96 Frederick Law Olmsted 



ported by any thing else in the vicinity, and looking, as I 

 think, heavy and awkward. There is a sort of grandeur 

 about it that the English are fond of, but which, when it is 

 entirely separate from all other architectural constructions, 

 always strikes me unpleasantly. It seems intended as an 

 impressive preface to a great display of art within ; but here, 

 as well as at Eaton Park, and other places I have since seen, 

 it is not followed up with great things, the grounds imme- 

 diately within the grand entrance being very simple, and 

 apparently rather overlooked by the gardener. There is a 

 large archway for carriages, and two smaller ones for those on 

 foot, and, on either side, and over these, are rooms, which 

 probably serve as inconvenient lodges for the labourers. 

 No porter appears, and the gates are freely open to the 

 public. 



Walking a short distance up an avenue, we passed 

 through another light iron gate into a thick, luxuriant and 

 diversified garden. Five minutes of admiration, and a few 

 more spent in studying the manner in which art had been 

 employed to obtain from nature so much beauty, and I was 

 ready to admit that in democratic America there was nothing 

 to be thought of as comparable with this People's Garden. 

 Indeed, gardening had here reached a perfection that I had 

 never before dreamed of. I cannot undertake to describe 

 the effect of so much taste and skill as had evidently been 

 employed; I will only tell you, that we passed by winding 

 paths over acres and acres, with a constant varying surface, 

 where on all sides were growing every variety of shrubs and 

 flowers, with more than natural grace, all set in borders of 

 greenest, closest turf, and all kept with most consummate 

 neatness. At a distance of a quarter of a mile from the gate, 

 we came to an open field of clean, bright green-sward, closely 

 mown, on which a large tent was pitched, and a party of boys 

 in one part, and a party of gentlemen in another, were play- 

 ing cricket. Beyond this was a large meadow with rich 

 groups of trees, under which a flock of sheep were reposing, 



