CHAPTER III 
BETWEEN THE SION VISTA AND THE THAMES 
Ashes and 
Hornbeams. 
Having returned to the upper or north end of the Lake, our route 
will now take us westward across the Sion Vista to the Azalea Garden. 
This feature of Kew is described elsewhere. At present 
it is only necessary to allude to the collections of trees 
in its neighbourhood. To the east and north are planted 
the ashes (Fraxinus) — amongst which the tall, mast-like stems of 
the white ash of North America are most conspicuous — and also 
several weeping varieties of the English ash. Striking almost due 
north from the centre of the Azalea Garden is an avenue known as 
the Hornbeam Avenue. Here the species of Carpinus and Ostrya 
are situated. On the western side are the collections of cobnuts 
and filberts (Corylus), of the planes (Platanus), and of the beeches 
(Fagus). 
The common beech ( Fagus sylvatica) has produced many inter- 
esting deviations from the type. The several weeping forms are 
popular garden trees, forming as they do natural shady 
arbours ; then the variegated and purple beeches, of 
which there is here a good selection, are the most striking large trees 
with coloured foliage that we possess ; and the cut-leaved sorts are 
also attractive. 
Leaving the Azalea Garden altogether, and turning south-west- 
wards with the “ Hollow Walk Wood ” on our right and the Sion 
Vista on the left, we may enter a pretty, curving, grassy 
walk, almost parallel with the latter. At the beginning 
of this walk — the “ Chestnut Avenue ” — we shall pass 
very near to the spot where, in 1754 and for a few years later, 
stood the Hermitage of Queen Caroline, one of the most famous of 
the several fanciful structures she erected in what were then the 
Royal gardens of Richmond. At each side of this avenue have 
been planted the different varieties of the sweet chestnut ( Castanea 
184 
Beeches. 
Sweet 
Chestnuts 
