A SOUTHERN TOUR (Continued).

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 458, 29 March 1890, Page 3

A SOUTHERN TOUR (Continued).

(By Hortus.) The Hutt Valley. The day after visiting the Botanic Gardens I took a trip up to the Hutt Valley. The valley is a triangular piece of ground lying up at the head of the Port Nicholson harbour. The valley lies only a few miles from Wellington, and is a triangular piece of ground about three miles wide at the widest point, and about twelve miles broad. This little valley is the only piece of good soil near Wellington, and amongst Wellingtonians the lirst question asked visitors is “Have you been to the Hutt?" and if you have said “ No ” the noxb observation wi 1 be “Do go." And it is worth going to. Tho valley is cut up into a number of small holdings and is mostly composed of first - class soil, from which considerable crops are taken. After travelling a short distance from the station I arrived at Mr MeNab’s Tea and Pleasure Gardens. This pretty garden and pleasure ground is about six miles from Wellington, easily reached by rail or ’bus. The whole place consists of about twelve acres of pleasure ground, lawns and flower borders, about one-sixth being in flower borders alone. This place was originally laid out and planted by the Hon. A. Ludam, late member/)! the New Zealand Legislative Council. The grounds were nob designed as tea gardens, but were laid in the same manner as some of the old British county houses. From the entrance up to the house there is a drive with a bold curve, and about 200 yards long. On each side of this drive

there are a number of tree ferns planted with conifer®, etc., in the back ground and on the lawns. On arriving at the house the drive widens out considerably, and runs round what might be called the two fronts of the house. The house itself looks old, bub very picturesque. On the east front there is a fine, large spacious lawn for lawn tennis parties, and surrounding this lawn there are some very fine specimens of conifer® palms, ferns, cabbage trees, etc., making a pretty picture. On the south front there is another lawn smaller than the east one. In ono corner of this lawn there is a fine basin filled with the English water lily. Two sides of this lawn are fllanked with spacious flower borders containing many favourite flowering bedding plants, amongst which are some very fine strains of phlox Drumondii, asters, The back of the border is filled up with dahlias, etc., all ab their very best. The farther portion of the lawn fronting the house is occupied with two lean-to vineries, in full crop, and just beginning to get ripe. On the north side of the house there is a fine conservatory, which ab present is being utilised as a vinery, the crop being nearly all cut. Proceeding from the east front w r e follow a series of winding walks, bending hither and thither in a very irregular manner, although at the same time filling in a complete plan. On each side of these walks there are corresponding beds filled with a large assortment of flowering plants, showing that all parts of the world have been made to contribute. Here and there are massed large clumps of different varieties of camellias, az alias,roses, rhododendrons, etc., which in their different seasons of flowering must present one mass of blossoms. Many of these plants were planted over thirty years ago and have now attained some considerable size. I was informed that in the collection of permanent plants nothing had been added for the last ten or twelve years. In the different borders there ia also a lai-go and varied collection of annuals, perennials, and flowering shrubs. Hera and there are large clumps of bulbs, and conspicuous amongst those ■in flower at my visit were hundreds of spikes of gladiola, lilium, lancifolium, roseum, tiger lily, etc. They make a specialty of growing flowers to cub for market. After leaving the more cultivated parts of the garden I wandered along a narrow winding part where trees, shrubs, flowers, etc., are allowed fco grow almost- in what would be called a wild state. This is one of the most picturesque walks in the place, and I was informed was a splendid resort for love-sick couples. Those gardens at present form the most popular and pleasant resort for visitors and residents of Wellington. A large number of bridal parties take up their quarters here, where they spend part of their honeymoon wandering through the pretty secluded walks or sitting in the cool, quiet arbours,planning out how they are going to enjoy the bright-coloured future which lies before them. (To be Continued.)