The garden of the palace of the Heiligen see is avow edly English, and is in much better taste than that at Char lottenburg. The palace is almost entirely marble, of chaste Grecian architecture, and placed close to the lake ; a co vered way leads to the kitchen, 100 feet distant, disguised under the form of a temple rising from the water. These sumptuous works are the joint production of Mr Langhans and Mr. Gontard ; and it is said that Professor Hirschfield was consulted on the plan for the gardens, The Germans have no original author on the subject of 1 landscape gardening. Professor Baron Hirschfield, almost their only writer on the subject, published his neorie der ! Gartenkunst, in 1775, in 12mo.; which contains a succinct outline of the history and principles of gardening, and ' seems to have been circulated with a view to procure in formation for his larger work, the first volume of which ' appeared in Germany, in quarto, under the title of tither der Gartenkunst, and in Holland under the French title, ,, Sur les Jardins," in 1779, and the last, or fifth volume, in t 783. It contains a valuable assemblage of historical in formation up to that time, some interesting descriptions, drawn front Wheatley, Girardin, and other authors, and a and comprehensive view of the principles of garden ing. The work is illustrated with many plates, chiefly of buildings. The followino. are a few of the principal German works on gardening, besides those above mentioned. Gallerie der Gartenkunst, Wien, 8vo. 1788. Hirschfield iiber der Ver wandtschaft der Gartenkunst and der Malercy. (Gothaish Mag.) Garten and Parks, etc. Leipzig, 1808. Anweisung fiir ordnung der Girten in Englischen Geschmack, Leip. 1794. See a more complete list in Sulfer's Throne des beaux Arts, &c.
. The first gardens laid out in the modern style, are those . of the imperial residence of Zarskojezelo, begun in 1778, by Mr. Bush, an Englishman, and father of their present superintendant. The gorgeous magnificence of this resi dence is well known. A natural birch forest, on ground somewhat varied, forms the ground-work of the park and gardens. The gate by which they are approached, is an immense arch, of artificial rock-work, over which is a lofty Chinese watch tower. The first group of objects is a Chi nese town, through which the approach leads to the pa lace ; a building, which, with its enclosed entrance, court, offices, baths, conservatories, church, theatre, and other appendages, it would seem like exaggeration to describe. The rest of the garden scenery consists of walks, nume rous garden buildings, with bridges of marble and wood, a large lake, and extensive kitchen gardens and hot houses.
The best specimen of the English style, in the neigh bourhood of the Russian capital, or indeed in the empire, are the grounds of Paulowsky, begun during the reign of Catherine, in 1780, from a design said to have been fur nished by the celebrated Brown, from a description sent him by Gould, and finished afterwards during the reign of Paul. This place possesses considerable variety of sur face, and a varied clothing of wood, the Scotch fir and as pen being natural to these grounds, as well as the birch.
Near the house, there is a profusion of exotics of every description, including a numerous collection of standard roses, which, with some of the American shrubs, require to be protected with straw and mats during winter. The Chevalier Storch has given a very interesting cl‘scription of these gardens, in his Briefe jibe,. Paulowsky, &c. 1802. We pass over several imperial and pi ivate English gar dens to notice those of Potemkin, one of the most extrava gant encouragers of this art that modern times can boast. ' The most extensive gardens of this prince are in the Ukraine, but the most celebrated were those belonging. to the palace of Taurida, now an imperial residence in Pe tersburgh. The grounds are level, with several \ 7 1 1) cl i II g and straight canals, and walks, adorned with numerous buildings, a rich collection of exotics, and most extensive hothouses of every description. Their grand feature, in Potemkin's time, was the conservatory, or winter garden, attached to the palace. The plan of this part of the build ing is that of a semicircle, embracing the end of a saloon.
nearly 300 feet long. They are lighted by immense win dows, between columns, with an opaque ceiling, and heat ed by common German stoves. They are too gloomy for the growth of plants, but those grown in the glass sheds of the kitchen garden are carried there, sunk in the ground, and gravel walks, turf, and every article added to render an illusion to some fairy scene in the open air as complete as possible. Their effect was after all, it is said, never satis factory, but when illuminated. This palace, the original exterior of which was in a very simple style, and the inte rior most magnificent, is said to have been the entire de sign of Potemkin, but it was entirely remodelled at his death by Catherine, used as barracks by Paul, and is now very imperfectly restored. (See Scorch's Description.) The gardens at Potemkin's other residences, as well as many imperial and private gardens in Russia, were laid out by Mr. Gould, a pupil of Mr. Brown. Sir John Carr relates an anecdote on Gould's authority, which was confirmed to us, in 1813, by the present gardener, Mr. Call, his succes sor, and deserves a place here. In one of the prince's journies to the Ukraine, Mr. Gould attended him with se veral hundred assistants, destined to assist in laying out the grounds of Potemkin's residence in the Crimea. Wherever the prince halted, if only for a day, his travel ling pavilion was erected, and surrounded by a garden in the English taste, composed of trees and shrubs, divided by gravel-walks, and ornamented with seats and statues, all carried forward with the cavalcade. On another occasion, having accidentally discovered the ruins of a castle of Charles XII. of Sweden, he immediately not only caused it to be repaired, but surrounded by gardens, in the En glish taste.