32 GLEANINGS ON GARDENS. 



On Richmond Green is a fine house and gardens, 

 made by Sir Charles Hedges, but now belonging to 

 Sir Matthew Decker, which are very curious. The 

 longest, largest, and highest hedge of holly I ever saw 

 is in this garden, with several other hedges of ever- 

 greens, vistas cut through woods, grottos with foun- 

 tains, and a fine canal running up from the river. His 

 duckery, which is an oval pond bricked round, and his 

 pretty summer-house by it in which to drink a bottle, 

 his stove-houses, which are always kept of an equal 

 heat for his citrons and other Indian plants, with 

 gardeners brought from foreign countries to manage 

 them, are very curious and entertaining. Mr. Hey- 

 degger, director of the king's balls, hath also a very 

 handsome house and gardens on this Green ; as hath 

 also Colonel Dunkam, of the Guards, with a large 

 dancing-room adjoining. To the eastward of this 

 Green, Justice Byers hath a most noble seat and 

 gardens. To particularise every little villa here 

 would make my letter a volume. I will only add 

 that the Scotch Marquis of Lothian hath a fine seat 

 at Mashgate, half a mile from Richmond ; and a mile 

 further east Mr. Temple hath built a most noble one 

 at East Sheen, where the famous Sir William Temple 

 made those fine gardens he so often mentions in his 

 writings, and so much delighted in. 



