190 A BOOK OF ENGLISH GARDENS 



An interesting old oil painting exists in the House 

 at Ham, which, to judge from the dress of the 

 people appearing in it, must date from about the 

 time of Queen Anne. It shows the Garden at the 

 south side much as it is now, only with a wall on 

 both sides of the House, and opposite it a grass path 

 with Statues, cut evergreens in boxes, and cut Yew 

 hedges, but of course, without the long Herbaceous 

 Border which was added when such borders 

 came in again within the last few years. It is 

 from the east side that the water-colour drawing 

 is taken showing this Herbaceous Border, with 

 the beautiful old red-brick House forming a 

 most perfect background to the flowers ; the 

 border runs close beside the Terrace wall and is 

 filled with a mass of Lavender, Iris, Delphiniums, 

 Pinks, Lilies (Liteum candidum) Roses, Monks- 

 hood, Hollyhocks, Larkspur, Spirsea, Phlox, 

 Canterbury Bells all blended delightfully as to 

 colour and having an edge of Thrift and white 

 Pinks with an outer border of grass. 



The old brick walls here are allowed the added 

 beauty of creepers and many plants find a home 

 in the nooks and crannies for no ruthless hands 

 plucks the pretty pink flowering Valerian out of the 

 low Terrace walls. One of the best and most 

 artistic of modern Gardeners declares that this 

 fancy for creepers and plants on old walls, is a 

 matter to be carefully considered ; when an ugly, 



