accordance with the style adopted, the parterres in the Italian gardens are of fanciful outline, set in 

 stone borders, and filled with masses of flowers, presenting a variety of the most brilliant colours. The 

 designs for the gardens and parterres, and the main features of the mansion have been laid down by Sir 

 William and Lady Middleton— a residence for a considerable time in Italy having imbued them with the 

 spirit of the great masters there, and they have thus been able to carry out at Shrublands the purest 

 designs of the Italian school ; but we cannot harmonise our climate and scenery, with the picturesquely- 

 attired people of the South of Europe; nevertheless, Sir William has been wonderfully successful, and, 

 without doubt, has formed a very perfect specimen of Italian gardening ; and when we consider the 

 great superiority of English gardens, as regards floral embellishments and other advantages, Shrubland 

 must far out-vie the best gardens of Italy, though she must yield to the glorious climate of the classic- 

 land, and her groves of Orange, Myrtle, and Bay. 



The mansion itself stands on an eminence, rising abruptly from the general elevation of the park, and 

 commanding an extensive prospect. The most perfect taste has been displayed in disposing to the 



best advantage this peculiar configuration of ground. The brow of the eminence, lying immediately in 

 front of the mansion, forms the upper gardens; and from Brownlow terrace, with the magnificent Spanish 

 chesnut trees,* the ground shelves rapidly to the West, and forms naturally a steep woody bank, with 

 innumerable walks. The coup d'ml from the steps leading from the upper, which overlooks the lower garden, 

 has few equals in any country, It commands the panel garden, eighty feet below, with its fountains, statues, 

 and parterres, — at the further side, in the foreground, the exquisite loggia, or open temple, and beyond, a 

 wide stretch of country appropriately bounding the whole. It is so admirably arranged that both can be 

 seen from the balcony in front of the house ; a more brilliant and striking spectacle than the domain 

 of Shrublands presents, especially as seen from the Pavilion, crowning the summit of the grand flight of 

 steps, can scarcely be imagined. The fine mansion with its temples and terraces, the glittering fountains, 

 the exquisite Italian and Moorish gardens, bedecked with innumerable flowers and ornamented with 

 sculpture, and the far-spreading landscape bej^ond, altogether form a scene such as none can either 

 properly describe or easily forget. — (See Plate.) 



The principal feature in the design of the balcony garden is a group of four large beds on each 

 side the centre walk. These have raised stone borders, wide and massive ; next a band of turf; and 

 between the turf and box edging, inside, a band of white sand. This gives a high architectural finish to 

 the garden, and is, besides, quite in keeping with the walls, balustrading, vases, and other architectural 

 accessories which surround it. 



The great object in this garden is to have large masses of colours ; hence it is imperative that the 

 beds should be large, to produce a grand effect, and rich warm colours are only employed for the like 

 purpose — four of these beds are scarlet, two purple, and two blue. The scarlet beds are planted in this 

 way:' — In the centre, Shrubland Scarlet Geraniums; next, a band of Punch Geraniums; then a band of 

 Mangles' Variegated, followed by Tom Thumb ; the edging to finish being a band of " Harkaway," a 

 very dwarf scarlet Geranium. When in full bloom, nothing can exceed the richness of these groups, as 

 regards arrangement of colour. 



The two purple beds have for centres a mass of " Prince's Feather;" surrounding this, " Love-lies- 

 bleeding ;" next, Geranium Purple Unique ; followed by a band of Golden Chain, and finished off by 

 an edging of the Baron Hugel or Princess Royal Geranium, with a well-defined horse-shoe leaf, from 

 which the flowers are taken off, that they may not interfere with the colour of the bed. 



The two blue beds are planted with a centre of Salvia patens, mixed with the Blue Chinese Delphinium 

 (Larkspur); next a band of the African Lilly (Agapanthus) ; then a band of Lobelia racemosoides ; next* 

 Golden-chain Geranium, finishing with an edging of Baron Hugel, for the purple beds, the scarlet 

 flowers also taken off. 



Two long square turf plots flank each side of these beds, forming altogether a balcony garden. These 

 have a tracery pattern in white sand with stone tripods, and in the centre a fine plant of Libocedrus 

 chilensis, planted by H.R.H. Prince Albert, during his visit to Sir William and Lady Middleton in 1851. 

 The eight beds described above are connected by a stone pattern and three circular beds. The 

 centre one is planted with Hydrangeas, and the one on each side with Yuccas. There are stone boxes 

 planted with Humeas, and the same on each side the centre walk, planted with Portugal Laurel, in 

 imitation of Orange trees, for which they are excellent substitutes. The borders under the retaining 

 wall at the top nearest the house, which supports the terrace walk, is planted with Hollyhocks in lines 

 fronted with Lady Middleton Geraniums, a rosy coloured scarlet raised here, and very valuable for 

 bedding purposes. 



* Sixty-six feet high, diameter of the trunk 11 feet 4 inches, and the head 66 feet. — Loudan, page 2,001. 



