July 10, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
713 
WIMBLEDON HOUSE, SURREY. 
Many a wayfarer, in passing the long brick -wall 
Which bounds Sir Henry Peek’s estate, on the border 
of Wimbledon Common, lias doubtless fancied that a 
snug property lies within, but none can imagine 
anything like its beauty and completeness ; indeed, 
when viewing the place itself it is difficult to realize 
the fact, that the great metropolis is within a few 
miles, so beautiful is the natural scenery of its 
undulating ground, studded with stately oaks and 
beautified by a wildly rural stretch of water, all ren¬ 
dered more unlike the suburbs of London, by the 
presence of numerous water fowls, of herons on the 
wing, and deer in the park. But so it is, that while 
the neighbourhood has grown more populous and town¬ 
like, the little world with¬ 
in the walls has still pre¬ 
served its individuality, 
and retained its perfect 
beauty and repose. 
Nearly one hundred 
acres in extent, the 
grounds are so arranged 
that many different views 
are opened up at the 
various turns in the 
paths, and modern gar¬ 
dening or woodland 
views with tall oaks over¬ 
head, and the rustic 
growth of Ferns, Poly¬ 
gonums, and ornamental 
grasses beneath, in turn 
present themselves. 
The terrace outside the 
ornamental range of 
houses overlooks a pretty 
prospect, the square 
which encloses the chief 
bedding display, being 
set out with arches and 
festoons of Roses, the 
centre of the middle walk 
being occupied by a foun¬ 
tain, round which are 
planted eight fine speci¬ 
mens of Irish Yews, and 
further on still, on the 
right, is an ornamental 
piece of water with a great 
show of white water Lilies 
in it, and a very pretty 
and evergreen edging of 
Ivy. Such an edging, 
trained as it is here, over 
trellises, which it com¬ 
pletely hides, is much 
more characteristic than 
a stone or rock one. 
Further use is made of 
Ivies in Sir Henry Peek’s 
garden, by training them 
to cover stumps, and so 
arranged, they are of in¬ 
estimable value for giving 
variety among the more 
prominent of the shrubs. 
The flower garden is 
gay, neat, and all the more interesting that the show' 
of bedding plants, such as scarlet Pelargoniums, &c., 
is kept well within hounds, and only allowed to form 
a portion, many of the beds being occupied by Iris, 
Pyrethrums, Paeonies, Delphiniums, yellow Aquilegias, 
Phloxes, Foxgloves, &c., which ensures a better present 
effect, and also a longer continuance of bloom, than is 
the case where bedding plants only are used. In this 
portion of the garden, which really forms a perfect 
garden in itself, are studded some magnificent specimen 
conifers, clumps of Rhododendrons and Azaleas, a fine 
bed of scarlet Pyrus japonica, and another of golden 
Elder, and the whole is backed by a shady shrubbery, 
along the borders of which the herbaceous perennials 
and annuals are very bright, the blue Cornflower and 
the handsome self-sown Poppies being especially gay. 
Through the garden, and by a pleasant way through 
the park and crossing the bridge over the water, we 
come to a very pretty and secluded spot, which, by the 
age of the large Medlar and Mulberry trees, must have 
been a favourite retreat for many years. The interest 
of the spot is still further enhanced by a curious little 
temple, which contains a grotto, the whole of which is 
wonderfully worked in various shells, the floor being 
equally curiously worked in various kinds of small 
stones, and the whole a good example of what patience 
and skill may work out of strange materials. Fiom the 
front of this grotto a fine view of the Crystal Palace is 
obtained, and other pretty scenes present themselves 
from other parts of the grounds. 
The Welliugtonia walk, returning from the lower 
part of the grounds, is a distinct and beautiful and 
uncommon feature in a garden. Along it, on either 
hand, are grand specimens of Wellingtonia gigantea, 
from 20 ft. to 30 ft. in height, each in itself a pleasant 
thing to behold ; viewed collectively along the avenue, 
Me. N. N. Sheew’OOD, 
President of the Forty-third Annual Festival of the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution, 
they present a rare sight. Among them are planted 
other fine conifers, which emit a delightful fragrance 
under the hot rays of the sun. Continuing towards 
the comfortable and substantial mansion, the path lies 
under the shade of trees, and alongside a very pic¬ 
turesque piece of water, in which, and on its bank, 
many interesting plants arc growing wild, such as the 
yellow Nuphar, the white Water Lily, the Bog Bean, 
Willow Herb, and other plants, which are so lovely 
when seen in large untended masses. About the place 
are many pleasant retreats, the most unassailable, 
perhaps, being the tall rustic house built over the 
water. 
