November 15, 1861. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



395 



from Ms work, it is still a far greater and nobler result to be 

 thus the means of imparting a high-toned gratification to 

 the thousands who otherwise might have little opportunity 

 of being influenced by such assemblages of the beautiful. 



By a walk on the north side of this Jordan's pool, we pass 

 the boat-house (33), a rustic bridge (36), and continuing our 

 course through a dell with picturesque wooded banks on 

 each side, we reach the bird cottage in the woods. This 

 charming retreat would just have suited some hermit and 

 anchorite of the olden time, to try at least, however vainly, 

 if happiness could be gained by shutting the heart up from 

 the associations and the sympathies of humanity. The 

 cottage is roughly piled with blocks of brick, covered with 

 grey sheets of lead, and has even bits of stained glass in the 

 windows, but is comfortably finished within to meet the 

 wants of its inmates. Leaving out of consideration at 

 present the workman and his family who inhabit this se- 

 questered spot, its chief charm consists in the picturesque 

 arrangement of the trees and shrubs, a fine Oak tree at 

 the entrance, and great numbers of fantailed pigeons, which 

 with their pure snowy plumage, ccntrasted charmingly with 

 the dark sombre Tews, among which they moved as coquet- 

 ishly, as if they had never known what it was to be dis- 

 turbed by the presence of a stranger. 



From this point we retraced our steps, and climbed up a 

 steep bank to the pagoda (34), placed at the western point 

 of the dressed grounds, with the rich woods behind it. A 

 cluster of flower-beds had previously ornamented the front 

 of this pagoda, but with great good taste these had been re- 

 moved, so that nothing of the little, even though beautiful, 

 should interfere with the open expanse of lawn, and its 

 side masses of evergreens and single specimens of Conifers 

 arranged for picturesque effect, or distract the attention 

 from glancing over a good portion of the pleasure grounds, 

 the racecourse beyond, and a portion of the country on- 

 wards to Dudley on the one hand, and the woodlands of 

 Hagley Park on the other. 



"We forget from what point through the woods we went to 

 the sheep-walk, and the reservoirs for the fountains, but we 

 could not help noticing that the fine picturesque effect of 

 these boundary woods was chiefly owing to the undulating 

 character of the grounds, and the high crests and the deep 

 valleys between them. In one of these is placed the seat in 

 the valley, with a wide expanse of turf between the shelv- 

 ing mounds, which were clothed near the edges with fine 

 Oaks and other trees, with their branches sweeping the 

 rich pasture. From this seat on which we rested a fine 

 view is obtained of the surrounding scenery ; and the same 

 may be more truly said of the rich and varied scenery seen 

 from the rotunda, which itself forms a fine feature in the 

 landscape as approaching Enville from Stourton Castle. 



But not to weary our readers, we may just state that the 

 last place we visited in the park'were the arched gates that 

 led through to the drive to the upper sheep-walks. The view 

 from thence was rich and varied. On the left the eye 

 sweeps over Jordan's pool in the valley, the corner of the 

 serpentine ribbon-border, and other fine parts of the flower 

 gardens, passes on to the tower of Enville Church, and 

 farther on to the great expanse of the common of Highgate 

 Heath, and the black hills beyond. In the middle view the 

 eye sweeps over part of the seahorse pool, a part of the 

 front of the museum, with its fine oriel windows, the towers 

 and domes of the conservatory, a portion of the village of 

 Enville, and obtains peeps of the glass houses in the 

 kitchen garden, whilst a little to the right part of the 

 mansion is seen through the trees, the distant windmill, 

 and farther distant still the Sedgley and Dudley hills. On 

 the right the eye sweeps down on the mansion, with the 

 temple pool ia front (not shown in plan), fringed with Firs, 

 Willows, and other trees, and in the distance are seen the 

 sombre Fir woods of the racecourse — the view altogether is 

 so striking, that the visitors to Enville should endeavour to 

 realise it. 



We must now conclude with a few general observations. 



1. As to the industry, cultural skill, refined taste, and 

 general intelligence of the superintendent of these gardens, 

 were we to attempt anything in the way of eulogy it would 

 be summed up in a single word " Circurnspice"— Look around ! 



