CHAPTER III 



VILLA GARDENS TO THE WEST OF FUNCHAL 



THE miniature gardens described in the previous 

 chapter, which, as a rule, surround the more 

 humble dwellings of the Portuguese, frequently 

 only cover the small piece of ground at the back 

 of the town house, which is either converted 

 into the backyard and rubbish-heap, decorated 

 with old tins and broken china, or converted 

 into a little paradise of flowers, according to the 

 temperament and taste of its owner. Apart from 

 these are the larger gardens surrounding the villas, 

 or quintas, on the outskirts of the town. Most of 

 these gardens are owned by English residents, and 

 to them Madeira owes the introduction of many 

 floral treasures. The first impression of these 

 gardens, taken from a general point of view, is that 

 they are lacking in form, the idea conveyed being 

 that the original owner of the garden made it 

 without any definite plan in view. For that 

 reason they invariably lack any sense of grandeur 



