38 



horticulture: 



July 10, 1909 



Water Scenery in the Garden 



{Continued /rom issue of June ig) 



My previous observations in regard to water scenery, 

 were applicable to natural or artificial sheets of water 

 or streams of several acres in extent ; and I now purpose 

 dealing with small lakes, basins, fountains, and streams 

 in the house garden and pleasure grounds proper. With 

 regard to excavation, making the soil watertight, and 

 water supply, outlets and inlets, the previous remarks 

 will apply with equal force; especially the provision of 

 puddling with clay, where the soil is of a porous na- 

 ture. To omit this always leads to great saturation of 

 the surrounding land, with the invariable etfect of caus- 

 ing dampness in the air, and general unhealthiness. In 

 England, Scotland and on the continent there remain 

 to this day many castles and manor-houses, as well as 

 ancient towns, provided with moats, which must have 

 caused a great degree of moisture in the adjacent soil, 

 and given rise in the warm months to ague and other 

 diseases, which were, however retained, owing to the 

 protection the moat and drawbridge afforded. 



No rule can be laid down for the shape of a lake; 

 and it may take the form of an oval, a circle, or it may 

 be made devious, and lose itself behind a natural or ar- 

 tificial projection of the banks, a clump of trees, or thick 

 shrubbery. Sometimes the lake may be surrounded 

 wholly with an architectural screen or balustrade with 

 the idea of being seen from a path within the enclosed 

 space and not from without ; or there may be a point 

 where the best view is obtained, which may have this ar- 

 chitectural kind of treatment ; and perhaps a harbor 

 for a few boats; or a permanent low building, as a tea 

 room, a Chinese pavilion or summer house, may be 

 erected of durable materials, and of course ornamental 

 in character as befitting objects in a garden. 



The treatment in regard to planting the banks of a 

 lake, and those of a running stream would differ con- 

 siderably. It may be permissible to form colonies of 

 hardy herbaceous perennials on tiie former and those 

 shrubs which have a free flowering habit, and do not, 

 as a rule, grow to a very large size. 



Quite small lakes may have smoothly kept turf as a 

 surrounding, and a few clumps of flowering plants, 

 grouped sparingly, and a few weeping willows or 

 Sophora japonica pendula, or clumps of Yucca gloriosa 

 or Y. flaccida, Arundo donax, A. d. macrophylla, 

 Cornus sanguinea, Eulalias in variety, Gynerinm argen- 

 teum. Iris Kaempferi in variety; Spirfea aruneus and 

 others, and Tamarix. Clumps of Myosotis palustris, 

 Cotoneaster microphylla, Lythrum roseum, Trollius eu- 

 ropaeus, Eodgersia podophylla. Polygonum cuspidatum, 

 and P. compactum, have a good effect in the neighbor- 

 hood of water, and there are many others. There are 

 some species of plants which succeed if partially sub- 

 merged, such are Acorus calamus and A. japonica ar- 

 gentea stricta, Caltha palustris and the double flowered 

 form of this plant ; Carex japonica and C. j. pendula, 

 and the yellow flowered Iris pseudo-acorus. Gunnera 

 manicata, and G. scabra, Sambucus nigra and S. race- 

 mosa and Hippophae rhamnoides look well if planted 

 on promontories of the shores, as do Betula alba and 

 other birches. 



All of the plants named above are of comparatively 

 low growth, the cornus, hippophae, birches and willows 

 excepted. For the sake of variety some coniferous trees 

 might be introduced, preference being given to Cupres- 

 sus, Juniperus, Thuya, Ectinospora and Taxus fastigi- 

 ata, all of which have the columnar form, so admirably 

 adapted for contrasting with the horizontal plane of the 

 water. 



In districts of the country enjoying a winter climate 



of moderate severity, places may be found for various 

 species of evergreens, some having beautiful flowers, as 

 for example Ehododendron ponticum, E. Catawbiense, 

 and the hybrids from these, and from E. Caucasicum; 

 such Alpine species as E. ferrugineum and its variety al- 

 bum, E. hirsutum, and E. racemosum from Western 

 China and Yunnan, growing at an elevation of 10,000 

 feet ; the flowers of this last come in close clusters on 

 short lateral shoots, and at the ends of these. They are 

 about one inch in diameter, of a flesh color, passing into 

 bright pink at the tips of the segments. It is a pretty 

 addition to the dwarf section of the Ehododendrons. 

 The Ghent and Pontica azaleas, if planted in clumps 

 in suitable soil, would afford brightness of coloring to 

 the planting near to the water. They are of great hard- 

 iness, and none of them exceed five feet in height. 



The planter is now-a-days a sufferer from the great 

 abundance of material in trees and shrubs, so that, if 

 he be not well acquainted with the nature of the sub- 

 jects brought to his notice, he is very liable to choose 

 unsuitable plants. In penning the foregoing list, I have 

 had the desire to give a distinct character to waterside 

 planting in the garden proper and different from that 

 of the decorative shrubbery, the planting on the lawns, 

 and other parts of a garden — hence the omission of a 

 host of beautiful subjects. 



Bamboos have become of late years recognized plants 

 for the decoration of gardens; and from China and 

 Japan we have received many species which are capable 

 of withstanding a moderate amount of cold, and are 

 admirably adapted in respect of beauty of habit for 

 planting in any part of a garden, and especially on the 

 banks of lakes and streams. To grow them at their best, 

 these plants require a retentive soil, abundant moisture 

 at the root, and to be well supplied with leaf mould — 

 and a sheltered position. Under the general name 

 Bamboos, the genera belonging to Arundinaria, Bam- 

 busa, Thamnocalamus, Phyllostachys, and others, are 

 included. The more distinct species of Arundinaria are 

 A. auricoma — a rather strong grower, having green 

 leaves streaked with yellow ; A. Fortune!, with stems 

 about 3 feet high, crowded together, leaves narrow, 6 

 inches in length, striped with white; A. japonica (Me- 

 take), which grows 15 feet high, with internodes of 6-8 

 inches in length, and tapering leaves, 13 inches long; 

 A. nitida, a very attractive, and very hardy species; A. 

 Simoni, growing to a height of 12 feet, with leaves one 

 foot in length ; very hardy. There is a yellow striped 

 variety of this species, with leaves of a smaller size 

 than those of the type. Bambusa palmata is an effec- 

 tive species, the stems reaching a height of 5 feet, and 

 having leaves about 13 inches long, and 3 broad. 



Of Phyllostachys I may mention P. Boryana one of 

 the most effective, and vigorous, and quite hardy; P. 

 flexuosa, a neat growing species with 6-foot stems and 

 leaves of shining green color; P. Henonis is one of the 

 hardiest species, and it grows to a height of 15 feet. It 

 is one of the most beautiful of the genus : P. mitis, 

 which in Japan reaches a height of 50 feet, and in a 

 more temperate climate a height of 18-20 feet ; P. nigra 

 has stems of a dark color, and plumes of bright green 

 leaves. The stems will reach a height of 20 feet when 

 the plant becomes well established. 



The illustration on p. 797 of Horticulture on June 

 5 shows the sort of excavation — not more than 3 feet in 

 depth made in the grounds, Gunnersbury House, Acton, 

 the property of Messrs. Eothschild. The work was de- 

 signed, and carried out by his present head gardener, 

 J. Hudson, in Japanese style, and as regards the under- 

 gro^vth with plants, chiefly natives of .Tapan. The 

 area dealt with was less than half an acre, and the main 

 idea consisted of several islands connected with each 



