HINTS ON FLOWER-GARDENS. 11 



are liot surpassed in the richness and variety of their botanical trea- 

 sures by any private collection on the Continent. "A forest of 

 Camellias almost makes one believe that he is in Japan.'' Some 

 of these are 22 feet high, and altogether the collection numbers 

 1000 varieties. The hot-house devoted to orchids, or air plants, 

 contains 200 varieties, and the various green-hpuses include equally 

 rich collections of the exotics of various climates. Regarding the 

 Baron's flowei>garden itself, we quote the words of M. Peinter. 



" But still another most delightful scene is reserved, which is a 

 mosaic picture of flowers, a so-called Rococo garden. We have to 

 thank Baron Von Hilgel for giving the first example of a style, since 

 pretty largely copied, both here and in the adjacent country. ^A. 

 garden, laid out in this manner, demands much cleverness art! skill 

 in the gardener, both in the choice and the arrangement %i the 

 flowers. He must also take care ^at, during the whole summer, 

 there are no portions destitute of flowering plants. It is but justice 

 to the Baron's head gardener, to affirm that he has completely ac- 

 complished this task, and has been entirely successful in canying 

 out the design or purpose of this garden. The connoisseur does not 

 indeed see the usual collection of ornamental plants in this sea of 

 flowers, but a great many varieties.; and, in short, here, as every- 

 where else, the aesthetic taste of the Baron predominates. Beau- 

 tiful is this garden within a garden, and hence it has become the 

 model garden of Austria. Around it the most charming landscape 

 opens to the view, gently swelling hills, interspei-sed with pretty 

 villages, gardens and grounds." 



In the plan of the garden, a and h are masses of shrubs ; c, 

 circular beds, separated by a border or belt of turf, e, from the ser- 

 pentine bed, d. The whole of this running pattern is surrounded 

 by a border of turf,/; g and h are gravel walks; i, beds, with 

 pedestal and statue in the centre ; A, small oval beds, separated from 

 the bed, I, by a border of turf; m, n, o, p, irregular or arabesque 

 beds, set in turf. • 



As a good deal of the interest of such a flower-garden as this, 

 depends on the plan itself, it is evident that the beds should be 

 filled with groups or masses, composed mostly of low growing 

 flowers, as tall ones would interfere with, or break up its efiect as 



