BROMLEY HILL GARDEN-SITE. 59 



Another source of great beauty in these gardens 

 was the evident care bestowed on the growth and 

 position of the flowers. Every plant seemed to be 

 just in its right place, both for its flourishing and 

 its effect. There was a very great abundance and 

 variety of the tenderer kinds that required pro- 

 tection in winter; but we believe they were, for 

 the most part, kept in cold pits, very little forcing 

 being used ; and there were not more than six or 

 eight gardeners and labourers at any time employed. 

 We still have before our eyes the splendid masses of 

 the common scarlet geranium, and a smaller bed of 

 the variegated-leafed variety, edged with a border 

 of the ivy -leafed kind ; nor ought we to forget the 

 effect of a large low ring of ivy on the lawn, which 

 looked like a gigantic chaplet carelessly thrown there 

 by some Titan hand. 



A garden should always lie sloping to the south, 

 and if possible to the south of the house.* In this 

 case the chief entrance to the house should be, in an 

 ordinarily sheltered situation, on the east or north ; 

 for, common as the fault is, nothing so entirely spoils 

 a garden as to have it placed in front of the public 

 approach. Views, it should be remembered, are 

 always clearest in the opposite direction to the sun. 

 Thus the north is most uninterruptedly clear through- 



* To show how difficult it is to lay down any general rule, uncon- 

 troverted, here is one from Macintosh's * Practical Gardener,' one of 

 the hest practical works on horticulture we possess. " In all cases, 

 unless in small villas or cottage residences, the flower-garden should 

 be entirely concealed from the windows of the house, and be placed, 

 if circumstances will admit of it, in the shrubbery." 



