January 21, 1875. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETIOULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



56 



hundred years. Its history can readily be traced from the time 

 of the dissolution of the monastery. It was then granted to 

 Sir Thomas Daroy. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth it 

 came into the possession of Sir Robert Bouthwell, Master of 

 the Rolls. In IGIO it was purchased by Sir Robert Drury of 

 Hawatead Place, where the family of the Drurys had resided 

 for 250 years, and became extinct in the person of Sir Robert 

 Drury, the purchaser of Hardwicke. The moat is nearly all 

 that remains of this ancient seat of the Drurys, now the 

 property of the CuUums. The way up to the place is still 

 through an ancient and very lofty avenue of Limes, and there 

 are three of the most magnificent Oriental Planes in the king- 

 dom growing near to the old house, that are said to have been 

 part of the first batch brought to England by Lord Bacon, and 

 to be of the same ago as others to be found at Gorhambury, 

 St. Albans, Herts. 



The second proprietor of Hardwicke of the Cullura family. 

 Sir Dudley CuUum, was devoted to horticulture. He was 

 fond of botanical pursuits, and was advised by Evelyn as to 

 the collections, culture, and planting of rare exotics. He also 

 adopted Evelyn's stove for the preservation of exotics, the ex- 

 cellence of which consisted in admitting fresh air into the 

 greenhouse in winter, aud in managing that air in such a 

 manner as to keep up the fire to any degree of heat — a con- 

 trivance, says Sir Dudley, " that has more perfection than ever 

 yet art was before master of, and which had highly obliged 

 him and all lovers of this hortulane curiosity and recreation." 

 Sir Dudley introduced into his garden at Hawstead Place, a 

 situation well adapted for the purpose, most of the curious 

 exotics then known in England. In 1C94 Sir Dudley writes of 

 his Orange trees as thriving in the most luxuriant manner. 

 His greenhouse was 58 feet long, 14 feet wide, and 20 high, 

 a large house for that time ; and of its success he gave Mr. 

 Evelyn an account that may be found in vol. xviii. of the 

 " Philosophical Transactions." 



Leaping over many years we arrive at the third Sir John 

 CuUum, the author of the " History and Antiquities of Haw- 

 stead," and uncle of the late proprietor, Sir Thomas Gery 

 CuUum. The two fine Cedars of Lebanon in the garden, only 

 one of which is now standing, were planted in 17(i0. A very 

 fine specimen of the Upright Cypress against the conservatory 

 is probably of the same date. 



The uncertainty and irregularity of the climate was care- 

 fully noted aud recorded by Sir John CuUum. Here are a few 

 facts of historical interest to horticulturists : — 



Differences in Days in the Flowering of Different Plants in 

 THE Years 1779 and 1784. 



Difference in days. 



Apricots 20th Febnmry. 1779 .... 15th April, 1784 .=i4 



"U'ood Anemones. . 9thMari.-U , IGth April S3 



Apple 0th April 15th May „ 89 



White Thorn 15th April „ 22nd May „ 37 



Vine 14th June , 23rd June 9 



Lime Tree 2lBt June 7th July „ 16 



The author remarks that the time was early in 1784, it being 

 seldom in flower tUl near the end of June. He attributes this 

 to the warmth of the preceding May. The greatest differences 

 are in the early part of the spring. 



Notwithstanding the love of planting, botany, and natural 

 history that distinguished Sir John CuUum and his father, the 

 Hardwicke of sixty years ago was as different as could well be 

 to that of to-day. The' late proprietor was said to have built 

 the present house, and to have formed the present garden. 

 Even less than thirty years ago Hardwicke was a quaint old 

 place with its lawn, mixed garden, and HoUy and other hedges, 

 its large orchard and kitchen garden close to the house in the 

 style common to Elizabethan mansions. About that time a 

 new kitchen garden was formed quite away from the mansion, 

 this old one swept away, and the present extensive flower gar- 

 den laid out on its site. During his whole life, too, the late 

 Sir Thomas CuUum was a zealous and skilful planter. He 

 planted the park, pleasure grounds, lawns, and shrubberies ; 

 all the fine Cedars in the lawn and park were of his planting. 

 He pushed back the arable land further aud further year by 

 year to make room for belts, park, and woods, and only 

 finished planting when he died. He was fond of moving 

 large trees, and was most successful in doing so at a time when 

 the science and practice of transplantation were very imper- 

 fectly understood. He was almost as devoted to exotic as 

 hardy plants, and the present range of glass, 300 yards in 

 one range and other houses, were erected and furnished by 

 him. He died twenty years ago ; and his widow, the present 

 Lady Galium, has not only kept-np but very much enlarged 



and improved Hardwicke. Mr. Fish was engaged before the 

 death of Sir Thomas, and arrived at Hardwicke a few weeks 

 afterwards. 