The Plant Houses. 
The main block is a long and lofty range in many divi¬ 
sions, with the loftiest dome-topped one in the middle. 
As is usual with such ornamental structures, the plants 
have to be arranged very carefully as to their require¬ 
ments, and in this matter great discrimination has been 
exhibited, the Orchids, &c., being grown in the shadier 
lean-to’s, while other plants which like, or will stand 
sunlight, are grown on the other. In the lobby, at the 
entrance, is a bright display of scarlet and other zonal 
Pelargoniums, then follows a Peach house leading to the 
Banana house, in which are also other tropical fruits, 
and economic plants such as Mango, Nutmeg, Allspice, 
Anona, &c. Stephanotis and Bougainvillea glabra are 
grandly blooming over the roof. Next comes the warm 
tank house, with Nymphseas in the water, specimen 
Ferns on pedestals over it, and immense specimens of 
Philodendron pertusum, fruiting on the back wall; the 
large yellow Allamanda Schotti on this roof is very 
beautiful. The centre house, some 30 ft. in height, has 
a rockery in the centre planted with Ferns, Phormium 
tenax variegata, Palms, &c. ; Habrothamnus elegans 
is beautifully in flower on the pillars ; and the sides of 
the house are planted 
with Camellias. Then 
follows the second house 
of Grapes, good in crop, 
colour, and finish, and 
afterwards the Fig-house 
in full bearing, and the 
last on that side, a Mus¬ 
cat-house well advanced 
in fruit. 
The Orchids are grown 
in lean-to houses, on the 
shady side of the range 
just passed, and the first 
one contains a fine lot of 
bloom on Odontoglossum 
Roezlii, 0. vexillarium, 
O. naevium majus, 0. 
cirrhosum, many 0. Alex¬ 
andra, and 0. Pescatorei, 
Oncidium ampliatum 
majus, O. flexuosum, 
many varieties of Aerides 
odoratum, Saccolabium 
Blumei majus, S. curvi- 
folium, Dendrobium sua- 
vissimum, a fine showy 
plant with nine spikes, 
Cattleya Mendelii, C. 
Mossia, and a fine C. 
labiata Warnerii, Calan- 
the veratrifolia, Masde- 
vallias, and Cypripe- 
diuins ; the front being 
occupied by very healthy 
specimens of Odontoglos- 
sums. The next division 
is remarkable for the fine 
Pleiones, hundreds of 
which are grown in pans 
suspended overhead, and 
are a fine sight in the 
flowering season. All are 
grown in this cool house, 
except about sixty good 
pans of P. maculata, 
which are here found to 
like a little more heat, 
and are similarly sus¬ 
pended in a warmer 
house. 'When we con¬ 
sider how rare bad cul¬ 
ture used to make these 
plants, the benefit of better understanding them is 
evident. In the same house are Lycastes, Odonto¬ 
glossum vexillarium, 0. grande, 0. citrosmnm, &c., all 
in good health ; and the back wall is rendered very 
pretty by training the tall-growing Begonias up it. 
The next division is devoted mainly to a fine lot of 
Ccelogyne cristata, the back wall being rendered very 
ornamental with Fern-clad rockery, the Nephrolepis 
on which is very handsome, mingled as it is with 
Maidenhair and other Ferns, foliage Begonias, &c. 
The fourth house on this side contains Cattleyas and 
some well-grown Oncidium Lanceanum, and the fifth 
Cyprpediums, Thunias and Maidenhairs, and these com¬ 
plete the ornamental block. Among the other houses 
are a warm Orchid-house, some stoves, greenhouses, good 
Peach, Nectarine, Melon, Pine, and Cucumber houses, 
and a range of early and late Vineries in good condition. 
Other houses and pits are devoted to Crotons, Dracaenas, 
Ferns, and other decorative plants, and large batches 
of things good for cut flowers and for decoration, among 
which we noted a fine stock of Gardenias, Tabernae- 
