IRISH GARDENING 



69 



Hardy Aquatics. 



By J. VV. Besant. 



Under this heading are included all plants 

 which are adapted for cultivation about the 

 margins of ponds and lakes — generally actually 

 in the M'ater, though some few may flourish in 

 the wet mud without being surrounded b}- the 

 water. For the jourpose of this article 

 Nymphaeas are left out, since they formed the 

 subject of an 

 illustrated 

 article in a 

 former issue. 



For water 

 garde ning 

 Nymphaeas 

 are of course 

 pre-eminent, 

 but in other 

 plants, if less 

 brilliant in 

 flower, we get 

 greater diver- 

 sity in form . 

 and in all 

 good garden- 

 i n g form 

 must receive 

 equal con- 

 sideration 

 with colour. 



The pond 

 or stream 

 which has 

 its banks or 

 margins fur- 

 nished with all the delightful bog plants 

 known to gardeners is infinitely more beautiful 

 and satisfying than another where the edges are 

 as bare as a teacup. 



Not a few native plants may be encouraged 

 to grow there — and they will lend additional 

 beauty to the aquatics — Calthas, Orchises, 

 Sedges and Troliius all thrive and look happy 

 close to the water. Even among those which 

 naturally grow right in the water we have a 

 number of native species ; some in fact may 

 become a nuisance in very small ponds, but, as 

 a rule, they are easily kept in check by simply 

 pulling them out with a rake or drag. 



As alluded to earlier, diversity in form is one 

 of the chief merits of hardy aquatics apart from 

 Water Lilies ; some grow quite erect, others have 

 leaves floating on the sinface, and yet others 



The Cape Pond Weed (Aponogetox distachyox). A hawthorn- 

 scented aquatic, growing in a pool at Mount Usher j^Co. Wicklow. 



have the finely divided leaves submerged, 

 pushing the flowers to the surface in due season. 

 Again, some are stationary or at least spread 

 only by rooting in the mud, while a few others 

 seem to find sustenance enough in the water and 

 float freely about, only seeking the friendly 

 assistance of the mud on the approach of 

 winter. 



It is usually best, when introducing these 

 aquatics to a pond for the first time, to have 

 them established or at least planted in loosely- 

 woven baskets. These with the plants may be 



dropped into 

 the water 

 just where it 

 is desired to 

 form a col on v 

 Thus as the 

 roots grow 

 through the 

 basket they 

 will seek the 

 mud j at the 

 bottom and 

 ijLiicklymake 

 themselves at 

 home. With 

 those which 

 float about 

 in the water 

 it is sufficient 

 to thro w 

 them in when 

 the y M' i 1 1 

 take care of 

 themselves. 

 It is clear, 

 h o M' e V e r , 

 that these 

 latter must only be introduced to comparatively 

 still M-ater or of course they will s])eedily vanish. 

 Hardy aquatics as understood here may be 

 divided into two sets— one comj^osed of those 

 with floating or submerged leaves and the other 

 of those Mhich grow erect sometimes several 

 feet above the surface of the water. It is well 

 in arranging the colonies, as far as ]iossible 

 to alternate the different forms, leaving the un- 

 attached kinds to arrange themselves. 



Aquatics with Floattxu Leaves.— Apono- 

 geton distachyon, the Winter Hawthorn, 

 ])roduces long oval leaves and spikes of white 

 flower-like l)racts. The real flowers are incon- 

 spicuous but this is compensated for by the 

 bracts. This plant is very hardy, and succeeds 

 in the east of Scotland ; it comes from the Cai^e 

 of Good Ho})e. 



