348 



JOTJENAL OP HOETICTJLTTJEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEE. [ September 29, 1863. 



Portland cement, with a little sand added, either of which 

 will set as hard as a stone, and be impervious to water ; but 

 they should be laid on quickly or they are apt to crack at 

 the joinings. SoU G inches thick will be necessary at the 

 bottom of stone or cemented basins for the aquatics to 

 grow in. 



Ifow all ponds or lakes are formed in the manner before 

 named, the only difference being in the size. A lake is 

 simply nothing more than a basin on an extensive scale : 

 but I will pass over the improvement of streams, lakes, and 

 irregular pools of water for the present, and confine myself 

 tc the culture of aquatics. 



Probably there is nothing so simple in the whole range 

 of ornamental flower-gardening as the cultivation of water 

 plants, there being but two main jioints to attend to, which 

 are providing a portion of soil for the roots to grow in, and 

 to plant or place them at such a depth below the sui-faee of 

 the water as theu- size and habit require. Their peculiar 

 natui-al habits should also be imitated. Those with floating 

 leaves, as Nymphasae, Nuphars, and Villai'sias grow naturally 

 in the deepest parts, whilst such jjlants as Caltha grow on 

 the mai-gin or in shaUov,' water. The smaller kinds require 

 to be but just within the water ; whilst some do best when 

 planted on the edge, but stiU with the roots in close prox- 

 imity to water, of which Myosotis affords examples. Some, 

 nay, the gi'eater part, of the taller-gi'owing kinds require to 

 be planted neai- the edge in shallow water, as, for instance, 

 the upright-growing grasses and reeds. In planting it is 

 better to distribute them in groups than as single plants at 

 regular distances. Even gronpis should not be regularly 

 distributed, but disposed with iiTCgulajity in threes, or a 

 dozen together, according to the extent of the water. They 

 vrill thus look all the better. It wiU not look better to have 

 all the taU-gi'owing in one pai't, and the small in another ; 

 but the eontrai-y. The smaller kinds will looi better where 

 the bank is broken by shrubs ; and the taller kinds may be 

 made to serve to distinguish between the shrubs on land and 

 the water plants by placing them where the bank is un- 

 clothed. As a rule tall-gi'owing kinds ought not to be 

 planted where the bank is a dense mass of foliage, or the 

 outline of the water will be destroyed ; nor the smaller kinds 

 where they cannot be seen and examined. Whei-e, however, 

 the bank projects and is clothed with trees or shrubs, advan- 

 tage should be taken to plant a gi'oup of the taller kinds in 

 as great a number and as much variety of foUage as may be 

 consistent with the plants on land. The inlets should be 

 planted with the lesser kinds, those that appear much above 

 water being excluded, except one here and there to fix or 

 attract the eye, or the smaller ones might remain un- 

 noticed. 



Plants with floating leaves as a rule ought to occupy the 

 deepest parts of the water; and as they are much less nume- 

 rous than those gi'owing in shallow water, groups of one 

 species where the waiter is extensive, or of one genus when 

 it is small, should be planted in one place. Even then they 

 should not occupy the whole of the midwater, but with a 

 broad channel between and distant fi-om group to group 

 they would appear as verdant floating islands, v/hich, when 

 aiTayed in their summer dress, with their gorgeous white 

 and golden flowers peeping from the watery surfa<?e, will 

 be highly pictin-esque. If the plants be ai'tistically dis- 

 posed a lake ^\t11 have much of the appeai-anoe of an old- 

 fashioned flower gai-den, the tall-growing aq^■'.atics in groirps 

 being the shrubs, the large species the single specimen 

 shrubs, whilst the floating species will represent the gorge- 

 .ous masses of one colom- or beds ; water taking the place 

 of the lawn. 



"Where basins or small pools already exist that have no 

 steps or terraces to accommodate plants that require to be 

 placed at different depths, half-inch iron rods, with a loop 

 at one end so as to hold a flower-pot, bent so as to be the 

 requii-ed depth below the surface of the water, and fixed 

 firmly in the banl:, wiU do much towards growing a greater 

 variety of plants, and if the ii-on be galvanised they wDl last 

 a long tune. 



A goodly amount of soil, mud rather, being all v/e want 

 for these plants, I have only to consider how it is to be given. 

 For large pools it is best given at the bottom of the water, 

 whilst for basins and small pools the plants had better be in 

 p6ts, except such as have floating leaves, which must have 



at least 6 inches of soil to gi-ow in. Nymphaias even may 

 be grown in pots, but not so well as when planted out. 



