56 ROCK AND WATER GARDENS 



positions where the ground juts into the water. Not 

 only will their handsome leaves show to best advantage, 

 but so placed, they will conceal the further water recesses 

 and provide an air of mystery as to what the next turn 

 will reveal. An endeavour should be made to introduce 

 a few clumps of plants with distinctive foliage. These 

 may take the place of much of the coarse grass and 

 sedge which probably chokes the margin of the stream. 



The Sweet Flag (Acorus Calamus), exhaling a delicate 

 fragrance from its leaves when bruised, the Great Water 

 Plantain and the common Bulrush (Typha) are quite 

 suitable. Then there is the Great Water Dock (Rumex 

 Hydrolapathum), which in autumn decks our stream side 

 with its blood-red banners. Unexpectedly beautiful, 

 and yet to be found beside many English streams, is the 

 Flowering Rush (Butomus), carrying its bold umbels of 

 rose-red flowers on tall stems. Distinctive and worthy 

 of a place, the Giant Horse-Tail (E. Telmateia) deserves 

 to be established in localities where it does not already 

 occur. 



Unless the margin already consists of a fair breadth of 

 rich soil, it is well to use the mud excavated from the 

 bed of the stream as a top dressing before planting. 

 During the process of deepening pools and enlarging 

 bays, a large quantity will be removed, and in such a 

 roothold the large border plants will thrive exceedingly. 



In addition to the Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum), 

 already mentioned, we may plant the yellow variety 

 (Lysimachia). A well-grown plant of the Common 

 Butter-bur (Petasites) would look well springing from 

 a position close to the water edge ; the dull pink flowers 

 appear in spring before the leaves unfold. It is on the 

 latter that the value of the plant depends ; they are 

 handsome objects, often a foot across, and not unlike 

 those of the rhubarb. 



In a simple water garden, such as we have in mind, 



