i6 



ROYAL GARDENS 



objects of everyday use. Set a straight-sided but tapering 

 tea-cup upside down in a deep flat-bottomed saucer, whose 

 straight outer rim rises nearly at a right angle with its base. 

 From the centre of cup to outer circumference of saucer 

 mark out a wedge-shaped segment (including the handle) 

 slightly larger than a quarter of both, and the remainder 

 will give a rough notion of the general shape and modelling 

 of the garden. The inverted tea-cup represents the hill on 

 which Round Tower is built, and the steep edge of the 

 saucer corresponds with the moat wall. This is about 5 feet 

 high on the outside facing the Lower Ward of Windsor Castle ; 

 on the garden side it is 15 to 20 feet deep. The flat portion 

 of the moat contains first, at the foot of the wall, a narrow 

 border which is filled with a truly magnificent collection of 

 flowers, mostly herbaceous. It also finds nutriment for hun- 

 dreds of roses and other climbing plants clothing the wall. 

 The long ring of border is retained by a low brick wall, and 

 every twenty yards or so there is a separately designed arbour, 

 embowered seat, or fountain to break the monotony and take 

 away from the severity of the stone wall against which they 

 are placed. Next comes a brick-paved path which follows 

 the curve from one end of the garden to the other. It is 

 called Lavender Walk from its having, on both sides all 

 along at more or less equal intervals, stone or brick-built 

 vases about 3 feet high, planted with that sweet-smelling 

 herb. Inside the path are beds filled with hundreds of most 

 fragrant and choice varieties of roses. These beds have also 

 tulips, for spring colour before the roses bloom. On the inner 

 side of the rose borders stout iron arches, pillars and connect- 

 ing chains are simply laden with rambling roses to provide in 

 their season a wealth of beauty and a perfect riot of colour. 

 Within the ring of rose pillars lie three or four sunk lawns on 

 as many different levels. They are each more or less level in 

 themselves ; but one portion is, by several shallow steps, 

 lower or higher than the next. Access to lawns from path 

 is gained by turfed steps beneath arches in the ring of ram- 

 bling roses. Out of the lawns grow many beautiful shade 



