95 



THE 



GARDENERS 



MAGAZINE, 



February t 2 , , 



898. 



ENGLISH AND ITALIAN GARDENS. 



Society 



,Ur get, 

 grouping 0{ 



pleasu 



colour drawings trom tne pencil ui mi. « u.^ a.i.j 



difficult to conceive anything more successful than they invariably 



hedges and ,'masses of poppies ; whilst " Poppies Villa, Palmero » rt» 

 reminds us of some of our more attractive Knglish gardens ; and « T » W 

 Aix-les-Bains " (No. 64) affords an excellent example of the tasteful u 

 flowering plants in conjunction with standard roses. - . ^ *, 



Attractive as are the greater proportion of the Italian gardens denirt a ■ 

 Elgood's drawings, it is with a considerable degree of pleasure that wT m Ml - 

 them to the representation of English gardens, for it is in these we find A if* 

 that so greatly help to justify the belief that in no part of the world VT mi 

 MnfMM in siirnass those of the United Kinedom. We tniaht 1; , n We fioi 



S„« Z Elgood covered the walls of these galleries exclusively with draw- that so greatly help to jus hfy the belief that in no part of the world [£ Jf* 

 ings of English gardens, in which he depicted with exceptional success the varied gardens to surpass those of the United kingdom. We might linger long 0Ver v 

 aspects of the flower garden of the present day, and gave us many glimpses of section of the exhibition did bme and space permit, but the pressure upon blrh 

 old gardens in which are still remaining examples of the yew-clipped hedges and too great to admit of more than a brief reference to the more important n 

 slatuc-furnished alcoves so dear to the hearts of our forefathers, when formality gardens of the old timbered Manor House of Tangley afford a wide raL f 

 was retarded as one of the more important attributes of the English flower garden. selection of subjects for the brush and pencil of the artist, and it is not smtS • 



b — -« a ——-2 * 1- *^ — that Mr> Elgcod should have taken advantage of some of the manv onnnn^ 



they afford for the display of his artistic skill. " Tangley Manor I^o l S" U ■ nU !! , 

 subject of No. 29, and its open timber work, mullioned windows, and creviK 

 lend themselves readily to artistic treatment ; and embosomed in trees ; iust 

 mencing to assume their autumnal tints, with closely-cropped hedges, and a si* 

 flowing canal, it presents a highly picturesque appearance. Tangley' Manor 

 be described as a J 



picture*) anu 11 iiium iJAvc i^tw vi ~ . • %*»"v. v.* v..^. 



sugg. stions it afforded for enhancing the attractions of the flower garden. 



. 1 J L>m *~*m**Xi o *v\nci7Jf>mhlp in fl \\f>r\nf* n r\nr> rvnKlir* tacfp cr 



itatue-iurnisnea aicoveb bu you w ~* nuv.» »w»~~. v 



was regarded as one of the more important attributes of the English flower garden. 

 That exhibition afforded abundant pleasure and entertainment to those who were 

 forturate enough to have an opportunity of leisurely inspecting and enjoying the 

 pictures, and it must have been of great educational value by reason of the many 



- * ' ' % " m " It 



wuu u appear to nave exercisea a consiuciauic uiuucncc upuu iwuik tabic, so far 

 as it relates to the ornamental aspects of the art of gardening, for in several 

 gardens that have come under our notice during the past few years we have had 

 tvidence of a desire on the part of the owners to repeat some of the formal 

 features which Mr. Elgood so admirably pourtrayed, and Addison, Pope, and 

 other of the advocates of the natural system so strongly condemned. Mr. Elgood, 

 it must l>e stated, does not appear as an advocate of formal gardening ; and if he 

 has depicted some of the more important of the examples of the formal style, it has 

 Ijeen because of their strong appeal to his artistic perception, as in the case of the 

 many examples he has given us of the more natural style which at the present 

 lime is held in the highest estimation. Slrong as is our affection for the English 

 or natural st)le of garden, we are not prepared to so freely condemn the advocates 

 of some foimalityand of closely clipped hedges, for there can be no question 

 lhat the latter uhen judiciously placed are of immense value for the shelter they 

 urioid to plants coming fiom wanner climes than our own, and also for the pro- 

 tection they give to those who appreciate the manifold attractions of the garden, 

 1. ... r_ 1 whu cause sufler more or less from exposure to the 



but frcm advanced age or s 



cold winds usually experienced during the spring months. In this exhibition, now 

 rapidly drawing to a close, we have scenes in countries other than our own, and of 

 the eighty drawings the majority have as their subjects gardens on the shores of the 

 Mediterranean, within range of the smoke-capped peaks of Etna and Vesuvius and 

 other parts of Italy. 



