HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



For the Florist, and Horticultural Journal. 



ELVASTON CASTLE, 



The seat of the Earl of Harrington, near Derby, is the most cele- 

 brated place in Europe for its profusion of evergreen trees and 

 shrubs of every class — if there exists a hardy evergreen, it is enough, 

 it is soon deposited within the domain of this noted modern planter. 

 When I visited it in 1831, to see my youthful friend, Mr. Barron, 

 who had then entered as gardener, I noted the place only for its 

 long level avenues of lindens and chestnuts that had apparently 

 stood the blasts of the past century . A noted landscape planter was 

 invited by the grandfather of the late Earl to improve the grounds, 

 but considered them so tame and level that nothing could be done, 

 There were then half a dozen cedars of Lebanon planted, which 

 were the only evergreen trees of character on the place. The late 

 Mr. Loudon, in his garden statistics about 1829-'30, did not even 

 notice it. The house is of the plainest character, with all the ap- 

 pendages of the establishment hi conjunction with it ; and strange 

 to say, the parish church in juxtaposition — a plain sheet of water 

 and ancient flower garden, with hedges of yew and laurel, formed 

 the picturesque of this now noted spot, in the above year. How 

 changed the scene — the cool, collected and ingenious talent of the 

 gardener, backed by the Earl's wealth and will, with a determina* 

 tion to produce what he had so long desired, has resulted in so short 

 a period with what no other has yet achieved, even with nature hi 

 all its grandeur at their command. The wdiole has been produced 

 so quietly and privately that comparatively few have yet realised a 

 solitary view, unless taken from the top of the church, as was done 

 by our lamented friend Mr. Downing, or on a few special occasions 

 granted by his lordship. The sequel feebly shows what twenty 

 years have done — the whole feature of the place is decidedly Ever- 

 green ; so that the grand avenue of lindens gives way to rows of 

 Deodar cedars, Douglas fir, and Austrian pine, till you approach 

 within half a mile of the mansion, where there is an enclosure by 

 a ha-ha or sunk fence, within which you enter by massive gilded 

 iron gates ; on the right the column is covered with the silver ivy, 

 and on the left the lodge is embedded in mantles of the green. — - 

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