2. Few places owe more than Enville to the fine natural 

 position, with its lofty undulating backgrounds. These 



have been so improved by judicious planting, and leav- 

 ing wide massive spaces for herbage, as to present a scene 

 of rare contrasted beauty. Even in the more polished 

 gardening departments, thanks to the good taste of the pro- 

 prietors, and the various artists employed, none of these 

 grand features have been obscured or frittered away by any 

 of the so-called improvements of the day. 



3. The style of flower-gardening adopted is one the most 

 simple and unique. There is no such thing as a regular 

 group of beds, which, by the disparity of their size and the 

 irregularity of their outline, are made to unite to form a 

 symmetrical whole. The only form or figure of a bed used 

 is that most pleasing of all, the circle. Each of these 

 circles, as planted by Mr. Craw, with its centre and border- 

 ing, is perfect in itself. Where numbers of these are placed 

 in masses, as south of the conservatory, and north of the 

 ribbon-border, each circle is not only complete in itself, but 

 it is planted so as to balance, contrast, or shade, with the 

 circles near it, so that there is as much care taken in the 

 planting as if the clumps belonged to a regular group. A 

 look at the very reduced ground plan would lead the reader 

 to suppose that these circles were crowded together so as to 

 do away with the feeling of repose, but that is not so in 

 reality, and this any one may perceive who will recollect 

 that each of these usual-sized circles is from 18 to 20 feet 

 in diameter, as then he will see that the spaces of lawn 

 between them are wide. To compensate for even the appear- 

 ance of crowding beds here, there are but few on the fine 

 open lawns north and west of the conservatory ; and perhaps 

 the large circles there might be lessened in number with 

 advantage. With all our love for the circle, however, and 

 beautifully as these beds were filled, there seemed a degree 

 of sameness even as to their outline, and the regularity with 

 which they were placed upon the ground, so that, though we 

 would not wish the present system to be altered, we would 

 wish it to be so far broken in upon as to give variety even 

 in outline. Suppose, for instance, that a simple regular 

 group were placed on each side of the walk in front of the 

 conservatory, not only would a new feature, as well as 

 variety, be produced, but the clumps of the groups being 

 placed closer together, there would be more of contrasted 

 colour brought at once under the eye, and larger spaces of 

 turf would be secured near the museum border, and round 

 the fine purple Beech (13), whilst a good opening would be 

 made for the introduction of vases and statuary, of which, 

 considering their grandeur, these gardens cannot be said to 

 be rich at present, if we except the seahorse pool. 



4. The ribbon-borders are a grand feature at Enville, and 

 that not so much owing to the planting and the plants, 

 though both were very good, but to their massive back- 

 grounds of various-tinted green of Laurels, Hollies, Laurus- 

 tinus, and Rhododendrons. The fine spikes of the Holly- 

 hocks looked very noble against such backgrounds. The 

 very best level ribbon-borders we ever saw, as proofs of cul- 

 tural still and unremitting care, were at Oulton Park, under" 

 the management of Mr. Wills, but they lacked the grandeur 

 of the post-office ribbon-border at Enville, because they had 

 no such background. 



5. In looking at the ground plan one would be apt to sup- 

 pose that the walks would be too numerous, and that several, 

 as yellow or brown strings could be seen from almost any 

 place ; neither is the case. We hardly recollect seeing one 

 walk from another, except at the points of junction. The 

 very number seemed necessary to get to see the different 

 objects comfortably. The intrusion of the sight of other 

 walks is almost constantly prevented by the undulating 

 character of the ground, the position of the masses of shrubs, 

 and even by the size and rounded outline of the beds. 



6. Whilst the masses of shrubs and the background of 

 the ribbon-bordeis are densely planted, all single specimens 

 of Conifers and others will have ample space not only to grow, 

 but to show off their beauties. 



7. We have incidentally alluded to the kindness and 

 liberality with which the noble proprietors of these grounds 

 open them two days in the week during the summer to the 

 public. Entrance is obtained by ticket, procured readily at 

 the hotel or from Mr. Craw, the tickets being chiefly a matter 

 of form, but so arranged as to enable the manager easily to 

 know the number of visitors that are present each day. 

 Thousands of all ranks and classes use and appreciate the 



