146 



JOURNAL OF HOaTXCUIiTUBE AND COTTAGE GAHDENEB. 



( August 13, 1874. 



beaaty, gracefully dandled Fachsias, Tropsaolams, and Passi- 

 floras. 



Passing-oat of the conservatory we wandered through the 

 croquet-ground amidst foliage of diversified hues, and charm- 

 ing beds of flowers. The rocks on the left tower upwards 

 perpendiculai-ly many yards high. The scenery in this charm- 

 ing spot is of the true Derbyshire character. Here large 

 masses of rock had been removed to obtain space for the main 

 walk which leads to the zigzag walks through the wilderness. 

 A large piece of rock standing on the croquet-ground clothed 

 with Ivy, Cotoneasters, and other evergreens formed quite a 

 novel feature in this part of the grounds. In the " wilder- 

 ness," which is situated on a high eminence behind the 

 mansion, a lover of the beautiful would fain linger. On the 

 summit of the hill the flower gardens for the children are situ- 

 ated, as well as a cosy, well-arranged summer-house for chil- 



dren's tea and pionio parties. Ascending a very high rock 

 a splendid view presents itself. On these hills, high rooka 

 projecting here and there, the visitor might easily fancy him- 

 self rambling amidst the romantic scenes of Matlock, instead 

 of the luxuriance of Pleasley Vale. We are now obUged to 

 leave this rural retreat, and pursuing our journey onwards we 

 at last emerge from the woodland scenes, and here a glorious 

 landscape bursts upon the gaze. Down in the hollow, and 

 apparently under our very feet, stand two handsome cottages, 

 one for the use of the head-gardener, and the other for the 

 head-coachman, and further on to the right are the kitchen 

 gardens, hothouses, &a., already noticed. In the front of us 

 are the shrubberies, the lake with its pleasure boats, swans, 

 and water fowl. Beyond the lake is the undulating landscape, 

 which stretches before the eye like a charming panorama. 

 Leaving this high aochvity we pass down a large number of 



Fig. 44.— Pleaslei vale. 



rustic steps, and find ourselves on the carriage-drive near the 

 gardener's'cottags at the point we entered the grounds. The 

 cottage was a pattern of perfect beauty; the walls were mantled 

 with Koses, Cotoneaster, Pyracantha, and Clematis .lackmanni 

 was decked-ont in all its purple glory. In front of the cottage 

 was a neat flower garden chielly planted with choice flera- 

 niums. The centre bed was Violet Hill Nosegay edged with a 

 Bronze Geranium, and an outer band of Viola Perfection. 

 Another bed of Geranium Corsair was equal to anything we 

 have seen this season, and two beds of Geranium Miss Kings- 

 hurv mixed with blue Lobelia were worthy of imitation. 

 William Sandav, Amaranth, and Mrs. Holden were hardly 

 comiug-up to Mr. Eead's expectations, but no doubt he will 

 report on these and many others under his charge before the 

 close of the season. The coachman's flower garden was also 

 beautiful. One pretty mixture we noticed was a bed of Gera- 

 nium W. Underwood, Geranium Mrs. Pollock, blue LobeUa, 

 and variegated Thyme. 



The last bit of flower gardening we sliall notice, but not the 

 least, was by the roadside leading to the village of Pleasley. 

 It was at the end of a shrubbery, in a curve in the road, was 

 abouf CO feet long and feet wide, and separated from the 

 road by a light wire fencing. The first 9 feet was separated 

 from the rest of the bed, and formed a little design to itself. 

 There is a circle cut into eight parts by lines radiating from 



the centre to the outside, and these parts were planted f with 

 Antennaria tomentosa and Alternantheramagnifioa alternately, 

 with a large Echeveria metalUca glauca in the centre ; and the 

 other space which formed a square was fiUed-in with variegated 

 Thyme. The other part of the bed was planted as follows : 

 There was a double row of Sempervivum ealifornioum along 

 the front and each end of the bod; next a row of Mesembry- 

 anthemum eordifolium variegatum ; then half-circles were 

 formed of Golden Feather Pyrethrum in double file, with the 

 ends abutting against the Mesembryanthemum, and filled-in 

 with Alternanthera amabilis ; behind the Golden Feather was 

 a broad band of Iresine Lindeni, with another course running 

 behind that of Staehys lanata, and the back row was Geranium 

 William Thomson. What is praiseworthy is that such a 

 magnificent arrangement should be seen by everyone travel, 

 ling on the road, yet never a leaf has been touched, though 

 people of all grades daily pass by. — P. 



A RUSTIC SUMMER HOUSE. 

 We borrow from Mr. .J. Caveu Fox's "Illustrated Catalogue 

 of Rustic Summer Houses, etc.," the accompanying illustration 

 (/!.'/. 4."i) , of an extremely neat little structure. It is no mere fancy 

 design, but, like the large one which we gave at page 79, is in 

 actual existence in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural 



