440 THE VILLA GARDENER. 



490. General appearance of the grounds. — In order to convey an idea of 

 the general effect of the park and garden scenery of Wimbledon House, and 

 to afford some relief to the reader after the fatigue of perusing so many 

 details, we shall briefly notice the general impressions the scenery made on us 

 when we first saw the place some years ago. Passing through the entrance-hall 

 and the saloon to the gravel walk on the lawn front, a magnificent panoramic 

 view presents itself; consisting of park scenery in the foreground, enlivened 

 with a fine piece of water (see fig. 311.), and with a rich, verdant, tame 

 country in the extreme distance. Among the trees in the park are some fine 

 old oaks and beeches, some very large evergreen oaks, and several large pines, 

 firs, and cedars. The stranger, if he proceeds along the gravel walk to the 

 left, will find it lead him to an ancient green-house, or orangery, and thence 

 to the flower-garden, the kitchen-garden, the farmery, and the farm. If, on 

 the contrary, he walks to the right, he will pass through a variety of scenery, 

 at first highly polished with a smoothly mown lawn, and afterwards l)f a more 

 rustic description ; till, having walked upwards of a mile, he arrives at tlie 

 flower-garden, kitchen-garden, &c., last instead of first. We t^'ok the right- 

 hand walk from the house, and, passing along it, the first remarkable objects 

 which struck us in the foreground were some very large evergreen oaks, with 

 trunks 2^ ft. in diameter. On the right was a rural fruit-garden, planted 

 with the common summer fruits, such as the cherry, gooseberry, raspberry, 

 strawberry, &c., for the indulgence of the young people, who were allowed to 

 gather them here for themselves. This may be called a children's fruit-gar- 

 den ; and it appears to us one of the most amiable features, next to children's 

 gardens (that is, gardens which they are to lay out and cultivate themselves), 

 that can be formed in a suburban residence. Near this rural fruit-garden 

 was a garden for British plants, managed solely by Miss Marryat ; and 

 beside it was a deli filled with rhododendrons, which, from the moistness and 

 shadiness of the spot, had attained an extraordinary size, and were growing 

 with great luxuriance. Adjoining the evergreen oaks was a large cork-tree, 

 a very fine Zigustrum ICicidum, gigantic common and Portugal laurels, a large 

 red cedar, a i?hododendron ponticnm upwards of a hundred feet in circum- 

 ference, and immense masses of ivy supported on pollard oaks, which looked 

 like some strange kind of evergreen tree ; and, farther on, -were several lofty 

 silver firs. Passing through a small wicket in the wire fence which separates 

 the pleasure-ground from the park, but still following the walk, we found 

 ourselves in comparatively open scenery ; and, the atmosphere being tolerably 

 clear, we observed the towers of Westminster Abbey and the dome of St. 

 Paul's in the extreme distance. From some points of view, Wimbledon Park, 

 the seat of Earl Spencer, which borders Wimbledon House, on two sides, 

 contributes to the effect of the scenery in the park belonging to the latter, 

 more especially by the aid of a beautiful sheet of water; and, in one part, 

 the windings of the Thames itself are seen from a seat under an immense 

 beech-tree, one branch of which measured, in 1829, 75 ft. in length. Passing 

 through a rustic gate, we arrived at a spacious ivy-covered summer-house, 

 situated on a slight eminence, and furnished with a large table and matted 

 seats, capable of accommodating a party of twenty. This summer-house over- 

 looks that part of the grounds which is called the Wilderness {fig. 311.), in 

 which there are several pieces of water, overhung with weeping willows, 

 and inhabited by numerous wild aquatic fowl. Descending from the 



