Soptember 8i), 1875. ) 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



295 



sombre masses and clumps of Firs. In the foreground are 

 Ferns, and Brambles, and Hoath. The soil is sandy and the 

 Bito dry. In the clearances — the open lields — are sulBoient 

 trees left as single specimens to add to the beauty of the neat 

 cottages and more imposing mansions which stud the land- 

 scape — prominent objects in a leafy framiiif;. I need not tell 

 of the trees by the way — the glossy Chestnuts and the graceful 

 Beeches, or the briUiant glimpses of Pelargoniums which 

 shine through the fences of cherished gardens bouuding the 

 road to Oatlands Park. My object is to tind Duneevau and 

 see what is to be seen in the garden of a garden-lover, and 

 to tell other garden-lovers something of what Mr. Mcintosh 

 ha? done to make the surroundings of his home attractive and 

 enjoyable. 



Duneevan is about a mile from the railway station. " Turn 

 to the left," said the porter, " then take the second turn to the 

 right, then the drst turn to the right again, and you will see 

 Mr. Mcintosh's white lodge on the left." Ah, three rights 

 again, history repeating itself, thought I, and the Walton 

 porter is as clear as the Balham butcher's boy. I had no 

 occasion to ask another question, for I found the white lodge 

 with ease. Mr. Mcintosh's mansion is a white brick building 

 with stone dressings, which contrast well with the fine Beeches 

 and Conifers on the lawn of the little carriage frontage. 

 Faultlessly clean and neat is the outside, but let me first tell 

 of my greeting inside. It was a queenly one — i.e., a bouquet 

 of Roses. 



This bouquet demands a note. In the centre of the room 

 is a circular tablo, and in the centre of the table a slender 

 glass vase with one solitary bloom of Gloiro de Dijon ; around 

 this is a circle of other vases and other Koses, and beyond 

 this other circles until the edge of the table is reached, the 

 vases decreasing in height from the centre, those of the outer 

 edge being tiny gems of 2 inches in height. This table of 

 280 blooms in separate glasses is a truly regal bouquet of 

 Roses ; as one bloom decays it is replaced by another, so that 

 this table of Roses is lastingly sweet and beautiful. 



Now let us look outside. The garden front has a north 

 a-pect. Close to the house is a terrace, on which are arranged 

 tha flower beds. But this terrace is not a dainty, formal, 

 artificial work of art ; it is a bold bank which Nature hag 

 formed, and sweeps down in precipitous and wavy undulations 

 to the grounds below. It is not descended by artfully-hewn 

 stone steps, but by natural curving walks is the lower ground 

 reached. This ground is beautiful both by disposition, keep- 

 ing, and the decorative subjects employed. It is a lawn of 

 bold undulations and of perfect keeping, so perfect that not 

 a Dandelion or even a Daisy is permitted to exist on its 

 not inconsiderable surface. It is dotted with trees of noble 

 growth. There is the venerable Oak with a girth of stem of 

 23 feet. Larch 80 feet, and towering immensely higher is the 

 graceful Birch with tilvery stem, and in the autumn is of 

 golden fountain-like contour. The Birch associated with 

 Conifers is one of tho most ornamentally eft'«etive of forest 

 trees. Htre, too, are some noteworthy Conifers; but few 

 finer and more perfect Wellingtonias can be found than one 

 specimen of 40 feet in height, but it is dwarfed in comparison 

 with a fine old Cedar of Lebanon. Smaller, but of their 

 kinds still more noticeable, are Cupressus Lawsoniana argentea, 

 10 feet high by 8 feet at the base, and C. Lawsoniana gracilis 

 is 1-1 feet by 10. Of Abies Albertiaua is a splendid pyramid 

 of 25 feet, of rich cjlour and extreme elegance. Araucaria 

 imbricata and Cedrus deodara are also fine, with many others 

 which must be passed over. But I must not pass over, lengthy 

 as is its name, one of the finest plants extant of one of the 

 finest of lawn Conifers — viz., Cupressus Lawsoniana erectn 

 viridis. It was planted in 1807, and is a dense imposing 

 column 15 feet high by 4 feet in diameter. Why is not this 

 handsome variety more freely grown ? It must be because it 

 is not Buffioiiiutly known. Both in habit and in its brilliant 

 green colour it is one of the most distinct and attractive 

 plants of this family, and ought to spread far and wide. Be- 

 sides these are elegant examples of Cryptomerias and the best 

 of the Retinosporas, a grand plant of Picea magnifioa 15 feet 

 high, with many other choice and well-grown Conifers. These 

 are planted on the smoothest of smooth lawns. 



Another main feature of this beautiful garden are the Rhodo- 

 dendrons. The collection of these is lich and extensive, every 

 new variety being added, and the whole collection carefully 

 and correctly named. These plants grow with extraordinary 

 vigour, and are tended with skill and care. They are planted 

 in thousands on banks and in beds of various forme, thought- 



fully disposed with a view to increasing the general effect of 

 the grounds. These beds must be grand in June, but they 

 are grand now and throughout the summer, and this brings 

 me to what is a remarkable sight. 