Stiff loam alone is suitable for all the floating species and 

 tall-growing kinds ; but the others require vegetable earth, 

 peat, leaf mould or bog soil one-fourth, strong loam half, 

 and coarse gi-avel one-fouith ; 6 inches is not too much for 

 the taller species to grow in, but .3 inches will do for the 

 smaller kinds. In assigning the plants to then- places in 

 basins of water regard shoiUd be had to effect, unless col- 

 lection be wished for, when, of course, effect is not the object 

 aimed at ; but the depth each species reqrui-es to be in the 

 water must be borne in mind at the time of planting. 



Aquatics are best planted in the spring, for then they 

 have a good opportunity to establish themselves during 

 summer. The best mode of planting is to fasten a ball of 

 strong loam round their roots, and drop them gently into 

 the water at the desii-ed place. Should the loam be of a 

 friable nature, a lai-ge or small stone in proportion to the 

 size of the plant must be fastened to the root in addition to 

 the soil, or the plant will rise owing to the soil falling in the 

 water. Those that require to be planted on the margin can 

 easily be placed in the mud vrith the hand. 



Water plants are propagated by division of the root and 

 trom seeds. 



Division is simply pai'ting an old root, or taking off the off- 

 sets. Such species as emit roots from the stem or have stems 

 floating beneath the water may be increased by putting in 

 cuttings of the stems. An excellent plan for striking aqviatic 

 cuttings and raising from seed is to have a shallow stone 

 basin, any size, about a foot deep, with a hole to let off the 

 water and a tap to fill it : the bottom to be covered with 

 3 inches thick of stones and about 3 inches of soil — i.e., peat 

 and loam in equal parts laid on the stones — it is then tilled 

 with soft or rain water. In this trough cuttings of the creep- 

 ing kinds are planted, and seeds of the floating species axe 

 dropped into it. In this they can remain until of su£Scient 

 size to plant in their final quarters, when the water can be 

 let oft', and a fresh planting take place. Cuttings are best 

 put in in March, and seeds as soon as they are ripe. 



For the kinds grovring on the margin, or what are, pro- 

 perly speaking, marsh plants, the trough will require to be 

 lull of soil to within an inch or so of the brim, covering the 

 surface with a thin layer of moss. Satm-ate with water, and 

 keep the v/hole well satiu-ated afterwards. Offsets can be 

 planted in March, jjutting them with their roots just beneath 

 the moss, and seeds may be sown on the surface immediately 

 after they ai-e ripe. The seeds will vegetate more freely 

 when the moss becomes decayed. 



When the plants are large enough to ti-ansplant they may 

 be tra.nsferred to where tliey ai'e to remain, moving them 

 with a ball of earth adhering to the roots ; for although 

 placed in the water yet a ball of earth is of as much moment 

 to them as in planting any other plant, success being more 

 certain with a ball than n-ithout. For small basins the 

 plants are handier in pots, especially the smaller lands, 

 potting them in the compost ah-eady mentioned like any 

 other plant, and placing a stone on the surface of the mould 

 to prevent the plant being displaced. The tender kinds are 

 best in pots, for then they can readily be removed to shelter 

 on the approach of severe weather. The following list con- 

 tains most of the ornamental species, a great many bog 

 plants being excluded, as they are mostly inconspicuous in 

 their flowers, though ornamental in other respects. 



Nykph^a (Water Lily). — The queen of hardy aquatics is 

 Nymph^a alba, flowering from June to August, white, with 

 cordate leaves floating on the surface ; Britain ; Rivers, &c. 

 N. canadensis, ti-om Canada ; similar to, if not identical with, 

 the foregoing. N. reniibiTuis, flowering from June to Sep- 

 tember ; fi-om Carolina. N. odorata (Sweet-scented), flov/er- 

 ing in July and August ; North America. N. minor (Smaller), 

 flowers white, in July ; North America. N. pygmsea (Pigmy), 

 has white flowers, produced fi'om May to September ; China. 

 N. nitida (Shining Cup-flowered), fi'om Siberia; white 

 flowers, produced in July and August. All are perennials, 

 increased by division of the root. 



NupHAK. — N. lutea inhabits pools and sluggish streams ; 

 a native plant ; flowers yellow, appearing in June and July. 

 N. pumila (Dwarf Yellow), flowers in July and August; 

 found in the Scotch lakes. N. advena (Stranger), a North 

 AmerioE,n species ; has yellow flowers in July and August. 