In justification of the course he has taken in selecting as subjects for his pencil 

 garders under the Italian sky, Mr. Elgood directs attention to the fact that it is in 

 Italy rather than in France that we must seek for the origin of the earliest use of 

 statuary in the flower garden, and for much of the formality that characterised the 

 English garden from two to three centuries ago. That this is so we have ample 

 evidence. We know that at the beginning of the sixteenth century there was a 

 great revival in the art of gardening in Italy, and that the most famous gardens at 

 that period were those of Lorenzo de Medici and the wealthy Bernard Rucelli. 

 Both these gardens were geometrical and architectural, and, while reflecting the 

 gardening taste that prevailed in the time of Pliny, they served as models for other 

 great Italian gardens for some two hundred and fifty years— in fact, until there 

 was a reaction from severe formality and a more natural style introduced. A great 

 impetus was given to a revival of the use of statuary in gardens quite early in the 

 .sixteenth century by Cardinal d'Else, who, in forming the garden of his villa 

 erected on that of the Emperor Adrian near Rome, found a number of antique 

 sculptures and distributed them over the grounds. This mode of garden ornamen- 

 tation was subsequently imitated by Francis I. of France, and was afterwards 

 adopted in o.hir European countries. As a further proof of the formality which 

 characterised the Italian gardens three centuries ago, it may be mentioned that at 

 the beginning of the seventeenth a pern was published at Milan under the title of 

 M L Adamo, ' and that the illustrations, which are intended to represent Paradise, 

 are full of closely-clipped hedges, square flower gardens, straight walks, uniformly- 

 topped trees, regular knots, and marble fountains. The gardens attached to the 

 villas in and near Rome were also more or less formal, with architectural groves 

 and devices cut in box and other plants, and it is reasonable to assume that 

 Ee Notre, who exercised so great an influence upon garden design in France 

 during the seventeenth century, obtained some cf his ideas from the gardens of 

 Italy. Mr. Elgood, m the course of his rambles in the last-named country, found 

 many charmirg scenes as subjects for his pencil, but some of those depicted * 

 convey the impression that the gardens are remnants of the past; and, notwith- 

 standing the charm of a considerable number, we search in vain for the wondrous 

 beauty found in the more important of the examples of English gardens. 



l>h K r\ a f bl] [ Ple ? " [^T « of "Lilies: Amalti" (No. 1), the broad 

 *U of the Madonna lily which skirts the pergola of the old monastery, now the 

 tomffi of an hotel, presenting a charming effect in contrast with the blue water 

 wi thin the range of vision. Not fai removed is the garden of "A Villa at 

 I almero (No. 7), in which a marble fountain is the most prominent, and con- 

 tiguous to it is a rockery, formed with stones evidently obtained from some ruins 



SffEfl ^ J?^SS^ ^eofC«£» (Xo. ,6) is more'emalk! 

 able for the superb view obtained of the famous lake than for its gardenesque 

 eatures, but the arch over which one of the robust-growing tea roses is running 

 not and producing a profusion of flowers, is singularly effective, with the C rey 

 mountain as a background. "Villa Pallombo" (No. 19) and « Villa Rosazzo^ 

 hr^/ 3 ! COn iT y a n exce L lent ide * of the old-time gardens, the first containing 

 Mjnn'SS ^ US WUH CHpf ? d yCWS ' and the Second is distinguished by Tts 



easi 



imagine 



written urftk 1 mowning's lines, which we should 



written with some such scene as is here depicted fresh in her mind : 



"From the outer wall 

 Of the garden, drops the mystic floating grey 

 Of olive trees (with interruptions, green 

 t rom maize and vine) until 'tis caught and torn 

 Upon the abrupt line of cypresses 

 Which signs trie way to Florence. " 



with ^£L??Sd J ~ .yJSSTJ SSSS&X*^ a ch r in * ^ den 



an archway a delightful Lo o an S f- T° &£*f ° btain ,hrou g h 



peepin K over them* T nSlfl 0 Si 11 "? Ojpped hedges with flowers 



presented 



The Padua Botanic Gardens " (No. ACifa 



meale 



*' A brave old house ! a garden full of bees, 

 Large dropping poppies, and Queen holly 

 With butterflies for crowns." 



14 Michaelmas Daisies : Tangley (No. 3) " admirably demonstrates the value f 

 the perennial asters for giving colour to the flower garden in the autumn. The plan*- 

 are grouped together at one end of a broad sloping border, and the preat masses c/ 

 blue, white, and purple, present ^ against the background of shrubs a delightful 

 effect, and indicate the manner in which these elegant autumnal flowers can be 

 err ployed to advantage. " Forecourt at (ireat Tangley 5 ' (No. 21), represents a 

 charming scene, the walls nearly covered with the slender growth of the mat 

 vine taking on its autumn, tints and the beds filled with bold masses of heleniums 

 Japanese anemones, and roses. "The Pergola at Tangley : ' (No. 25), i 

 remarkable fcr the bold masses of Michaelmas daisies, Japanese anemones rud- 

 beckias and P)rethrum uliginosum, and these present a striking an1 pleasant 

 contrast to the pillars of yew. In "Friendship's Garden" (No. 13), Mr. 

