MY GARDEN. 



Carew with her presence at Beddington in August 1599, and stayed 

 three days at the mansion; She paid another visit the following August. 

 The following quaint account by Sir Hugh Piatt shows what pains 

 were taken to keep back cherries (a favourite fruit of that sovereign) 

 for her Majesty's entertainment : — 



"Here I will conclude with a conceit of that delicate knight, Sir Fiancis 

 Carew ; who, for the better accomplishment of his royall entertainment of our 

 late Queen of happy memory, at his house at Beddingtorf, led her Majesty to a 

 cherry tree, whose fruit he- had of purpose kept back from ripening, at the least 

 one month after all cherries had taken their farewell of England. This secret he 

 performed, by straining a tent or cover of canvas over the whole tree, and wetting 

 the same now and then with a scoop or horn, as the heat of the weather required ; 

 and so, by withholding the sun-beames from reflecting upon the berries, they grew 

 both great, and were very long before they had gotten their cherry colour : and 

 when he was assured of her Majesties comming, he removed the tent, and a 

 few sunny dayes brought them to their full maturity."' 



This Sir Francis Carew had a fine garden laid out at Beddington, 

 and it was he who \yas the first to cultivate orange-trees in England. 

 They are supposed to have been brought to this country by Sir Walter 

 Raleigh, who had married Sir Francis's niece. In the Archceologia'ii, 

 an account of the orangery at Beddington, which I here subjoin : — 



" Beddington Gardens, at present in the hands of the Duke of Norfolk but 

 belonging to the family of Carew, has in it the best orangery in England. The 

 orange and lemon trees there grow in the ground, and have done so near one 

 hundred years, as the gardener, an aged man, said he believed. There are a great 

 number of them, the house wherein they are being above two hundred feet long ; 

 they are most of them thirteen feet high, and very full of fruit, the gardener not 

 having taken off so many flowers this last summer as usually others do. He said, 

 he gathered off them at least ten thousand oranges this last year. The heir of 

 the family being but about five years of age, the trustees take care of the orangery, 

 and this year they built a new house over them. There are some myrtles growing 

 among them, but they look not well for want of trimming The rest of the garden 

 is all out of order, the orangery being the gardener's chief care ; but it is capable 

 of being made one of the best gardens in England, the soil being very agreeable, 

 and a clear silver stream running through it."^ 



Sir Francis died unmarried on the i6th May, 161 1, at the great age 

 of 81. He left all his estates to his nephew, Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, 



> " Garden of Eden," by Sir Hugh Piatt, part ii. p. 22. London : 1660. 

 ' Archaalogia, vol. xii. p. 182. London: 1796. 



