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GARnE^f:RS' chromclb 



WATER GARDENING 



""PHA'l" branch of horticulture coilectix'ely called water 

 •'■ gardening has for years steadily gained in favor, 

 writes Harry Johnson in California Garden. During the 

 past 50 years great strides have been made in the devel- 

 opment of varieties so that today one may have lilies of all 

 colors and perfect form. All parts of the world have con- 

 trilnited species, from the frozen lakes of Sweden to the 

 sweltering pools of the equator. 



The great check to the uninitiated has been the preva- 

 lent idea of the necessity of large ponds. Nothing could 

 be further from the truth. ]\Iany enthusiastic growers 

 have their needs fulfilled and for years have had success- 

 ful gardens with only an old washtub or half barrel sunk 

 in the ground. Could anything be more simple? A single 

 tub or an irregular group tastefully planted will give one 

 a most pleasing and novel garden that will reijuire a mini- 

 mum of care. 



Planting and care are of the simplest. To begin with 

 a tub or half barrel should be secured that is water-tight. 

 This should Ije sunk almost level with the grade and filled 

 about two-fifihs full of good garden loam, the heavier 

 the soil used the better. If you have some well-rotted 

 cow manure one part to two of soil may be thoroughly 

 incorporated with it. A three-inch pot of bone-meal can 

 also be mixed with good results. The lily root somewhat 

 resembles in habit the root of the German iris. In plant- 

 ing it should be placed in a horizontal position and so 

 that the growing point will be flush with the surface. To 

 keep the water clear it is advisable to put about an inch 

 of coarse sand over all. The planting is completed 1jy 

 filling the tub full of water. 



It is essential in seeking a location for your tubs to 

 bear in mind that water plants always thrive best in a 

 sunny situation. Planting is usually done in early Spring 

 but mav be accomplisheci at any time exce]it during the 

 A\'inter. 



The after care consists in keeping the tubs full of water 

 and in removing occasionally the dead leaves and litter. 

 It is well to put a goldfish in each tub to keep down the 

 mosquito larvK and to assist in keeping the water sweet 

 and fresh. If properly balanced the water will never 

 need changing. 



The lotus, that flower sacred to the Hindoos, grows 

 very well in tubs giving an abundance of its large, stately, 

 peltate leaves Ijorne on stout three-foot stems. The 

 flowers are very beautiful and have a faint, peculiarly 

 pleasing fragrance. The paper-like jjetals curve in over 

 the central disk in which are embedded the large olive- 

 shajxid seeds. The mature seed pod looks for all the 

 world like the rose of a water can. The rhizome is quite 

 different from the water lilies proper and may best be i>ic- 

 tured as two or three bananas strimg end to end. They 

 are very brittle and are easily broken in handling. In 

 planting, place the rhizome horizontally three or four 

 inches below the surface and so the growing jKiint is just 

 below. The tub, however, should be filled about two- 

 thirds full of soil as two or three inches of water is suffi- 

 cient. They should be ]>lanted in March and April when 

 the dormant tubers may be had. Pot plants may be set 

 at any time during the Summer. The flowers range from 

 dark ]jink lo light shades and also come in yellow. 



Many small aquatics in habit similar to water lilies are 

 well worth growing and serve to give variety. The water 

 fjopin' is very hardy and the bright \cllo\\ flowers are 

 counterparts of the California po])])y. It increases by 

 runners like the strawberry. 



The number of plants that one may have is legion and 

 all are easy to grow. Water is a very stable element and 

 gives the same growing conditions to ])lants the world 

 over. 



THE NATURALIZATION OF PLANTS 



""PHE naturalization of Spring-flowering plants i? worthy 

 ■*• of much wider ex])ansion that is commonly practiced. 

 Many of the hardy bulbs produce gorgeous effects in the 

 conventional flower-garden where they serve a useful pur- 

 pose, but for real garden adornment the most eft'ective 

 of all modes of arranging is to naturalize them in grass. 

 In such situations, when once carefully planted, they 

 provide an annual source of beauty and give no further 

 trouble. 



In many country places wide belts of bare grass lie 

 between shrubberies and walks, which frequently never 

 provide bright coloring, but only exist to be roughly mown 

 about twice a year. The charming eft'ects which may be 

 produced on these sites by the planting of Spring-flowering 

 bulbs surpass in beauty any formal Spring garden, how- 

 ever gay. In their natural bed of grass the bulbous 

 flowers look far better than they do with the brown earth 

 of a border beneath them. 



Where space permits a long season of color display 

 may be obtained by planting irregular groups of Inilbs to 

 follow each other in season, beginning as early as January 

 with the Winter Aconite, and continuing in February with 

 Snow<lrops, .Snowflakes and Chionodoxas. During March 

 a wide choice of material is available which gives the in- 

 telligent planter much scope for beautiful color effects, 

 such as Crocuses in variety, Scillas, Anemone apennina, 

 Grape Hyacinths, and the early flowering Narcissi. 



The later flowering Narcissi will provide ample material 

 f(_ir extending the season through April and ^Iay, sujjple- 

 mented by such beautiful plants as the Dog-tooth \'iolet 

 and several species of I'ritillarias and Ornithogaiums. all 

 of which succeed and grow freely in grass. Tulips are 

 seldom seen growing in grass, vet where the soil suits 

 them, and there is no danger of the broad, fleshy leaves 

 becoming injured by overhead traffic, both the species and 

 many of the florists" varieties do wonderfully well in such 

 places, and greatly assist in maintaining color and variety 

 in the display. 



Naturally the prettiest results are only obtainable when 

 the grass need not be mown until hay-time. The leaves 

 of the earlier flowering plants will then have completely 

 died down, and those of the later flowering ones will have 

 entered the ripening stage, so that the ])lant will suffer 

 little from the loss of foliage. 



Some of these plants and many others alsn lend them- 

 selves admirablv to naturalization in our woodlands. The 

 Winter Aconite is particularly suitable for planting under 

 the branches of trees, where it flowers even earlier than 

 in grass, and develops its foliage while the trees are still 

 naked, covering the ground with a jiretty. soft green 

 carpet. \Mnen this fades the trees put forth their foliage, 

 and hide the ground until Autumn. Crocuses and some 

 of the Anemones are also very suitable for this ]uirpose, 

 and once established they take care of themselves. 



There are many ])!ants which do much better in the 

 shelter of a woodland garden than in the open border. 

 The various Christmas Roses flourish in sheltered nooks, 

 and their flowers are much less liable to become weather- 

 stained. 



The heaiuiful North American Trillium grandiflnnnn 

 loves shade and a moist, free soil in tlie low-lying ]iarts 

 of the wild garden. The.se few suggestions refer mainly 

 to Sprin,:;' flowers in the undressed portions of the jilcasure 

 garden, which may also be planted with subjects that will 

 bloom Ihrou.gh the Summer and .\iittnnn and a few even 

 iti Winter. — Gardeners' Clinniiele (Hrliish). 



F.vcry man has his gift, and the tools go to him th.at 

 can use them — Charles Kini^sley. 



