September 12, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
23 
10 g i* 
50 
-f—* 
—I—- 
do 
PLANS FOR SUBURBAN VILLA GARDENS, 
work from being done twice over. The position of the 
house being marked out, clear away all the topsoil 
carefully from the site, wheeling it into convenient 
heaps for future use. This should be an order to the 
builder, and stipulated for in his contract. The ground 
should be staked out from the plan by actual measure¬ 
ments, the paths formed and properly drained, and 
should the lawn or kitchen garden appear wet, these 
may also be drained, and the position of the drains be 
indicated on the plan. The forming of the borders, 
trenching, and levelling may then be proceeded with, 
and when the house is completed the planting should 
be done, then the turfing and the gravelling of the 
paths when everything else has been finished. It is 
necessary, to perfectly enjoy a garden, that all the 
materials used should be suitable for the- purpose ; that 
the shrubs should be selected with judgment and well 
rooted ; that the turf should be free from weeds, and 
the gravel of a good binding nature. The best time to 
do such work is either in the autumn or the spring, 
and preferably the autumn, as shrubs, fruit trees, and 
turf take root immediately after planting and stand 
better. In the spring they are sometimes sorely tried 
by drying winds before they can make a start to grow, 
and may possibly be killed out-right. 
We have to acknowledge our indebtedness for the 
plans to Mr. Thomas Bevan, 31, York Rise, Dartmouth 
Park, N. W., who during the last ten years has had a 
great amount of experience in landscape gardening, 
especially in laying out town and suburban gardens, 
and who may be consulted on such matters with 
advantage by anyone who has a garden, large or small, 
and who does not know what to do with it. 
--—5^—-- 
GUNTON PARK GARDENS. 
Gunton Park is the Norfolk seat of Lord Sutfield, 
and situated nineteen miles distant from Norwich, oil 
the East-Norfolk line of railway. The nearest station, 
Gunton, is about two miles from the Hall, and as his 
Lordship kindly allows the public free access to his 
gardens and Park every Thursday from May to Sep¬ 
tember, there are on those days several vehicles 
which meet most of the trains from Norwich and Cromer, 
and carry the visitors at a very reasonable charge. A 
lovely ride it is too, passing on the way the modern 
church of Thorp Market, built of flint and freestone, 
with turrets at the angles, in the absence of a tower. 
The avenues of young and old trees are very interes¬ 
ting, and conspicuous among them are some Elms, 
whose habit of growth is different to any I had 
previously seen, and looking at a distance like trees 
that had been pruned up square in the form of a tower. 
The park is entered through a neat lodge gate, and from 
the time we leave the station until we return to it, we 
do not see anything that a critical gardener would 
consider untidy, for neatness and good order prevail 
everywhere. From the entrance gate we proceed some 
way amongst plantations of different years planting, 
until we reach the beautiful Gunton Tower, which 
stands on an eminence, and is 120 ft. in height, the 
drive passes through it, and the view opening out on 
the opposite side is very beautiful. In front is a large 
expanse of grass, with plenty of timber, and in the 
distance a mile away stands the Hall, seen through the 
trees, and which is reached by one of the best of roads, 
broad, hard, and smooth, with no signs of the grass 
being trodden down on either side, for most, if not 
all of the visitors who walk, keep to the road. 
Passing along the road we soon get glimpses of the 
ornamental water. The park with its plantations, dressed 
grounds, deer enclosure, pasture, and water, covers an 
area of something over 1000 acres. It occupies the 
whole of Gunton parish, a good slice of the parish of 
Hanworth, and some of Thorpe Market. As we 
approach the Hall, we can see that entirely one half the 
south part is roofless, though the walls still stand erect. 
The northern half is intact, and in this part the family 
live when here. A disastrous fire broke out here on 
the 18th of December, 1882, and nearly all the state 
apartments were destroyed. The flower gardens, par¬ 
terres, and terraces are all enclosed with strongly built 
low walls, with an ornamental parapet; entering on 
the east side we find beds and borders all aglow, and in 
the neatest of trim, a good many sub-tropical plants are 
used, and all the beds are well filled up. I was much 
struck with the Clematises on the pillars, and in places 
growing over Ivy. The flower garden proper, is planted 
this year in the old English style, i.e., mixed plants 
