distances of thirty miles, at all seasons, and with perfect success. Many such trees, centuries old, are now 

 flourishing with the renewed vigour of youth. This invention gives at once a power to the landscape 

 gardener to remodel, construct, and finish his design, which by any other means would have taken ages to 

 accomplish. Here, again, another new feature in landscape decoration has been attained by planting trees 

 in large masses, and blending the colours artistically (one of the great features in these gardens), and by 

 these means, at all times of the year, magnificent effects are produced in forest scenery. In other places 

 this has been achieved with flowers, but at Elvaston alone has this art been applied to arboriculture. 

 Elvaston may truly be said to be a place of every day enjoyment, the year round. Flora and Sylva, 

 one or both, may here be found at all seasons. 



The Gardens of England cannot be surpassed in their seasons of beauty, though few, or none, can 

 be said to be enjoyable for more than six or seven months in the year; but Elvaston is so entirely a 

 winter or evergreen garden that a Baronet, well-known in fashionable circles, when speaking of it and 

 quoting Shakspeare, said, November, "the winter of our discontent, is here made glorious summer." 



Having passed into these gardens, wherever the eye turns a most enchanting scene presents itself. 

 Clipped yews representing columns, pedestals, minarets, &c, interspersed with marble statuary in subjects 

 too various to particularize, surprise and delight the visitor. After walking some distance along the 

 drive, or carriage road, we come to a very extraordinary Arbour, surmounted by singular decorations 

 representing birds of Paradise. The remarkable symmetry and beauty of this Arbour will excite the 

 wonder of the beholder, but how will that wonder be increased when he is informed that the object 

 before him is one tree, the stem of which runs up the centre, and which was brought a distance of 

 twenty-five miles, twenty years ago. It is upwards of 100 years since it was planted in the garden 

 from whence it was removed, and it is fourteen feet square and eighteen feet high.* 



The Garden of " Mon Plaisir" is immediately under the south front of the Castle, whence its 

 general effect and singular design are seen to great advantage. It is inclosed on two sides by 

 yew hedges, in the form of walls, the sides being quite perpendicular and the tops cut off square. 

 The central portion is a covered walk. This walk is eight feet wide, and the entrance through the 

 yew is nine feet high to the centre of the arch. The American Arbor Vitas is planted on each side 

 of it and completely envelopes the walk, excluding the sun's rays and rendering it a cool retreat. From 

 loop-holes, or representations of windows, the singular and rich appearance of this garden may be viewed. 

 In the centre of Mon Plaisir there is a fine specimen of the auracaria imbricata planted, itself a note- 

 worthy object, and which has grown at the extraordinary rate of twenty and a half inches annually 

 (see Plate). 



On the terrace next the Castle there stands in the centre a sun-dial of singular workmanship. 

 There are four of these terraces, and they are thirty feet wide. On the raised terraces, rioht and 

 left, are planted, alternately, Irish and gold yews. In front are gold yews trimmed into columns 

 with crowns. On a second terrace above this, on the north side, in the centre stands a columnar 

 yew, with a crown ; this yew has a trimmed base of thirty-nine feet, and three feet high. Right and 

 left are two pillar yews upwards of forty feet high, and several others of large dimensions. All 

 these have been brought a distance of upwards of thirty miles. Turning to the left we come to 

 the Italian garden, with its covered walk of roses, flowering creepers, statuary, and busts, relieved 

 by cut evergreens ; from the summer-house this garden has a singular appearance. After taking a 

 number of turns, and wandering on admiring the contrast of colour and harmony produced, we come to 

 the Alhambra garden. Passing a Moorish building, we descend a flight of steps (see Plate). Ao-ain, 

 forward, through a labyrinth of Portugal laurel and yew hedges, we come to the Magnolia Garden, with 

 its sweet-briar hedges, and passing a remarkable arbour, and groves and avenues, we come to the great 

 avenue, beyond which, through a grove of cedars, the Lake comes into view. It is of considerable dimensions, 

 abounds with large rocky decorations, rugged islands covered with weeping hollies, junipers, auracaria 

 imbricata, &c. From this point the view is very extensive. Turning to the left, you enter the Fountain 

 garden, where various jets emit their playful streams of crystal, contrasting beautifully with the massive 

 rockery in the background, and the curious shell-grotto. A beautiful view of Spondon Church is 

 obtained through an oval fissure in the rocks, the lake lying in the foreground. Pursuing our way 

 forward, under rock and high yew hedges, we arrive at an arch. Looking through this, new scenery 

 presents itself, the lake displaying an extensive range of islands. At length we arrive at the narrow 

 part of the lake, which is crossed by a bridge, beyond which we pass into an extensive plantation, 

 and, turning to the right, we come again to the lake. 



* See Mr Barron's ' British Winter Garden.' 



