WATER GARDENS. I?5 



Of all the sites for planting there are none in which we may have 

 clearer guidance as to what is best than we have in islands and the 

 margins of water, be it lake or river. The vegetation should be 

 mostly of a spiry-leaved sort Willows in many forms, often beautiful 

 in colour, both in summer and winter, with Poplars. Even the 

 Willows of Britain and Europe are ample to give fine effects, and 

 some, like the White Willow, form tall timber trees. There is also 

 a lovely group of weeping trees among these Willows, some of 

 them more precious than the Babylonian Willow. This is worth 

 bearing in mind when seeking good and artistic effects. Take, for 

 example, a piece of water, good in form of margin and right in every 

 way in relation to the landscape ; it is quite easy to spoil the effect 

 of it all by the use of trees which have not the form for the water- 

 side. By the right use of trees suited to the soil we may, on the 

 other hand, make the scene beautiful in delicate colour and fine 

 form in a word, right at all seasons, whether as a picture, as 

 covert and even for timber. The best trees for waterside-planting 

 are those of our own country or of Europe and the Northern world 

 generally. There are many Willows, but for good effect the best are 

 the Tree Willows, those which may be had on their natural roots and 

 of some timber value. The best of these for our country is the 

 White Willow, lovely at all times, but especially on days of storm, 

 when other things are often at their worst. The hybrids of the 

 White Willow (Bedford Willow) are good also, and next best for 

 colour is the Yellow W r illow (Salix vitellina), classed by the botanists 

 as a variety of the White Willow, but distinct in stature, form and 

 colour. It is often seen beside Northern rivers, and when massed 

 in a marsh or bog or beside a wide river it is fine in effect, and best 

 of all on wintry days. The Red Willow (Cardinal Willow) is a 

 form of it, of even brighter colour. The Crack Willow (S. fragilis) 

 is not so showy in colour, but is very picturesque in form upon the 

 river banks, and quite worthy of a place among the Tree Willows. 



After Willows the Poplars come in best in all Northern countries. 

 The White Poplar is beautiful in colour as a riverside tree, and 

 superb in form when well grown. The Poplars by the French rivers 

 are also beautiful though none is prettier than the Aspen. The 

 Lombardy Poplar is sometimes very fine in valleys near water. The 

 Grey Poplar comes next to the White in beauty, and the Black Poplar 

 is often good beside water. 



Some of the American marsh trees are very pretty near water, 

 in particular one called the Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica), lovely in colour 

 in autumn ; but the summer-leafing trees of the American woods 

 have been much neglected since the vogue for planting Conifers came 

 in, so that we can point to but few examples of good results in our 



