May 29. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
145 
across it—all very well when dry, but scarcely suitable 
for ladies’ slippers when wet or loaded with dew. If 
that walk were continued across the lawn, there would be 
two terminations—the grotto at the one end, and the 
conservatory at the other. 
I know not what effect such a broad piece of gravel might 
have on the lawn when seen from the higher windows, 
and very likely this may have constituted the reason for 
preventing the lawn being broken up. But if this did 
not constitute an insuperable objection, a greater variety 
could be produced in this lawn or mansion garden ; as, 
between the walk and the house, one or more separate 
groups of small beds could be sunk in a panel, and thus 
be the means of introducing many little things near the 
eye, that would not tell, or it would be difficult to obtain 
enough of them so as to produce an effect in these large 
beds. If such beds were sunk, the eye would pass over 
them, without obstruction, to the massive beds beyond. 
I throw out this idea, not by any means all my own, 
because I feel sure that many readers will be apt to visit 
these gardens during the summer, who pilgrimate for 
the triple purpose of admiring, reflecting, and learning, 
and who are fast getting into the knack of imitating 
i only those parts of a policy and a system of which their 
| enlightened judgment approves. The great evil is, that 
I in such matters there are no fixed principles of action, and 
though each and everybody may criticize, it is with the ; 
full understanding that in such matters a man must 
just please himself if he can. 
On getting to this beautiful grotto, I was agreeably j 
surprized to find that this fine, broad walk that led to it 
was merely the half of the top of the letter T, or the 
out-jutting leg of an L reversed, as another large, broad, 
straight walk goes off at right angles. On both sides 
is a broad verge of turf, furnished respectively with a 
row of standard Roses. On the one side, the line of 
Laurels behind is straightish; but on the other, it 
recedes, so as to leave a large space for another flower- 
garden, with beds of the usual size, bordered with Box, 
and gravel between. This must be an agreeable change 
from the large beds on the lawn. I have beard some- | 
thing, though I cannot tell the tale, of a nobleman so 
partial to uniformity, that he never constructed any¬ 
thing, however simple, but there must be a pair, in all | 
respects similar; and there has been many a smile, as 
the story goes, that the saucy gardener, when he shut up 
a young depredator in a building on one side of the 
walk, must needs encage his own son in the building on 
the opposite side, and all for uniformity. Now, I feel 
pretty sure that this flower-garden will be so interesting 
in summer,—all the more from having such a nice green 
background, especially when the sun plays upon it,—that 
not one in fifty will ever think of the demand that a 
strict uniformity would make in having a similar large 
opening for a garden on the opposite side ; or that this 
garden itself might be screened from the walk, and not 
seen until it was entered. I noticed here, that the 
standard Roses had no ring or circle of bare earth round 
the stems, but were turfed close up all round; and Mr. 
Ayres told me, the plants received the requisite amount 
of water by just moving a little bit of turf, or letting it 
' remain as it was, and fixing firmly down a large flower- , 
pot, filling it with water in the evening, and removing 
next morning when the liquid had all drained away. 
A few large pots, thus used, and charged daily, would 
soon suffice for watering a great many plants, and might 
be used with advantage in the case of other plants beside 
Roses. 
The termination of this broad walk would be the 
favourite locality for general visitors. 
On the right, many grass paths branch off, shaded 
with the never-failing Laurel, presenting even from the 
outside much variety of scene, and furnishing good 
i hints to the suburban gardener, as, without closely 
examining, it would almost be impossible to believe 
that such variety could be produced in such a small 
space. 
Turning to the left, for a little distance, you at once 
look down upon a splendid piece of water, with a 
large willow drooping in its centre, with walks all round 
the water, with the never-failing Laurels as a back 
ground, the earth removed having been instrumental in 
making most picturesque banks and undulations in the 
grounds. At the back of the grotto, and bounded on 
one side by the banks of the lake, is a- large Pinetum, 
an avenue of Deodars and Araucarias, which, no 
doubt, will one day be most interesting ; but planted on 
a level surface, it at present looks tame, compared with 
the witcheries and enticements in the neighbourhood of 
of the lake. 
Of the kitchen-gardens, which seemed small for such 
a place, of the greenhouses, forcing-houses, all full, I shall 
say nothing, as I have already lingered too long ; but I 
must notice a range of new, small houses, with a short¬ 
hipped back roof, heated by hot-water below and above, 
and in which Pines, Vines, Beaus, Cucumbers, and 
Melons, were growing, with Strawberries on shelves at 
the back and overhead. I notice these merely for 
chronicling the mode of Melon and Cucumber growing. 
The beds in all these houses extend from a deep path¬ 
way under the hipped roof to the front wall, and the 
heat, bottom and top, is ample. I long ago stated, that 
the best Melons are produced by stinting their root-room, 
and that I have had better aud heavier Melons from 
pot-growth than ever I had them from beds. I was 
pleased to see the adaptation of the same principle here. 
The Melons were growing quite vigorously enough, the 
Vines being trained to within a foot or so of the glass 
on a wire trellis. The pit might be about four feet wide, 
and they were planted near the front, and a rough wall 
of bricks was run up near the middle to curtail the 
root-room. Not only would the Melons thus be benefited, 
but a nice little bed was thus left next the pathway, for 
striking and growing tender exotics. 
The Cucumbers were treated much in the same way, 
and trained to a trellis in a similar manner. There 
were several fine kinds that were new to me. I obtained 
some cuttings, but they bid me good-bye. The bug did 
for them. I have before recommended “ Ayres on the 
Cucumber.” His late father was one of the most suc¬ 
cessful growers I have met with, especially in pots. 
The numbers he must have cut in his day of the Sion 
House or Kenyon must have been enormous. 
Mr. Ayres likes the Sion House and the Newington 
Beans for forcing ; the latter is often sent to table whole. 
I have often thought that Beans would be much better 
if cooked whole, after merely ending and stringing them. 
Cut by method or no method, the real flavour must be 
greatly dissipated by the water. 
My friend who took me to Whittlebury only allowed 
me an hour. I was a little more than the time; but 
even now I would have gladly spent half-a-day. I can 
easily picture the rational enjoyments that many from 
the neighbouring towns will derive when the gardens 
are all blooming. The houses in the large village of 
Whittlebury appeared very comfortable, convenient, 
clean, and neat; and almost every cottage had its 
arbour and its flower-garden. R. Eish. 
MEDINILLA MAGNiEICA. 
The Magnificent Medinilla. 
Moon Park, the seat of Lord Robert Grosvenor, is 
about five miles from where I am writing. 1 had an 
opportunity of visiting the gardens there, on the 18th 
instant, and saw, in the plant-siove, aline specimen of this 
truly magnificent plant in flower. I can say, without 
