The Water Garden 



By William Tricker, Arlington, N. J. 



There are many reasons why aquaticulture is not more 

 general. To me it seems that a garden is not complete 

 without some representative in it, be the garden small or 

 large. The amateur who is limited to a small plot cannot 

 indulge in a large water garden, but a pool in the center 

 of a small formal flower garden is often in good taste or 

 keeping and those who are enthused with such plants will 

 most probably have such. A pool only ten or twelve feet 

 in diameter will accommodate a number of plants judic- 

 iously selected ; this, by the way, is often the trouble and 

 people fail to get the best results. 



Amateurs and others who employ professional gar- 

 deners generally have their own ideas, their likes and dis- 

 likes and the gardener must cater to their wants and 

 wishes — perfectly right. I have had similar experience. 

 Water lilies as flowers were very desirable but how about 

 mosquitoes. I was able to convince them that the pond, 

 pools, or tubs were not the nuisance as suspected but that 

 a few gold fish would rid the water of all larva of both 

 anopheles and culex — the ordinary mosquito and the ma- 

 larial fever hosts. These pests are no longer a hindrance 

 or stand in the way of water lily culture. Here again, I 

 think it is up to the gardener ; his superior knowledge of 

 floriculture is often depended upon to introduce new, rare 

 and valuable plants for decoration as plants or cut flowers 

 and I want to impress on the gardening fraternity the 

 value and desirability of water lilies and aquatic plants for 

 decoration out of doors and especially for cut flowers. 



During the height of the summer season at our sea-side 

 resorts water lilies and lotus flowers have been much in 

 demand, in fact there is a growing demand the country 

 over for water lilies as cut flowers. Nothing can vie with 

 the stately Lotus in all its oriental splendor, on stems five 

 feet high in huge trumpet shaped vases. Not long ago 

 our attention was called to a London decorator, Mr. R. F. 

 Felton, who had made such a great hit with London 

 society by introducing the flowers of the Egyptian Lotus. 

 This, of course, was unusual there, as the flowers were 

 imported from somewhere. Their monstrous size and 

 color was something new and stunning, even though the 

 flowers did not open naturally and the petals were re- 

 versed and looked more like a Camellia or over-grown 

 gardenia. Nothing can improve this flower or equal it 

 when grown or as a cut flower in its natural state and 

 these can be had in your own garden in large or small 

 numbers in colors from pure white to brilliant rosy car- 

 mine. The water lilies are all adapted for cutting, but 

 those with strong stems are preferred. Those with float- 

 ing flowers are useful for shallow dishes, bowls, etc., the 

 others for vases of diflFerent sizes, but the most preferable 

 are the tender varieties, both day and night bloomers, 

 especially may I mention the day-blooming -Nympheous 

 Graciles, white, Mrs. C. W. Ward, a magnificent pink 

 with stem 2j^ feet high and flowers 8 inches over all the 

 blue water lilies are included in this section (none being 

 hardy) : N. Pennsylvania, N. Pulchcrrima, N. Wm. Stone, 

 N. Zanzibariensis, all are superb. The night bloomers 

 can not be robbed of their own suiirenie merits: thev are 



WATER G.\RDEX ON ESTATE OF E. T. ItAR\ EV. CIXCIXNATI, OHIO. 



