Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/852

 828 COTTAGE, FARM, AND VILLA ARCHITECTURE. and the manner in which the grounds are laid out. In this plan, a is the main entrance ; b, the entrance portico of the house ; c, the kitchen and stable court ; d, the stable and coach- house ; e, a door in the wall bounding the entrance court, by which the grounds may be entered without passing through the house ; /, a circular group to be filled with geraniums, or other showy green-house plants, during summer ; g, a billiard-room, with a concealed entrance in the back of an alcove seat, the room lighted from the roof; A, a rosary in the shape of a horseshoe, a dial being placed in the centre, the pedestal of which is formed of one of the balusters of Old London Bridge ; i, a basin with a bronze fountain in the centre, in the form of a dolphin, which spouts up water to a considerable height ; the margin of the basin is of marble, surmounted by pedestals and vases, and the space of lawn between it and the walk is varied by choice evergreen herbaceous plants, such as pinks, carnations, sweetwilliams, double wallflowers, &c. ; k, rubbish ground, with gardener's working-sheds for pots, tools, &c., as well as for protecting during winter the vases and statues which are set ovit in summer; I, a grotto, having the ap- pearance of a rock externally, and partially covered with ivy and creepers ; in the interior is a circular marble table, on which, during summer, are kept a machine for procuring instantaneous light, and a bos of cigars in a double wooden case, disguised as a book, to preserve them from the damp ; in is an American garden comprising a choice collection of shrubs and plants, and ornamented with several select statues and vases, the pedestals of which alone remain during winter ; ra is a collection of herbaceous plants ; o, summit of the wooded knoll, covered with an open grove of pine trees ; p, shady grass walk for the hottest days of summer ; q, a wire fence on the top of a concealed wall, which admits an interesting view of the country beyond ; r, wall and fruit border facing the south ; s, the gardener' s cottage, the plan of which will be hereafter given ; t, a plot devoted to aromatic herbs ; u, the melon-ground, sunk three feet beneath the general surface of the garden, and surrounded by a hedge of box ; v, kitclien-garden ; w, a high knoll with a steep side covered with rockwork and creepers on the west, and crowned with a terminal statue of colossal dimensions from the antique, supported on a pedestal of granite ; x, fruit wall and border with western aspect ; y, octagon bower having in the centre a magnificent bacchanal vase from the antique ; 2, descent of three steps from the dining- room ; the fall from this part of the walk to the surface of the water is nearly twenty feet ; and §•, a descent of three steps from the drawingroom to the garden. 1748. The Planting of the Grounds. The objects in laying out the grounds of this villa were, to obtain a sufficient extent of walks fcr all necessary exercise and recreation, within the boundary wall ; to produce as much variety as possible, independently of architectural beauty and distant scenery ; to include a small kitchen-garden ; tc mature the best hardy fruits ; and to display a collection of the most select ornamental trees, shrubs, and flowers. For this purpose, the more choice peaches and nectarines are placed on the wall r, in fig. 1 448, having a south aspect ; the grapes to be covered with glass, on the same wall, next the gardener's house ; and figs, apricots, and the more choice cherries, plums, and pears, on the wall x, having a western exposure. Apples, are distributed through the grounds, and also such pears, plums, and cherries as will bear in the climate of London (and most kinds do so), on standards. One or two specimens of walnuts, sweet chestnuts, mulberries, quinces, medlars, azaroles, true service, cornels, and similar fruit trees, are also distributed through the grounds. There is a collection of rock plants on the rocky precipice which forms the steep side of the peninsula, w ; of herbaceous plants in the circle n ; of American trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants in the circle m ; of bulbs among the rose trees at h, and in the circle^ among the pelar- goniums ; both of which are taken up when they have done flowering, and the bed filled with box trees, and similar shady evergreens in pots. In the other planted parts of the grounds are select trees, shrubs, and flowers grouped so as to have all the species of each genus at no great distance from one another, and so as not to repeat any genus twice, except those including fruit trees, American evergreens, and bulbous-rooted plants. These are distributed generally, in order to harmonise the whole. In the melon-ground, the frames are supported on brickwork, in an improvement of M'Phail's manner, with narrow paths of brick between eacli range of frames, and with the dung linings covered with boards, so that the whole is as clean, orderly, and neat, as a flower-garden, at all seasons of the year. 1749. The House. The general appearance of the entrance front is shown in fig. 1449 ; and the view of one end from the garden is shown in fig. 1452. Fig. 1450 is the l)asement plan, in which a is the kitchen-yard ; h, a place for bottles, empty casks, jars, ^'C. ; c, a dust-hole ; d, coals ; e, scullery, with sink and boiler ; /, kitchen, with Methelcy's improved roaster, and liot closet over ; and with a stcwing-hearth and dresser ; g is a store-cellar ; h, a beer-cellar ; i, cellar for ale, cider, perry, &c. ; h, wine-cellar (in this collar are two large bins, capable of holding a pipe of port, and another of sherry, besides fifty other bins, subdivided by slate, in which, when we saw it in 1828, were