278 ALPINES AND BOG-PLANTS 
coloured things that they are, in shades of fire, rose, 
dawn and cream. But among red Nymphaeas there are 
three glorious plants. The first is William Falconer, an 
American, small in growth, and not enormous in flower ; 
but the plant is very free and very healthy ; the flowers 
are of the deepest crimson purple that has yet been seen 
in the family. Elisiana is a larger plant, with flowers of 
a fine blood-crimson ; the pride of the three, if not of the 
whole family, is gloriosa, a giant only less than Chroma- 
tella in growth, with immense abundant flowers of a 
dazzling carmine crimson. 
For my own part [ should be inclined to suggest omit- 
ting all the minor Water-Lilies, the Laydekeris, Caroli- 
nianas, and so forth (except the charming little miniature, 
Helvola, for shallow water), and concentrating simply on 
the best, the largest in growth, the freest in flower, the 
finest in build and in substance. For, truth to tell, the 
minor Water-Lilies, however lucent in colouring, are, to my 
taste, mean and poor in shape. Therefore I would, space 
being limited, grow only, for the smaller sorts in shallower 
water, Helvola, William Falconer, and Froebelii; for 
the full depths, William Doogue, Richardsoni, gigantea, 
colossea, Chromatella, and gloriosa. For you would miss 
nothing good, and, as the less is included in the greater, 
have at your disposal all the glory of the Water-Lilies. 
And a glory it is. ‘They have a perverse habit, in my 
pools, of opening in the late afternoon of a dull day; 
and to go round, in a dank dripping world, and come 
suddenly on the glowing crimson goblets of Nymphaea 
gloriosa or Chromatella, expanded among their marbled 
bronzy leaves, and mirrored flawlessly in the cold, brown 
water, is one of the garden’s most welcome surprises. 
But when, oh! when shall we, to complete our collections, 
have a big blue brother to gloriosa and Chromatella, 
a hardy celestial offspring of scutellata or zanzibarensis ? 
