1046 
THE GARDENING WORLD . 
December 24. 1904. 
Opposite p. 18 a view is given of a very formal, yet im¬ 
posing, style of gardening as conducted in the grounds of 
Lord Hamilton near the Thames in the early eighteenth cen¬ 
tury. Topiary gardening, we are informed, reached its height 
during the reign of William and Mary (1689-1702), and here 
we get brief accounts of some remarkable designs, including 
those at Kensington Gardens. In order to conceal a gravel 
pit, William III. employed the famous Brompton nurserymen 
of his day, London and Wise, to erect a mimic fortification 
with bastions, counterscarps, etc., of Yeiv and Holly. This 
was a nine days’ wonder, we may feel certain, for the people 
in those days, and amongst its admirers it was known as the 
“Siege of Troy.” If at the present day there were enthu¬ 
siasts for Ibis style of gardening we should no doubt have the 
.Russians and the Japanese in Box and Yew, ebteli with their 
scientific frontier. 
At the present day, though limited in extent, topiary garden¬ 
ing, or, rather, samples of the topiarist’s art, seem to be as 
popular amongst cottagers as in the grounds of the more pre¬ 
tentious mansion. Some samples of this are given in the book, 
including some strangely clipped Yews at the post-office of Dit- 
eheat, Somerset, and another cottage in which the guardian 
Yews at the gateway take almost the form of the Hopoast. A 
much more uncommon form is the tree beside a cottage at Dit- 
cheat, which consists of a basement, surmounted by eight other 
figures one above the other, all carefully trimmed and attached 
to a central stem. 
Something more utilitarian in character is the seat at the 
Priory, Glastonbury, which is entirely surrounded and pro¬ 
tected by a clipped tree except on one side, the seat having 
been placed in what would appear to be an opening cut in the 
tree. Something, however, similar to this occurs at Minto 
House, N.B., where a seat is placed under the shelter of the 
Holly tree exactly in the same way. Not being too rigidly 
clipped, this presents the appearance of a tall conical or pyra¬ 
midal Holly completely hiding the seat, except on one side. 
Opposite p. 70 is another figure consisting of a pedestal, 
above which are four clipped pieces resembling tables one 
above the other, the uppermost one being surmounted by a 
bird, but of what species we shall not attempt to define. Still 
another form which pleases cottagers is that representing a 
round-headed tree, on the top of which a horse is outlined, but 
evidently not yet completed, the framework or skeleton not 
being completely covered. If the lions at Trafalgar Square 
had been placed there in the time of William and Mary, pro¬ 
bably they would have been living ones like the representative 
shown in Levens Gardens. 
In many works concerning gardening Lord Bacon is fre¬ 
quently quoted in the saying, “When ages grow to civility and 
elegancy men conre to build stately sooner than to garden 
finely, as if gardening were the greater perfection.” Many 
views have been given of the meaning implied by this, or which 
may be read into it, but judging from the many samples we 
have seen, it is quite true that a stately building can be put up 
in much shorter time than even a figure in Yew or Box. 
The many representations here given Indicate great age, 
and the writers of the book, in speaking of the preparation of 
the ground, advise that it should be trenched two or three spits 
deep, as the topiary garden might endure for hundreds of 
years. We should think that in that period another trenching 
would be highly necessaiy, but the growing of that tree repre¬ 
sented at Ditcheat must have taken many years to reach the 
size it has, quite independently of the constant check to 
growth by the frequent trimming of the tree. 
It seems to us that a chapter would have been almost neces¬ 
sary dealing with that phase of the question, the untimely 
dying of part of a figure, a whole tree forming part of a 
design, or it might be the dying of a tree in a large old hedge. 
Some of the samples here represented must be quite as costly 
as some of the high-priced Orchids, if we are to value them 
by the length of time it has taken to grow them and the 
amount of labour that has been spent upon them. The dying 
of one of the specimens, or even a part of it, would certainly 
be as great a loss and sometimes more irreparable than in 
the case of a valuable Orchid. Some soils are not at all suited 
for the growth of Yews, judging by the frequency with which 
they die off in some gardens. 
Topiary gardening remained in vogue for a period of one 
hundred and fifty years, after which the reaction that set in 
caused it to become almost completely obliterated. Accord¬ 
ing to that statement it had a very good innings, and if it took 
so complete possession of gardens, great and small, as it is 
stated to have done, we are not at all surprised that a reaction 
should have set in. The wonder is it was permitted to take 
such complete possession of the gardens and grounds of the 
country. It is more than probable that a much larger number 
of-people criticised it than the historian has made us aware 
nf. The principal names in this connection, however, were 
Bacon, Addison and Pope, the latter, as usual, being the most 
stinging in his satire: 
In more recent times there has been a considerable revival 
of the idea of topiary gardening, or, at least, a few representa¬ 
tives of it, and we think even these are more likely to be 
cherished in this country than the dwarfing and contorting of 
frees and shrubs, such as is practised in Japan. There are 
many private establishments where specimens of the topiary 
art in one form or other would be peculiarly appropriate in the 
neighbourhood of the mansion and other hard lines or objects 
representing stability and endurance rather than gracefulness. 
Even in town gardens there might be room occasionally for 
a representative of the art in Yew, Cupressus, Box, or some 
other tree or shrub that can be grown in the smoke and 
trimmed without being rendered unsightly. Such specimens 
would be more appreciated by people of taste than some of the 
meaningless street trees, where kinds that naturally grow too 
large for the space are hacked about till they resemble in¬ 
verted brooms or scarecrows from which the rags have fallen, 
rather than live specimens of trees. Such clipped trees would 
not only be in keeping with the architecture, but would serve 
to give some variety, and, paradoxical as it may seem, relieve 
the monotony of lines of brick-houses all as like each other as 
two peas with gardens to match. For a history and account of 
the art we refer our readers to the book itself, where they will 
fin d many interesting points, and at least be made acquainted 
with the art by the numerous pictures here displayed. 
Rose Earl of Warwick. 
(See Supplement.) 
Our supplementary illustration represents a new Hybrid Tea 
Rose which has been exhibited on several occasions this year 
for the first time by Messrs. William Paul and Son, Waltham 
Cross, Herts, who have,done so much recently for this section 
of the Bose family, as they have done for several other sec¬ 
tions for many years past. 
The flowers of Earl of Warwick are of cup-shaped form, 
conical in the centre for some time, and of a delicate shade of 
pink passing to creamy-yellow at the base, especially on the 
outside of the petals. The blooms from which our illustration 
was prepared were simply the ordinary blooms grown without 
any special preparation for exhibition, and such as anyone 
could have in their own grounds for decorative purposes. The 
blooms range from 2| in. to 3 in. in diameter, and were there¬ 
fore large enough for garden decoration. The leaves were of 
a rich dark green above, glaucous beneath and serviceable foi 
mixing with the flowers in the cut state, while indicating a 
plant of healthy and vigorous constitution. 
The beautiful form and delicate tints of this Bose as well 
as the freedom with which the blossoms are produced aie the 
recommendations which this variety has for being added to the 
list of garden Boses. Messrs. Paul have already sent out 
several varieties notable for their distinct and beautiful tints 
of colour such as those of taste would desire to possess, and 
Earl of Warwick is one of their most recent productions, not. 
yet being in commerce. 
