September|l6, 1699. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
43 
Houses for Palms, 150 ft. long, others for 
Smilax and Asparagus, were already getting filled 
with their several subjects. Bouvardias, zonal 
Pelargoniums and Roses were each in varying 
stages, the latter then past their best, though during 
the spring a fine crop had been gathered. Besides 
the many interesting things at the nursery, Mr. Rob¬ 
son had taken a great quantity of flowering Orchids 
and other plants to York show, where I gather from 
reports he competed very worthily in almost every 
class open to Orchids.—-S. E. 
HOLLAND HOUSE. 
The historical associations of Holland House have 
served as matter for many descriptive articles to 
writers in all sorts of magazines. The best of our 
upon it. The south side from which an entrance 
was gained is very handsome. Great massive iron 
gates, most elaborately wrought and gilded, stand 
back in a wide semi-circular reserved area, and at 
each side there is the estate lodge. Passing through 
one makes their way up the broad, long, shaded 
avenue. To see such tall old trees, borders of shrubs, 
and a great park on the left hand, where equestrians 
could have a vigorous gallop in, so large is it; all 
thoughts of just having left street tramways, coster’s 
barrows, rattling cabs, and the street and shop life 
pass completely out of mind. But let us go on. 
The handsome old house, all gnarled in Ivies, in 
Vines and Wistarias, looms its top stories just up 
above the rising slopes in front of us. Soon this 
forward prominence is gained, and the greater 
immensity of the mansion lies pictured. It is on 
edged in a becoming way with tall, compact and welj 
trained Box. 
On a sunny south wall, seen on the 
right of the photo, the Pomegranate (Punica) 
flourishes luxuriantly; Vitis rubrum, Magnolias, 
Wistarias, Traveller’s Joy, the white Bladder 
Flower (Physianthus albens), and quite a host of 
other remarkable and beautiful climbers are also to 
be seen. 
By ascending a range of steps which lead to the 
level roof of a building on the left of the Dutch 
garden, a splendid prospective opens forth in all 
directions. 
The finer grounds, or at least the more furnished 
parts, lie away on the right hand, and in the journey 
there I learned that the greater part of the area 
about to be described has only recently been arrayed 
Dutch Garden at Holland House. 
Our right hand. The " gigantic wheel,” which every¬ 
body knows is at Earl’s Court, a mile or two ofl, is seen 
in its mightiness very clearly defined away beyond on 
the left, and all around us there is either turret or 
tower, garden, wooded strip or sunny park. A strong 
wall lies between us and the orchard, at the top or 
north-west side of which is Mr. Dixon's house, and 
so are the limited range of conservatories. Mr. 
Dixon seems to carry history to a respectable age 
even in his tenure, for he has seen thirty-five 
summers come and go during his management of the 
gardens at Holland House. He is a typical old 
Scotchman, who is famous as a photographer as well 
as a gardener, and it is from his photographs that 
the illustrations of Holland House in the finest of 
magazines are prepared. We are indebted to him for 
our illustration of the fine old Dutch garden, which 
is an item under his own charge. The view is from 
the east side next the house. As may be seen, there 
are numerous objects of interest all around. Climb¬ 
ing plants are much in evidence, and the collection 
comprises a very large selection. In a certain little 
square plot oddly placed in contact with the house, 
Mr. Dixon has done the best that could have been 
accomplished in the filling of that particular place. 
Instead of spare or tangled herbaceous or bedding 
plants, permanent climbers take the place,and these, 
which include blue, white, and mauve Clematises; 
Vitis or Ampelopsis, Ivy, and Flame Flowers, &c.; 
these, as I say, are linked in swinging chain fashion 
in parallel lines and cross-lines, up and down the 
walls, and over copings. 
The Dutch garden itself is filled with summer bed¬ 
ding plants of the usual order. All the beds are 
English monthlies, and foreign magazines as well, 
have, more or less, all had a story to tell about this 
particular "happy home of England.” It is now 
completely surrounded by the sea of streets, business 
houses, and villas of that great metropolis called 
London, and in situated in the Kensington district, a 
western portion of this great city. It has a history 
bordering upon 300 years. It was begun in 1607 by 
one named Sir Walter Cope, who willed it to his 
wife. Upon her death it became the property of a 
daughter of Sir Walter’s, and this daughter, having 
married Sir Henry Rich, who became Lord Kensing¬ 
ton in 1622, and Lord Holland two years later, the 
house and estate of fifty-five acres came under this 
name or title. 
Twenty-five years from the time the then owner 
received the title of Lord Holland he was beheaded. 
One of Cromwell’s officers named General Fairfax 
now took possession, but it again went back to the 
Countess of Holland. She, however, did not long 
remain a widow, and by marrying Addison the estate 
a second time went into a stranger's hands. From 
the Restoration till the middle of the eighteenth 
century Holland House became the home of various 
tenants or possessors, among whom may be men¬ 
tioned William Penn, the English Quaker, who 
colonised and gave name to the State of Pennsyl¬ 
vania in America, and Van Dyck, the famous Dutch 
painter. Then through various transitions and 
changes it has fallen to Earl Ilchester, the head of 
the Fox-Strangeways, which is a branch of the 
Holland line or family. It was a lovely morning 
early in the present month when I visited this 
ancient home with the burden of time and tale 
and planted. The complete success of all that has 
been put out, such as Bamboos, Roses, trees, shrubs, 
herbaceous and alpine plants is a standing testi¬ 
monial to the knowledge and care of the head gar¬ 
dener. The ground is of the most varied formation. 
Long established and well-kept lawns, a pleasure 
and beauty in themselves, are more so from the 
finely placed Catalpas, Hibiscus, Araucarias, &c., 
which furnish them. Towards the lower part of a 
sloping lawn, in moist ground, a collection of Bam¬ 
boos, now-a-days becoming so popular, bad been 
planted less than two years ago. Not one has looked 
behind, and the growths they are making shows 
their acceptance of the position. B. aurea, B. 
violescens, B. viridi-glaucescens, B. palmata, B. 
Veitchii variegata, B. Metake, a stronger growing 
variety than any of the others, and quite resistant 
to London fogs ; and B. Simonii, already mentioned, 
are a selection which serves to show wbat really 
has been attempted. Close by the Bamboos there 
is a little aquarium where suitable plants such as 
Typha latifolia, Reeds and Rushes, Cyperus, Apono- 
geton, Polygonum, Villarsia, and Sagittaria may be 
seen, and where the smart and very watchful French 
frogs and goldfish dive about. The number of 
aquariums is not limited to one, however, for Mr. 
Dixon has completed nearly half-a-dozen at various 
points adown the sloping ground, and each is con¬ 
nected with the other by a tiny streamlet kept in 
flow from a cistern at the highest point. For Water 
Lilies and aquatic plants and animals generally, 
these little pools or screened tanks are very well 
adapted. All along the course of the streamlet 
marsh-loving plants have been planted; and 
