PRIVATE GARDENS 337 



Grosvenor House garden, with terrace and lawn 

 sloping down to large trees, has natural advantages for 

 a beautiful garden, but a row of beds along the terrace 

 are the only flowers. The owners of these large London 

 gardens have such an abundance of floral display else- 

 where that no real gardening seems to be attempted. 

 To understand what are the horticultural possibilities of 

 London, it is in the minute back -garden that the 

 lesson must be learned, and the subject studied. 

 Holland House is an exception to this rule, for there 

 the most beautiful garden, in keeping with the magni- 

 ficent old house, is kept up, and the greatest care and 

 skill were bestowed on it with wonderful results by 

 the late Earl of Ilchester. 



No house, perhaps, has more associations than 

 Holland House. Its history has been so often written, 

 that to go over it in detail would be superfluous. 

 Built by Sir Walter Cope, while Elizabeth was on the 

 throne, from the designs of Thorpe, it doubtless from 

 the first had a good garden, as in those days great care 

 was expended on the surroundings of a house, for 

 people realised, as did Bacon, that, " men come to build 

 stately, sooner than to garden finely ; as if gardening 

 were the greater perfection." The second stage in its 

 history, when it passed to Henry Rich, through his 

 marriage with Sir Walter Cope's daughter and heiress, 

 was even more eventful. He enlarged the house, 

 which became known as Holland House after Charles I. 

 had created him Baron Kensington and Earl of Holland. 

 His wonderful personal charm, inherited from his mother, 

 the "Stella" of Sir Philip Sidney, made him a general 

 favourite ; but not even his attachment to the Queen, 

 preserved him from disloyalty, although in the end he 



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