Supplement  to 
214 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  14,  1901. 
begun  when  the  Fox  family  became  its  possessors.  The  first  Baron 
Holland  (Henry  Fox)  was  a  nephew  of  the  Earl  of  Ilchester,  who  was 
father  to  Pitts’  great  rival — namely,  Charles  James  Fox,  “the  idol  of 
his  age,-’ and  who  died  in  1806.  Stephen  Fox,  as  eldest,  was  the  next, 
heir,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Henry  Richard,  third  Lord  Holland. 
Most  of  the  historic  greatness  of  Holland  House  is  due  to  the  third  Lord 
Holland,  himself  a  prominent  politician,  and  who  espoused  Elizabeth 
Yassall,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  women  of  last  century.  As  the 
fourth  Lord  Holland  had  no  family  of  his  own,  at  his  decease  the  estate 
passed  to  the  present  noble  owner,  the  Right  Honourable  the  Earl  of 
Hchester,  who  is  head  of  the  Fox-Strangways,  the  latter  being  the  family 
name  of  the  house  of  Ilchester. 
If  it  were  not  that  the  open-air  gardens  of  Holland  House  deserve  an 
extended  notice,  I  would  be  tempted  to  linger  over  the  doiDgs  of  the 
many  universally  interesting  personages  whose  conjoint  associations 
have  formed  the  full  story  of  this  fame-blest  edifice.  Its  atmosphere  is 
laden  with  [the  memories  and  connections  of  such  names  as  those  of 
Horticultural  Society  for  its  great  spring  show  should  the  occasion 
e^er  require  the  society  to  rescind  the  Temple  Gardens.  Fellows  of 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  are  proud  of  the  fact  that  Earl 
Ilchester  is  one  of  the  newly  appointed  Counoilmen  of  the  society. 
Looking  from  the  upper  end  of  this  large  park  the  perspective  extends 
away  far  over  all  the  London  streets  and  houses  to  the  Surrey  hills  and 
to  the  well  known  Epsom  Downs.  Harrow-on-the-Hill  can  be  seen  miles 
to  the  west,  but  north  and  east  the  views  are  more  restricted.  Page  213 
shows  the  east  front  with  the  entrance  door  to  the  mansion,  which  is 
led  up  to  by  a  drive  of  about  half  a  mile,  planted  on  either  side  with 
fine  old  Elm  trees.  The  climbing  plant  upon  the  walls  is  a  species  of 
Vitis  (Ampelopsis).  To  the  right  one  observes  the  handsome  gateway 
designed  by  Inigo  Jones.  Both  from  the  architect’s  and  the  garden- 
designer’s  point  of  view  the  presence  of  this  gateway  is  commendable, 
for  one’s  attention  is  thus  direoted  to  the  structure  of  the  mansion,  and 
at  the  same  time  the  interest  is  whetted  to  learn  what  lies  on  the  north 
side.  Here  a  great  part  of  the  surface  is  comparatively  level,  and  a 
Sheridan,  Sydney  Smith,  Due  d’Orleans,  afterwards  Louis  Phillippe,  the 
two  Humboldts,  Tom  Moore,  Duke  of  Clarence,  afterwards  William  IV., 
Washington  Irving,  Brougham,  Thnilow,  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds,  Byron, 
Benthamy,  Sir  Philip  Francis,  Macaulay,  Southey,  Hallam,  Antony 
Canova,  Sir  H.  Davy,  Romilly,  Kemble,  Madame  de  Stael,  and  many 
others  of  this  ilk.  Within  its  walls  the  art  treasures  and  mural 
decorations  are  almost  beyond  price  ;  pictures,  medallions,  sculptures, 
valuable  books  and  manuscripts,  including  amongst  the  latter  the  original 
letters  of  Petrarch  ;  rare  and  unique  collections  of  china,  celebrated 
prints,  and  indeed  articles  whose  connection  with  the  illustrious  dead 
of  the  centuries  gone  past  endow  them  with  a  value  inestimable. 
The  Pleasure  Grounds. 
Though  the  gardens  that  lie  around  Holland  House  are  largely  the 
creation  of  the  present  Earl  and  Lady  Ilchester,  it  is  evident  from  the 
fact  of  the  first  Dahlias  being  raised  here  on  their  introduction  to  this 
country,  that  the  love  of  flowers  and  plants  has  also  been  one  of  the 
characteristics  of  the  past  owners.  From  the  south  front  of  the  house 
a  large  rolling  green  park  of  10  acres  stretches  outward  to  the 
boundary.  [This  is  the  park  promised  by  the  Earl  to  the  Royal 
wide,  open,  spacious  lawn  sweeps  right  up  to  the  broad  path  that  runs 
next  to  the  house.  The  effectiveness  of  this  beautiful  green  lawn 
cannot  be  overestimated.  This  lawn  loses  itself  in  many  grassy  glades 
and  vistas,  and  pure  English  gardening  is  here  carried  to  perfection. 
Toward  the  north-west  limits  the  grounds  undulate,  and  the  natural 
effectiveness  of  the  varied  contour  has  been  increased  by  the  addition 
of  one  or  two  Rhododendron  dells,  a  large  Bamboo  and  Japanese  garden , 
numerous  beds  of  Roses,  Hydrangeas,  Coluteas,  Hibiscus,  Asters, 
Liliums,  Dahlias,  Sunflowers,  Epilobiums,  besides  groups  of  Yuccas, 
rock  beds  filled  with  OpuntiaB,  and  in  other  favourable  spots  aquatic 
plants  are  cultivated.  The  Opuntias,  with  very  slight  protection, 
stand  through  the  winter,  while  during  summer  Agaves,  Phyllocacti, 
Dasylirions,  Orassulas,  and  Gasterias  bear  the  Opuntias  company. 
Hardy  Plants  and  Aquatics. 
The  herbaceous  borders  are  exceedingly  interesting  during  the 
summer.  The  Day  Lilies — Hemerocallis  fulva,  the  tawny  species,  and 
H.  flava,  the  bright  yellow  one,  are  found  in  touch  with  masses  of 
Gypsophila  Stevensi,  which  latter  species  is  more  popular  here  than 
G.  elegans.  The  Red  Valerian  (C entrant hus  ruber)  is  splendidly 
