawing-room 

 door. The New Zealand Flax and the Dracjena indivisa have 

 a grand and quite exotic effect in these beds ; some of the 

 DraciBuas are at least 9 feet high, with stems more than 

 4 inches in diameter. These plants were raised fi'om seed in 

 1SG3, and were planted-out where they now stand about sis 

 years ago. The Araha Sieboldi is also growing finely, and in 

 a few years will be one of the gems in the decoration of this 

 terrace. 



It would take a little book to give aU the interesting details 



of this gem of an ait garden. WeU may Colonel and Lady 

 Louisa Tighe be proud of it. One can hardly reaMse that httle 

 more than ten years have passed since over 200,000 cubic 

 yards were carted-in to form this terrace, which at the lower 

 side is raised 15 feet above the ground level. Now it appears 

 as if it had grown up with the house. 



The -\raucaiia avenue forms a fine feature ; seen from the 

 new ten-ace it touches the pleasure ground at an obhque angle, 

 and runs parallel with the rock garden. It was from this rock 

 gai-den that the material was excavated to foi-m the terrace. 

 We only glance at the MaguoUa garden and the giant Hy- 

 di-angeas, wliich ai-e just showing signs of reviving spring, and 

 proceed to the Araucaria avenue. 



The new terrace is nearly at the bottom of the dressed 

 pleasure gi-ouuds, and the enclosed gi-ounds rise on a con- | 

 siderable slope for about a quarter of a mile in a straight line, j 

 The gradation from the new terrace is well done ; the first 

 green ramp has about »i feet rise, and the slope is easy and 

 highly finished ; then a hanging flat of grass 50 feet wide, and 

 then a gentle slope of about 2 feet of rise, and we land on a 

 broad sward of sweUing ground. This ground appears natural, 

 but a great deal has been done by adding to the lower side to 

 make it so. The main walk is 15 feet wide, and the granite 

 steps corresponding with the ramps are the full length^in one 

 piece. 



The walk leading to the rock garden leaves the main walk 



at right angles, and here are two magnificent specimens of 

 the great Californian Cypress, about 50 feet high. These 

 trees were transplanted eleven yeai-s ago, their height then was 

 about 30 feet. Twenty years hence the numerous fine young 

 trees of this species at Woodstock will be worth going to see. 

 There is nothing about this part of Woodstock to give the 

 least idea of rock, and on entei-ing the rockery the effect is 

 very sti-ildng. We enter bv a good sunk road, and at once we 

 are in an expanding mass of rocks and exotic-looking plants, 

 with a miniature lake and islands covered with Bamboo, New 

 Zealand Flax, and kindred plants. Here again the Dracana 

 indivisa is grand. In many places this rockery would be con- 

 sidered a great work ; never in this class of garden have we 

 seen component pai-ts so weU united — 



" To foi-m one beanteous well-connected whole, 

 To charm the eye and captivate the soul." 

 It would be worse than useless to attempt to describe in a 

 paper like this the details of such a rock garden where there 

 is such a wealth of rare things. It may interest some to 

 know, that the more valued plants in the rock gai-den have in 

 certain cases beds 5 feet deep prepared for them, and filled 

 with peat, leaf mould, or the kirid of material best suited to 

 the plants intended to be grown ; yet this preparation is not 

 perceptible to strangers, but the results are immist-akeable. 

 We are gi-eatly pleased with the Araucai-ia avenue. This 

 avenae, and the transplanting of the trees, have so often been 



