House & Garden 
TWIN OAKS. 
I N the country north and west of the city 
of Washington but in the immediate vicin¬ 
ity of the National Capital are a number of 
exceptionally handsome estates, none of them 
of more than the most moderate size. From 
the landscape standpoint perhaps the most 
attractive of these is Twin Oaks, the home 
of Mrs. Gardiner G. Hubbard. The estate 
Bisset, and the results attained are the 
more remarkable from the fact that at 
the time of the establishment of this 
country-seat the sites for the residence, 
stables and all out-buildings were chosen 
without thought or regard for the attain¬ 
ment of harmony in the provision of a 
landscape setting. The entire policy of 
landscape architecture followed has dictated 
a close adherence to the natural system. 
APPROACH TO THE HOUSE 
which has an altitude or about two hundred 
and fifty feet above the city of Washington 
comprises fifty-five acres forming a triangu¬ 
lar-shaped tract of rolling ground. About 
twenty acres is occupied by a woodland of 
oaks, beeches, hickory and other natural 
hardwoods, and practically all of the remain¬ 
der of the holding is in lawn. 
Of late years great attention has been 
devoted to landscape gardening at Twin 
Oaks under the direction of Mr. Peter 
TWIN OAKS 
Indeed there is an entire absence of all 
formal gardening. 
The aim has been to introduce on the 
estate every known variety of hardy shrub 
and tree; and to that end, frequent extensive 
importations have been made from all parts 
of the globe, but there has ever been kept 
in view as an especial object the desirability 
of embodying specimens of every variety of 
ornamental vegetation native to America and 
embracing everything from trees to wild 
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