June 5, 1909 



H ORTICULTUKE 



797 



Water in the Garden and Home 

 Park 



Makim; an A(,iuatic Gardln 



No one will deny that one may possess a garden beau- 

 tiful without lakes, waterfalls and pools and fountains, 

 but the generality of mankind have a preference for 

 those which have some one of these pleasant adJunctSj 

 as they add to the interest and the enjoyments of a 

 country residence. In hilly and mountainous country 

 there is usually the opportunity of making use of run- 

 ning water for supplying a lake with abundance, or mak- 

 ing cascades, and by making devious stretches of com- 

 paratively still water on the level by means of suitable 

 excavations. The water may take the form of a stream 

 of varying breadth, furnished with gentle projections 

 jutting out into the stream, and easy outline which 

 when planted with trees, shrubs, and flowering, as well 

 as ornamental leaved plants, afford the gardener facil- 

 ities for adding interest and beauty to the banks. Such 

 still or slowly moving streams afford admirable sites for 

 patches of water lilies and other aquatic plants. 



Before the site of a lake is freed upon the nature of 

 the soil ought to be ascertained, for if it allows water to 

 percolate too freely, the bottom and sides would have 

 to be made watertight by a six-inch layer of tenacious 

 clay, well worked and beaten to a smooth surface, and 

 carried rather higher than the proposed level of the 

 water. "WTiere no such operation is needed the banks 

 under water and for 6 to 8 inches above it may be sim- 

 ply cased with stone or coarse gravel, so that the soil 

 be not undermined by the action of the water. The out- 

 line of a lake will depend in some measure on the con- 

 tour of the land, but is more pleasing to the eye if it be 

 of a serpentine character with projections at long in- 

 tervals on which trees and shrubs may be planted to add 

 still more to its intricacy, and supply surprise views, and 

 stations for rockwork, or for choice conifers, or flowering 

 trees such as the catalpas, pavias, Paulownia, etc., and 

 weeping willows. 



The depth of a lake in a warm climate should not be 

 less than G to 8 feet in the deeper part, or more than 2 

 feet near the banks if it is intended to plant aquatics, 

 excepting such as are quite hardy, deeper water than 

 this being too cold in the summer months for healthy 

 development ; moreover there is little chance of seeing 

 the flowers of such plants when they are placed far dis- 

 tant from the banks. If a lake be less than 6 feet and 

 the inflow meagre there is the risk of fermentation tak- 

 ing place in the warm months, especially after the lapse 



of years, during which masses of leaves have been blown 

 into it, and settled at the bottom. 



In my next article I intend to give examples of plant- 

 ing the banks of lakes and streams; giving examples in 

 England and Ireland, as well as on the continent of 

 Europe. 



British Horticulture 



THE NEW EXHIBITION 



The Imperial International exhibition which has this 

 year taken the place of the Franco-British one at the 

 Great White City at Shepherd's Bush was opened on 

 May 20th. The site covers an area of 160 acres so that 

 there is ample space available for the display of tha 

 nurserymen's art. Several of the leading firms have 

 taken space in the grounds for bedding exhibits. Messrs. 

 Waterer & Sons, of Bagshot, Surrey, who are noted oo 

 both sides of the Atlantic for their famous rhododen- 

 drons, have laid out several beds in a prominent position 

 with some of the most brilliant varieties. The same 

 firm are making their customary display this summer in 

 an immense marquee in the Botanic Gardens at Eegents' 

 Park. In addition to the displays made by the firms 

 the exhibition authorities have placed large orders with 

 the trade for the supply of enormous quantities of bed- 

 ding plants. The exhibition has thus proved a great ad- 

 vantage to the trade in bringing fresh business this sea- 

 son. The public are beginning to more fully appreciate 

 the advantages of having the best music in the open air, 

 amidst pleasant surroundings, an idea which has been 

 borrowed from continental cities. 



POPULAR PRIMULAS 



A short distance from the mass of London's drab 

 bricks and mortar there has lately been a welcome blaze 

 of color furnished by some 16,000 Chinese primulas at 

 a leading nursery. Special attention has in recent 

 years been paid to this section of spring flowers by sev- 

 eral firms, with the result that a high standard has been 

 reached as regards brilliancy of tint, habit, and florifer- 

 ousness. At the nursery referred to amongst the chief 

 varieties are Holborn Coral, coral pink with yellow eyes ; 

 King Edward, pure white, dark green foliage; Holborn 

 Salmon, salmon pink; Princess of Wales, white with 

 carmine flake; Vivid, deep rich carmine; Snowflake, 

 white, slightly tinged with pink ; Prince of Wales, large 

 salmon pink. 



A SUGGESTED NATIONAL VEGETABLE SOCIETY 



Although Britain is well supplied with special floral 

 societies there is not one of a national character solely 

 devoted to vegetables. There has from time to time 

 been a suggestion made for supplying the omission. 

 •'The Garden" has lately had a further correspondence 

 on this subject. Several leading experts express the 

 opinion that there is an opening for a society of this 

 kind in order that an increased attention might' be given 

 to vegetable culture by means of exhibitions and trials. 

 For about three years there was a National Potato So- 

 ciety but the interest waned after the "boom" of 

 big prices was over, and the organization dwindled and 

 died from lack of sufficient financial support. 



>t>y. delf^. 



London, Eng. 



