rophy Gate, and as such visitors would naturally reach
the grounds by the eastern entrance beyond the cloistered Fountain
Court, it may be well to say something first of the eastern
gardens--which certainly, in summer, form the most florally gorgeous
part of the whole. We come out here in the middle of the Broad Walk,
which stretches from near the Kingston Road to the Thames' side. In
front of us, bordered by old yew trees, are gravel walks radiating to
the House or Home Park, the centre one leading, round a fountain pond
starred in summer with lovely water lilies of various colours, to the
head of the Long Canal, where are many water fowl--swans, geese, and
ducks of different species--expectant of the visitors' contributions
of bread or biscuit.

Right and left as we emerge from the Palace the Broad Walk stretches,
inviting us in each direction with a brilliant display of many
coloured flowers--more especially in spring and early summer, when the
gardens, attractive at all times, are perhaps at their very best. Old
plans of the grounds of Hampton Court show that these eastern gardens
have seen the greatest changes during successive centuries. At one
time the Long Canal stretched much closer to the Palace, and after it
was shortened the intervening gardens were for a period a veritable
maze of intricate ornamental beds with small fountains dotted about
them; at another time they showed an array of formally cut pyramidal
evergreens disposed along the sides of the walks.

It was probably the coming of William and Mary to Hampton Court that
caused special attention to be paid to the grounds, for Queen Mary
appears to have been greatly interested in the matter. Many and
various as have been the re-plannings it may be believed that never
have the gardens looked better than at present, when taste in things
floricultural has broken away from the formalism of scroll-pattern
borders and indulgence in the eccentricities of topiarian art--is
even, it is to be hoped, on the way to free itself finally from the
ugliness of "carpet bedding"--when plants are largely grouped and
massed instead of being placed in alternate kinds at regular intervals
in geometrical patterns. Present day taste with its appreciation of
garden colour, of masses and groups of particular kinds, instead of
isolated plants dotted about with irritating regularity, is found
beautifully exemplified in the numerous beds cut in the lawns of the
eastern gardens, and