JULY. 
205 
Camellia. There is a broad stage along the front of the house, beneath 
which are the hot-water pipes; they are kept out of sight by a light 
iron-work trellis, to which the Irish Ivy is trained. It is curious to 
observe how fond the Germans are of the Ivy; they would go mad with 
delight if they could have it growing out of doors as luxuriantly as we 
have. 
“ Beyond the conservatory is a well-furnished little Fernery; and at 
right angles to it a magnificent Palm-house. It is an oblong building, 
with a ridge-and-furrow roof, and a gallery running all round it. 
There are eight or ten large specimens of Palms, and a Tree-Fern with 
a clear stem of twelve feet in height; around these small Palms and 
other stove plants are very artistically grouped. Rockwork is introduced 
into this house with a very good effect; it is done upon such a massive 
and gigantic scale that one is almost forced to believe it is natural. 
The staircase leading up to the gallery appears to have been hewn out 
of the solid rock; a spring of clear water gushes out near the top, and 
falls in a cascade by your side as you ascend. Ferns, Aroids, and 
other creeping plants grow in the fissures of the rocks, and fall in natural 
wreaths over the ledges. I never saw rockwork so successfully managed. 
No natural stone is used, but the design was first roughed out in brick¬ 
work, and then a surface of cement given ; this shows no trace of the 
workman’s tool. 
“ On the opposite side of the garden, a range of three span-roofed 
houses was devoted to a fine collection of Orchids, purchased a few 
years ago in England. In the warmest division, the centre of which is 
occupied by an open tank which keeps the air always moist, a set of 
Pitcher-plants and other varieties were growing most luxuriantly. 
Behind these houses come another range—a Peach-house and two 
vineries; forcing has not, however, reached that perfection in Germany 
to which it has attained in England, although they have very little of 
that dull sunless weather against which our countrymen have to 
struggle. 
“ It was rather amusing to see a bed of Rhubarb in one part of the 
ground, planted entirely for its fine foliage; strange to say, its stalks 
are seldom or never eaten in this neighbourhood. There were also 
several other beds of Gannas and other foliage plants, so characteristic of 
German gardening, but I do not think they were quite so fine as those 
I saw in the Louisen Strasse yesterday, nor was there so great a variety 
in the plants used. There was one sight, however, which I never saw 
equalled. In the lower part of the garden was a large sheet of water; 
as there is a great quantity of waste hot water from the manufactory 
close by, it is conveyed underground into this lake, so that almost any 
temperature may be kept up. At the time of my visit, the surface of 
the water was half covered with Water Lilies, and hundreds of flowers 
were expanded. Among these Nymphseas were many hybrids and 
species not often met with ; the variety in their colours was charming. 
There was the bright blue, pure white, deep crimson, and every shade 
of pink. I should think the effect of this could not be rivalled in 
Europe. There was a Victoria house close by, in which the royal 
Water Lily was growing well. Most of the Nymphseas had been 
