256 



JOURNAL OF HOBTieULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ September 26, leC5. 



with -Khich, though very unbotanical, I conclude this paper. 

 A gentleman having called at a house to solicit a vote, inquired 

 of the good woman therein, Avbether " the head of the house 



■was at home?" "No," she said, ' 

 neck is, and " she added rogueishly, 

 head move whichever way it pleases 



the head is not, but the 

 " The neck can make the 

 " — Alice. 



HOLLAND HOUSE, THE SEAT OF LADY HOLLAND. 



This magnificent Ehzabethan mansion, built in the year 1607, 

 is seen among the trees, seated high in the park, and is ap- 

 proached by an avenue of Elm trees from the Great Western 

 road between Kensington and Hammersmith. The nearest 

 similar mansion is Hatfield House, Hertfordshire. 



Before the south front is a large square bowling-green terrace, 

 bounded by balustrades adorned with flowers in Jlaltese vases, 

 and ten large Orange trees in tubs, and iu its centre is a large 

 basin-fountain. 



To the west of the house is the flower garden, laid out in the 

 old French style, where the flower-plots are looked down upon 

 from an architectural terrace. On the south side of the north 

 boundary-wall is a chain of double diamond-shaped beds, the 

 middle one is planted with Brilliant Geranium, and then dupli- 

 cates correspontUng on each side of Gazania splendens. Lord 

 Eaglan Verbena, Calceolaria augustifolia, and Commander-in- 

 Chief Geranium. The next are diamond-shaped beds, planted 

 respectively with Purple King Verbena, Heliotrope Miss Night n- 

 gale. General Simpson Verbena, Amaranthus melanchohcus 

 i-uber ; and the other four beds are duplicates of similar plants. 

 Then follow circular chain borders, one at each side of a broad 

 walk, planted similarly with Madame Vaucher Geranium, edged 

 with the Silver-leaved Ivy, Cloth of Gold Cieranium and Iresine 

 Herbstii, Mrs. Holford Verbena, Amaranthus melancholicus 

 ruber. Princess of Prussia Geranium, Sweet Alyssum, Purple 

 King Verbena, Lady Middleton Geranium, Coleus Verschaffelti 

 edged with Cineraria maritima. Sweet Alyssum, Geranium 

 Eubens, Golden Chain Geranium and Purple King Verbena 

 mixed, Amaranthus melancholicus ruber, Mrs. Holford Ver- 

 bena, Cloth of Gold and Iresine Herbstii. Commander-in- 

 Chief Geranium is planted all along at the back of the chain- 

 border near the wall, and Mrs. Lennox Geranium in patches 

 at the angles of the front border, with an edging of Lobelia 

 speciosa. 



The wall is furnished with fine healthy Peach, Nectarine, and 

 Apricot trees, which here and against other high walls are bear- 

 ing fine crops. It is rather rare to see wall trees cultivated 

 with the care and judgment that they receive here. 



There are eight large beds of choice Hoses, and, pegged down 

 as they are, they display their flowers with an even surface to 

 great advantage, and correspond in height with the other beds ; 

 two are edged with Calceolaria Kayii, two with CEnothera ma- 

 crocarpa, two with Lord Eaglan Verbena, and two with Purple 

 King Verbena. 



In the centre 

 is a large oblong 

 figure, divided 

 by gi-avel walks 

 into six com- 

 partments, and 

 surrounded by 

 narrow borders 

 with a circular 

 bed in each, and the other 

 portions of the compart- 

 ments are filled up with 

 figures of fret and scrollwork 

 in Box. The outside borders 

 are filled with Tom Thumb 

 Geranium, the cross walks 

 with Flower of the Day Geranium. The circle round the 

 dial, and the borders beside the walk nmning north and 

 south from the dial, are planted with Christine Geranium. 

 The two circles in the largest triangles are planted with Stella 

 Geranium, edged with Gazania splendens ; these are beautiful 

 beds, more particularly when the sun shines on them ; and the 

 four circles in the smaller angles contain Calceolaria Aurea 

 floribunda. 



Tothesouthof the above is theaccompanyingdesign on gravel. 

 The bank on the north of the conservatory is edged with 

 Gnaphalium lanatum, then rows (ribbon style) of the following 

 plants :— Heliotrope Miss Nightingale, Baron Hugel Geranium, 

 Bijou Geranium, Springfield Eival Petunia, Calceolaria Kayii, 

 Calceolaria Prince of Orange, and Ageratum, backed by Zehnda 

 Dahlia. 



