VILLA GARDENS WEST OF FUNCHAL 23 



Some of the older gardens were laid out more as 

 pleasure-grounds, and planted with specimen trees 

 brought together from all parts of the New and Old 

 world, and in these especially the lack of good turf 

 is keenly felt. I am thinking of the gardens which 

 surround the Hospicio, which was built in 1856 by the 

 late Empress of Brazil, in memory of her daughter, 

 the Princess Maria Amelia, who died in Madeira. 



The garden is well cared for, and contains a good 

 collection of trees and flowering shrubs. Near the 

 entrance are some very fine Ficus comosa and two 

 splendid Jacarandas, which, when they are laden 

 with their blue blossoms, stand out splendidly 

 against the dark evergreen trees ; also a very large 

 Coral-tree, whose grey leafless branches are adorned 

 early in the year with scarlet blossoms. In the 

 centre of the garden are two unusually fine speci- 

 mens of Duranta trees, whose long hanging racemes 

 of orange berries cause them to be much admired 

 all through the winter and spring months, while 

 in summer the branches are laden with their blue 

 blossoms. Dragon-trees, frangipani-trees, judas- 

 trees, camphor-trees, til and Astrapea viscosa, are 

 all to be found here, and a large specimen of the gor- 

 geous flame-coloured Flamboyant or Poinciana, may 

 be easily recognized by its flat spreading branches, 



