310 Villa of Mrs. Lawrence^ 



exhibition at the Chiswick Garden in May, 1833; and the lust, 

 previously to the moment at which we now write, the silver 

 Knightian medal, for a collection of plants exhibited in Regent 

 Street, May 1. 1838; making in all 53 medals. [See Gard. 

 iV/flff., art. " Horticultural Society and Garden," from 1833 to 

 the present time.) As a general summary of the flora of the 

 Lawrencian Villa, we may mention that there were, in April, 

 1838, exclusive of what were killed down by the frost of the 

 preceding January, 212 species and varieties of hardy and half- 

 hardy ornamenta' trees and shrubs; 130 species and varieties of 

 hardy fruit trees ; 600 species and varieties of hardy herbaceous 

 plants ; 30 species and varieties of British and American ferns, 

 planted in the rockwork ; 140 species of alpines, planted in 

 the rockwork; 34- species of hardy aquatics, planted in the 

 basins; 200 varieties of heartsease ; 500 varieties of garden roses, 

 creepers and standards; 12 varieties of ivy; 40 species and 

 varieties of American plants ; 9 species and varieties of hardy 

 ligneous climbers; 140 species and varieties of florist's pelar- 

 goniums; 172 genera and 992 species and varieties of Botany 

 Bay, China, and Cape shrubs ; 134 genera and 340 species and 

 varieties of hot-house plants; and 57 genera, anil 227 species 

 and varieties of stove Orchideae. These numbers are taken from 

 a manuscript catalogue, kindly lent to us by Mrs. Lawrence. 



Next to the grouping on the lawn, and the select collection in 

 the green-houses and stoves, the points worthy of imitation 

 in Mrs. Lawrence's management are, the high order and 

 keeping which pervade every part of her i^esidence, from the 

 most obscure recesses of the offices, to the most brilliant scenes 

 on the lawn. This is effected, also, by a smaller number of 

 gardeners than might be expected: the number kept in the 

 summer time being six, with one or two women for collecting 

 insects and dead leaves, and during winter three. It is only 

 farther necessary to add, that all the different scenes in these 

 gardens, all the beds of flowers, pieces of rockwork, &c., 

 as well as the green-houses and hot-houses, were designed 

 by Mrs. Lawrence herself, and executed under her direc- 

 tion. 



The dwelling-house of this villa has been much enlarged 

 and added to at different times, in consequence of which there 

 is a want of regularity and symmetry in the arrangement, and 

 of proportion in the dimensions of the different apartments, which 

 is unavoidable in such cases. It is often, however, useful, to give 

 the plan of such houses ; because it shows how additions may be 

 made according to the wants of the occupier. 7'hese additions 

 show in a more forcible manner than a regular or symmetrical 

 ground plan, the accommodations which cannot be dispensed 

 with, as well as what may be considered as the minimum extent 