The next scene is the Lily-pond garden. The circular pond, 

 filled with Water Lilies, is surrounded by four beds on gravel, 

 planted with Punch Geranium in the centre, then a band of 

 Calceolaria Kayii, then Tom Thumb Cieranium, edged with 

 Mangles's Variegated Geranium ; then two oblong beds to the 

 south with Zelinda Dahlia in the centre, Commander-in-Chief 

 next ; then Calceolaria Kayii, edged with Baron Hugel Crera- 

 nium. On the west side is an oval in the centre of an oblong 

 gi-ass plot, with four beds like the letter L. The oval has a 

 Humea elegans in the centre. Punch Geranium around it, then 

 a band of Flower of the Day, edged with Lobelia speeiosa. 

 The four beds are jjlanted with two rows of Stella Nosegay 

 (jeranium in the centre, two rows of Christine Geranium at 

 each side, edged with Purple King Verbena on the outside, and 

 Lobelia Paxtoniana inside. Two circles near the conservatory 

 contain Christine Geranium, and an oblong bed has SteUa 

 Geranium in the centre. Calceolaria Kayii at each side, and 

 an edging of Tom Thumb Geranium. 



A small terrace garden, to the west of the flower garden, is 

 composed at each end of a cross, surrounded by triangular 

 beds, and four triangular beds in the centre, two fancy beds 

 and two square beds at each side, with vases innumerable, both 

 on the balustrades and on the gravel, all planted and gay with 

 dwarf-growing flowering plants. Close to it is an alcove, the 

 favourite seat of the poet Eogers, with noble foxes, the family 

 crest, cut out in Box at each side, an octagon marble fountain 

 being in front, with a wliite lily jet in the centre. 



The conservatory is furnished with some fine specimens of 

 Camellias planted iu the border, and large hanging-baskets 

 filled with choice plants suspended from the roof, and in the 

 winter with the large Orange trees that now adorn the square 

 to the south front and the bowling-green terrace. Attached to 

 the conservatory, on the north side, is a hanqueting-room of 

 handsome proportions, which is finished and furnished in the 

 best style of art and ornamentation. Close to it, on the east 

 side, is a tower, which is approached by a flight of steps, and 

 from the south side of the conserv-atory is a colonnade, upwards 

 of 100 yards long, running eastward to the mansion. liy this 

 means a communication, undercover, is opened from the liouse 

 to the consevatory, then to the banqueting-room, then to the 

 loggio or smoking-room, then to the tower, and home by the 

 flower garden, by the pleasure grounds, or by the terrace walk 

 on the top of the colonnade. 

 In the Melon ground are two vineries, a Peach-house, and 



plant house, and 

 several useful 

 pits for Melons, 

 Cucumb ers, 

 and for storing 

 plants in winter, 

 all heated by 

 hot water. The 

 Peach and Nec- 

 tarine trees h.ave borne a fine 

 crop of fruit this season, and 

 from their healthy appear- 

 ance promise to do so for 

 many years. Mr. Dixon ap- 

 plies no wash of any sort to 

 his Vines, but merely peels 



1, GiLillordift picta. 



2, Tropieoluni, Dixon's SeodlinK, a brilliant fcarlet. 

 R, Madame Vauchev Geranium. 

 4, Mrs. Holford Verbena. 



6, Verbena, Lord Raglan. „ , , . .-, ,• 



6, .4 dot of Perilla in the centre of tbe cross, then Calceolaria anguBtifoha 



edged with Pun'le King Verbena. 



off the loose bark, and to judge from the healthy state of 

 the Vines and the large bunches of Black Hamburgh Grapes 

 that still remain uncut, a wash of any sort is unnecessary ; 

 besides, as Mr. Dixon observed, when the composition is dry 

 the dusty particles are wafted by the air on to the bunches, 

 which are consequently deterioriited in flavour. Kipe Melons 

 were cut in the end of May, and a pit of seven lights was 

 fiUed with Cucumber plants (Coxe's), still bearing, and from 

 which, on a rough calculation, no less than forty dozen of 

 good fruit had been cut. In walking through the grounds 

 many pleasing views present themselves through the arches 

 of the colonnade and through those of the Lime-tree walk. 

 In the pleasure grounds are large bunches of Mistletoe grow- 

 ing on Apple trees, and in the Lime-tree walk — 

 young sprigs of Mistletoe growing out of the trees. 



are some 

 The seed 