I will now proceed to describe Hardwicke as it is at present, 

 but any description that can be given must fail to do it justice. 

 The range of hothouses are very extensive, and fruits, flowers, 

 and plants are well cultivated. The kitchen and fruit gardens 

 are admirably managed, but the main attraction are the grounds, 

 which are, and will be even more so in the future, a standing 

 monument to the talents of Mr. Fish as a landscape gardener. 

 I wiU therefore try to describe the grounds first. Commencing 

 at the extreme west end of the flower garden, we foUow a 

 walk overhung with English Yews, which affords a cool and 

 graceful promenade in summer. On the left-hand side of this 

 walk is the Rose garden and herbaceous border. Let us step 

 on to the velvety turf on which the Rose beds have been cut 

 out. The position has been well selected — sheltered on the east 

 side by the Vew walk, and on the south-west, from whence 

 come the strongest gales of wind, by a belt of trees and shrubs, 

 the latter forming a dense foreground, although they do not 

 come out quite to the short grass, as winding round in front of 

 them is the herbaceous border. The Rose beds are of a plain 

 description — circles, ovals, and one or two irregularly-shaped 

 beds. A geometrical garden would be out of place here. One 

 thousand standard Roses have been used in planting the beds, 

 but Mr. Fish informed me that Roses are not long-lived here, 

 although, from the healthy growth made last season, they do 

 fairly well for a time. There would be a heavy bill for Rosea 

 every three years did Mr. Fish not work a quantity annuaUy 

 in reserve grounds. Some of the best views of the surround- 

 ing country are obtained from this point. To the south-west, 

 Ickworth, the seat of the Marquis of Bristol, is spread out, and 

 a fine view is also to he obtained of Westling ; indeed, the 

 beautiful views of the surrounding country aud of notable 

 places constitute one of the charms of Hardwicke. 



FoUowing the Yew walk we reach the pinetum; but before 

 entering this we cast our eyes down a splendid avenue of Lime 

 trees, and one can but stand and admire the long unbroken view, 

 extending as far as the old Abbey gates at Bury. The pinetum 

 contains some noble examples of the choicest Conifera), and this 

 class of tree succeeds splendidly at Hardwicke. Perhaps there 

 is not such another large well-grown specimen of Pinus macro- 

 carpa to be found in Britain. There are also grand specimens 

 of P. exoelsa and P. Sabiniana. The following are also flue : — 

 Taxodium sempervirens, Picea pinsapo, Cedrus atlantica, and 

 C. robusta. This is a very distinct and handsome tree. It 

 resembles and may be a form of C. Deodara, but the branches 

 have a more weeping character ; the leaves are also longer and 

 more glaucous. 



Following a curving path through the pinetum we come 

 to another of the distinctive features of Hardwicke, and this 

 is the rock, root, or stump garden. The mounds and banks 

 of earth have been formed at a vast expenditure of time, 

 talent, and cash. If I had not been assured by Mr. Fish that 

 it was not so, I should have thought that he had taken ad- 

 vantage of the natural irregularities of the ground. But it is 

 during the spring months that this fairy spot must look its 

 fairest and best, when thousands of Snowdrops peep out of 

 every nook, whUe myriads of modest Violets scent the air, and 

 Mr. Fish's favourite Myosotis dissitiflora, " the earliest of the 

 year," adds its quota to the picture. In summer hundreds of 

 luxuriant Ferns irresistibly remind one of the lines — 

 " The calm retreat, the silent shade. 

 With prayer and praise agree." 



Leaving the rock garden by a hidden path you come upon a 

 handsome Araucaria imbricata, a grand Wellingtonia gigantea, 

 and yet another very large Abies Smithiana or Morinda. Be- 

 hind the Wellingtonia is Abies Douglasii, probably over 100 feet 

 in height. Not far from the rock garden is the kitchen garden, 

 which we will come back to after finishing the dressed grounds, 

 of which the Rhododendron grounds are the last ; but before 

 entering them, and in keeping with the surroundings, there 

 are large spaces planted with Daffodils. When in flower they 

 have been described by Mr. Fish as waving seas of DaffodUs. 

 There are some handsome specimens of trees and shrubs in 

 the American garden, a striking specimen of the pyramidal 

 Oak, grand English Y'ews, which are quite at home in the 

 neighbourhood of Bury. Numerous vistas have been opened 

 out by Mr. Fish through the plantations ; and one seen from 

 this point the largest and best, extending right over Bury, is 

 appropriately named Vista Major. 

 The geometrical flower garden, of which the accompanying 



