THE POETRY OF GARDENING. 101 



plant in a pot is like a bird in a cage. The gourd alone 

 throws out its vigorous tendrils, and displays its green and 

 golden fruit from the vases that surmount the broad flight 

 of stone steps that lead to the lower terrace ; while a vase 

 of larger dimensions and bolder sculpture at the western 

 corner is backed by the heads of a mass of crimson, rose, 

 and straw-coloured hollyhocks that spring up from the 

 bank below. The lower terrace is twice the width of the 

 one above, of the most velvety turf, laid out in an elaborate 

 pattern of the Italian style. Here are collected the choicest 

 flowers of the garden ; the Dalmatic purple of the gentia- 

 nella, the dazzling scarlet of the verbena, the fulgent lobelia, 

 the bright yellows and rich browns of the calceolaria here 

 luxuriate in their trimly cut parterres, and, with colours as 

 brilliant as the mosaic of an old cathedral painted window, 



" broider the ground 



With rich inlay." * 



But you must leave this mass of gorgeous colouring and 

 the two pretty fountains that play in their basins of native 

 rock, while you descend the flight of steps, simpler than 

 those of the upper terrace, and turn to the left hand, where 

 a broad gravel walk will lead you to the kitchen-garden, 

 through an avenue splendid in autumn with hollyhocks, 

 dahlias, China asters, nasturtians, and African marigolds. 



We will stop short of the walled garden to turn among 

 the clipped hedges of box, and yew, and hornbeam which 

 surround the bowling-green, and lead to a curiously formed 

 labyrinth, in the centre of which, perched up on a triangular 

 mound, is a fanciful old summerhouse, with a gilded roof, 

 that commands the view of the whole surrounding country. 

 Quaint devices of all kinds are found here. Here is a sun- 



* " Tot fuerant illic, quot habet natura, colores : 



Pictaque dissimili flore nitebat humus." Ov. 



