THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 1 , 1857. 
of the mansion, owing to the manner in which the 
trees are grouped, and the light and shade secured by 
j the open spaces between them. 
From the highway alluded to, peeps are obtained of 
the mansion ; and nearer still, of two circular ends of 
glass houses. That led me to imagine, what I after- 
j wards found to be true, that the place was more dis¬ 
tinguished for its glass houses anct fruit and vegetable 
j gardening than for its pleasure grounds and flower 
; gardens ; the latter being very limited in comparison 
i with the former. 
In going from ~W adesmill, after getting to the top 
j of the hill, and before you come to a lodge, the first 
I turning to the right, along a lane, brings you to the 
back of the kitchen garden, where, in a fine open 
space, is situated the beautiful garden-house so 
| worthily occupied by Mr. Hume. All honour to 
those employers who thus think of the comfort and 
the health of their servants—an honour not an iota 
the less though ultimately they lose nothing even in a 
J pecuniary point of view; such kindness on the one 
side producing, in all right-minded men, increased 
j industry, and faithfulness on the other. Great changes 
in this respect have taken place within the last twenty 
years; but yet, though our journeyings are compara¬ 
tively few, we find not unfrequent instances of gar- 
I deners living in places, where, owing to want of room 
I and deficiency of sunlight, it is almost impossible that 
they or their families can be healthy. 
Arrived at the north side of the kitchen garden with 
its ranges of houses, and having already alluded to the 
circular ends of glass houses in the pleasure grounds, 
we will make our first standing point there, near the 
mansion; a prudential fact I consider worthy the 
passing attention of the young gardener. This place 
used to be open to visitors only on Fridays. I suppose 
this was a necessary protective regulation when the 
houses, &c., were chiefly new. However that may 
now hold with general visitors, a discretionary power 
is left in the hands of Mr. Hume as respects gardeners, 
&c., who may see the place any day. In such circum¬ 
stances the gardener should have two rules of action. 
The first is never to attempt to conceal a visitor from 
any of the family, for that might give rise to suspicions. 
The second is never to obtrude a visitor on their 
notice, or meet them unnecessarily, if it can be avoided. 
Unless where a clear understanding exists to the con¬ 
trary, let these two rules be prudently and honourably 
acted upon, and much unpleasantness will bo saved. 
The house being full of company, Mr. Hume took me 
so far that I had a perfect view of the front of the 
house, and could see that there was an ornamental 
conservatory on its west side, and yet neither of us 
came prominently within the sweep of the windows. 
Our standing point, then, is the west end of the 
terrace walk that passes in front of the ends of the 
glass houses referred to, and where we look down on 
a deeply sunk square flower garden, separated from 
the house by a terrace-lawn rather higher than that on 
which we are standing ; the front of that terrace being 
supported by a wall some five feet or so in height, but 
none of it seen above the terrace; the banks on the 
west and east sides being planted with choice shrubs, 
continuing on to the glass houses ; and a bank of 
Cypresses, &c., being also beyond this garden to the 
southward, separating it from the park. The centre 
of this sunk garden is appropriated to beds of bedding 
plants ; and four large triangular outside figures at 
the corners are filled with Roses; while the centre 
beds are relieved with large specimens of tree and 
weeping Roses planted in them, and growing beauti¬ 
fully. I may also mention that there are flower-beds 
on the lawn in front of the house, before you come to 
this deeply sunk flower garden. 
Now, I do not much fancy grouping Rose Iped-s with 
the general bedding plants, though some of our best 
gardeners still continue to do so ; but that is neither 
here nor there. But what I failed to apprehend was, 
the idea of the designer in forming this deeply sunk 
flower garden, unless the square hollow was there 
ready made to his hands ; and that this was the case is 
rendered more probable by the fact, that the general 
level of the park near the boundary is much the same 
depth below the walk on which we are now standing? 
the house being low rather than otherwise. The 
raising of this garden a couple of feet or more would 
have improved its appearance. At present it is shut 
in from the view of the park all round, and thus the 
flowers have a fine green background. But with these 
accessories there is no apparent reason why beds on a 
sloping lawn would not have answered the purpose 
equally well. I can easily conceive how in such a 
]flace it might be very desirable that the chief views 
from the house should be its park scenery; that the 
planting in the dressed grounds should be in unison 
with the style of the park ; and that, though flowers 
near the house were very desirable, they should not be 
made conspicuous unless to those who wished to see 
them; and that hence a sunk flower garden that 
would not impede the park view would be very de¬ 
sirable. But in such a case the flower-beds next the 
house on the raised level, and the shrubbery separating 
the sunk flower garden from the park, would be out of 
character. I have never heard who laid out this 
garden, and therefore can, I hope, give no offence ; 
but so many have seen it, that there will be no want 
of judges on both sides. 
Another feature connected with the terrace walk on 
which we are standing. On each side it has a narrow 
glade of turf, dotted with flower-beds. The turf on 
the south, or park side, being bounded by a deep sub¬ 
stantial wall that separates it from the park. There 
is nothing seen of this wall above the grass level of the 
terrace, but low continuations of the piers at regular 
distances, designed for the reception of vases, &c. 
Now, this place is so famed, that it will bear a re¬ 
mark that we might hesitate to make as to other 
places that have been laid out within these few years, 
and which are much nearer to us than the Poles ; and 
it is this. In our fathers’ days, a sunk, or ha-ha 
wall, was meant to be concealed, and to hide the 
boundary line. In these improved times, a boundary 
line is so beautiful; a deep sunk ditch in front of a 
concealed wall is so tantalising with its sweets and 
lovables, that we must carry the principal walk of 
the place within a few feet of it, so that everybody 
may see that a wall has been built, and a ditch has 
been sunk. This will be so far avoided at the Poles, 
when once the vases are placed on their pedestals. It 
would be avoided still more, if a low ornamental wall, 
say of open work, stood prominently above the grass, 
and that was ornamented with vases, &c. The 
boundary would then be more distinct, and marked ; 
but then it wouldbe ornamental, and more characterised 
by fitness and appropriateness. In such a case, or 
even with the contemplated row of vases, &c., I think 
the scenery within, and that beyond, so marked a 
boundary, should contrast instead of assimilate. 
The ends of the houses seen from the highway, are 
the terminations of the east and west sides, of three 
sides of a square, of large span-roofed houses joined 
together. The south side between the ends is occupied 
by a small flower garden separated from the terrace 
by a trellis work of Roses, in aline with the ends of the 
houses referred to. The whole of the houses are 
beautifully finished, with broad slate shelves at the 
sides, ancl a strong slate platform in the centre. The 
west side is chiefly devoted to greenhouse plants, and 
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