EXAMPLES OF GARDEN DESIGN. 



A large Harrow-on-the-Hill, which is equally good from the grounds as from the adjacent " Horse 



town Pond." 



garden. j n addition to these two main requirements there were other factors which helped 



to determine the nature of the design to be adopted. Sir William Lever, with his 

 usual enterprise and energy, was anxious that whatever was done should be done quickly, 

 and that the design should not be one which would take a long time to weather and 

 attain to at least a considerable proportion of its ultimate effect. It was also desired 

 that provision should be made for the more utilitarian part of gardening, propagating 

 houses, potting sheds, stores and frame ground, which would need careful contriving if 

 they were not unduly to limit the space available for pleasure grounds, and, moreover, 

 more thought had to be given to the question of open-air entertaining than is usually 

 the case in a town residence. 



Previous to the preparation of the scheme, the house had been much enlarged, and 

 the music room and china room wings, shown on the plan (111. No. 387), added by the 

 late E. A. Ould, Esq., of Messrs. Grayson & Ould, Architects, of Liverpool, who was also 

 responsible for the terrace along the garden front of the house, on which the Author 

 subsequently placed the verandah shown in illustrations Nos. 171 and 172. 



These additions to the house had thrown the design for the grounds, as it previously 

 existed, completely out of scale, so that, quite apart from the altered conditions which had 

 been brought about, the preparation of a completely new scheme had become imperative. 



A very valuable feature which has been carefully retained existed in the presence of 

 a number of fine forest trees near the house, but, apart from these, there was little but 

 the requirements to be met to guide the designer in the preparation of his scheme. On 

 the contrary, there was a drop of considerably more than thirty feet from the floor level 

 of the house to the West boundary of the estate, a distance of only some two hundred 

 and fifty feet from the ends of the projecting wings, thus involving an engineering feat 

 which would have deterred a less energetic client, if level lawns, so necessary to a town 

 house where entertaining is to be done, were to be formed. Of course this engineering 

 feat had to be kept entirely out of sight, and thus it presented a further problem to be 

 dealt with. 



How this drop in the ground was met, and not only met, but so met as to prove 

 an actual asset, will be seen by comparing the plan with the accompanying photographic 

 illustrations. The building of a retaining wall sufficiently high to allow of the flat lawns 

 shown, not only gave a splendid vantage-point from which to view the wonderful prospect 

 over Harrow-on-the-Hill, but also provided means for placing the propagating houses, 

 frame ground, etc., out of sight below it, while the potting shed, gardener's store, and 

 the heating chamber for the glass-houses were provided for under the raised, pergola- 

 covered terrace which encloses two sides of the lawn, and which is shown in illustrations 

 Nos. 388 and 389. 



As will be seen, the axial line through the centre of the house is very strongly 

 marked by the spreading steps and water-lily pond shown in one of the photographs. 

 In the original scheme, this visual axis was closed by the central gable of the conserva- 

 tory shown in illustration No. 275, but since this photograph was taken, the erection 

 has been removed and the pergola temple shown in illustration No. 388 put in its place, 

 and, as we go to press, a further extension and improvement is nearing completion, 

 whereby the main axial line through the centre of the house, the main terrace steps, and 

 the lily pond will be continued for a considerable distance along a raised terrace extend- 

 ing away from the house, and treated in the same manner as the pergola already referred 

 to. From this extended terrace or exedra fresh views of the beautiful country visible 

 from the Heath will be obtained, and, at the same time, the grounds as a whole will 

 gain enormously in apparent as well as in real size. 



340 