 Elgood has given us an excellent example of the garden which Lady Warwick 

 has recently described, and the scene, if one that does not from a decorative 

 aspect specially commend itself, is of much interest. We have a red -brick house 

 surrounded by a lawn, on which are comparatively small beds occupied bj 

 Michaelmas daisies, helianthus, and Japanese anemones, and lavender, the last- 

 named consisting of large bushes of goodly age. M The Garden of the Sundial * 1 

 (No. 40), represents another aspect of the gardens at Easton, where a clipped yew 

 gnomon and dwarf box numerals form a greensward dial, with the appropriate 

 motto, " Les heures heureuses ne comptent pas," and of this we may say with 

 Marvel 1 : 



" How well the skilful gardener shew, 

 Of herbs and flowers this dial new ! 

 Where from above the milder sun, 

 Does through the fragrant zodiac run." 



Some of the glories of Hardwick are depicted in " The Yew Walk " (No. 12), 1 



long walk with yew hedges, in which at intervals are statue-furnished alcoves, and 



t" (No. 59), in which flowers and the time-stained masonry arc 



ft 



"The Forecourt 



in happy combination. 



The gardens of Newland Manor have afforded some delightful studies of roses. 

 In "The Rose Garden: Newlands" (No. 50), and "J une Roses : Newlands ' 

 (59)> we have two of the most beautiful pictures in the exhibition. In the first- 

 named the arches covered with roses and clematis are exceptionally good, and die 

 beds of bush and standard roses somewhat irregularly arranged on a fine breadth 

 turf at once arrest attention by reason of their vigour of growth and profusion 

 flowering. In the second of the two drawings we have a broad walk flanked on 

 either side with bush and standard roses, and spanned at intervals with arches of 

 roses, the popular W. A. Richardson being conspicuous. Very fine also in the 

 borders are the finely-developed specimens of white campanulas and lilies, and 

 other hardy plants in which the gardens of Newlands Manor are particularly rid 

 The two drawirgs of most interest to rosarians are perhaps, " A Corner of the 

 Deanery Garden : Rochester " (No. 17) and " The Dean's Garden: Rochester 

 (No. 65), which may be described as two of Mr. Elgood's most successful efforts. 

 They show that if the president of the National Rose Society no longer aspiresj 

 the honours of the e*hifnri/\« fV.of v»; c 1™* for fV»A m«p ic in no wav diminish** 



In the first of the two pictur 



herbaceous plants in converting 



pecimens 



of 



9 



clipped 



*"-'■ w ^mmiijui IJCIUilUCOUS piaillb 111 UOIlVCIlUlg 111LU a WUUtmwJ ,| 



broad borders that skirt the principal walk leading to the deanery, of whicM 

 delightful peep is obtained. There are many other drawings to which we shou- 

 like to refer, but sufficient has been said to indicate the interest of the exhibit** 

 and the artistic merit displayed in the drawings of Italian and English gardens. 



Market Grapes.— A few days since I looked in at the grape-grofj 

 establishment Mr. Bennett has at Cobham, Surrey. It is a place that gives am 

 pleasure even at this time of the year, when nearly all the vines are resting *-- 

 but one or two houses have been started ; because in every direction the ^ 

 looked so well, were kept so close spurred, and so neat. Eve 7 ; j „ 

 gets a coating of a solution of caustic soda and commercial potash, u» 

 warm with the aid of a paint brush, and that painting serves to keep 1 £ 

 thoroughly clean. Glass, paint, and floors, too, are thoroughly clean. 

 in some houses had recently been lightly forked over and received a dreaw 

 manure. Mr. Smith, who is Mr. Bennet's able cultivator, Pf^fJLj, 

 chemical manures in a raw state and do his own mixing. After the ur ~~T> 

 applied a thorough soaking of water is given to the soil, and then the -to* 

 well prepared fur the work so soon to be required of them. In one nou*£ 

 oeing prepared for planting, old soil had been excavated and partially Wj , 

 and was being replaced by such fresh soil, chiefly roadside trimmings, ast : ^ 

 obtained. That was mixed with some of the old soil, and crushed bone w» 

 dust was being intermixed. The coarse manure of bygone days did not « # 

 market vine culture. But I was most impressed with the sight of six n* 

 hundred and fifty feet, spans twenty-five feet wide, erected side by side * lt ^ B(1 

 party walls. Each house was planted with one hundred Gros Co'rnar ^ 

 total of six hundred of this one famous market variety. This is, it is «™ . ^ 

 .'mall accession to the great number of vineries being constantly erec ie ° ^4 

 directions; but all the same, however, it helps to illustrate the exceeding t ^ 

 the grape- producing industry, in spite of the fact that in their season 

 very cheap. That it is possible to get a capital return from cheap grap-^ ^ 

 crop and quality are commensurate, is one of the certainties of to-day. ' 