I had heard that Mr. Mcintosh had Lilium auratnm grow- 

 ing in the open ground 11 feat high, and that soaio clumps of 

 four stems had 130 blooms. I hive now seen that this is 

 really so. This grand Lilium is at home here. It is grown by 

 hundreds and in extraordinary luxuriance. Tho bulbs are 

 planted near the front of the Rhododendron beds about 9 feet 

 apart, and between each a standard Rose. The huge light 

 blooms of the Lilies lift their noble heads out of tho rich green 

 bods, and fill the air with fragrance. The bulbs were planted 

 6 inches deep, and there they remain from year to year with- 

 out any protection from frost. The bulb which has produced 

 the kingly spike of 11 feet was planted in 1870. This bulb has 

 thrown up two spikes, the shortest being 9 feet, and the pair 

 are carrying twenty-three blooms. It is a noble growth of a 

 noble Lily. Another single stem may be noticed as carrying 

 twenty-four grand blooms, most of them being 14 inches in 

 diameter, the ciroumferenoe of the stem of the plant being 

 3i inches. In another part of the grounds are less tall but 

 inagnificent clumps, one of which has, or had until recently 

 (for they are fading now) 130 expanded blooms, and on three 

 clumps together were 250 of these glorious flowers. Some 

 idea of their effect is afforded by tho engraving, fig. GG, where 

 the figure of Mr. Mcintosh is included to give a relative idea 

 of the size of the plants, but which, however, are dwarf in 

 comparison with others in the grounds. They vary, indeed, 

 in height, size of bloom, and colour, some being suffused with 

 crimson, while others are paler. The natural soil is sandy 

 loam with an admixture of peat on a sandy subsoil. These 

 plants are well supplied with water, but no liquid manure is 

 given them for fear of injuring the valuable Rhododendrons 

 amongst which they are planted. They are supported by 

 galvanised wire stakes, which are made in lengths with sockets, 

 so that they can be lengthened as the plants increase in height. 

 These beds are disposed in different parts of the lawn, and the 

 whole of them are planted with these fine Liliums. The 

 front of this garden is bounded by a fine and spacious stream 

 of water — the Broadwater — and along this stream is a straight 

 walk, having on one side a lawn sloping to the water and 

 ornamentally planted, and on the other a large raised bank of 

 Rliododendrons. This walk, which approached 100 yards in 

 Inngth, is also fringed with Liliums, ai:d at one end a wa k 

 conducts to the upper ground through perfect bowers of 

 foliage. This, though not a large garden, teems with fine 

 plants and fine features, and it is kept in the highest possible 

 state. The Liliums bloom from July to November. 



The flower garden at Duueeven is also particularly gay. 

 The centre bed is Coleus banded with Centaurea and edged 

 with Alternantheras, and this is flanked by large beds of 

 Pelargoniums. There are splendid beds of Indian Yellow, 

 which is still one of the best bedders; Lord Palmerston, Amy 

 Hogg, and Lady C. Grosvenor. The edgings to these beds of 

 Ivy-leaved Pelargonium L'Elegante are better than is com- 

 monly seen of that delicate grower. There are also beds of 

 P Amaranth, very effective ; Corsair, excellent ; Rev. T. F. 

 Fenn, intensely bright ; Rev. C. P. Peach, end Miss Saunders. 

 The double blue Lobelia used as an edging plant is also in fine 

 condition. A small conservatory is attached to the residence, 

 and which is now gay with well-grown standard Fuchsias, etc. 

 There are two vineries which the gardener, Mr. Taylor, has 

 managed very well. A new kitchen garden has been made, the 

 land costing nearly £1000 an acre, and a gcol collection of 

 fruit trees is being establisherfjsomeof them bearing enormous 

 crops of fruit. The soil is light and sandy, and the pasture 

 lands are burning up, yet the garden crops are healthy and 

 vigorous, thanks to full supplies of sewage, which is wisely 

 preserved and freely used. This is altogether a charming 

 garden, not provided, as the owner says, that he should " eat 

 its fruits and grumble," but is thoroughly enjoyed as a principal 

 means of healthy employment. Mr. Mcintosh has good reason 

 to enjoy such a place, and his gardener is to be oompUmeuted 

 on its excellent management. 



An interesting fact must not be omitted. Mr. Mcintosh is 

 a lover of birds (not in cages), and the confidence existing 

 between his feathered friends and himself is very striking. 

 Robins fly out of the bushes, and not only feed from his hands, 

 but aUght on his beard and pick the crumbs from his mouth. 

 It is most interesting to witness these friendly birds (or per- 

 haps it may be the same bird which I saw do it over and over 



