PONDS AND LAKE^. 249 



used many lotuses in front of my brook and pond promon- 

 tories. But in all my experiments with aquatic plants I 

 never chanced on any pond-effects quite equal to that of 

 my coves of Nymplueas in midsummer. Fancy a quiet, 

 mirror-like surface of water, studded with clustering masses 

 of lily-pads, enfolding half-open flowers, nestling yet buoy- 

 ant. Every one is familiar with scenes in woodland nooks 

 resembling this in kind. The remarkable difference on my 

 place was that my trees and shrubs, grasses and flowers, 

 came to the water's edge and were mirrored there, and that 

 in front and about them floated and were reflected lily -pads 

 of excellent size and coloring. The flowers also of these 

 great tropical lilies were especially large and richly hued, 

 some species being pure white, others red, and still others 

 purple and deep blue. I have had these water-lilies and 

 other water-plants growing on my place now for several 

 years, but I confess that, even at the present time, familiar 

 as they are to me, when I look at one of these blue lilies on 

 an early summer morning I am impressed with the scene as 

 an absolute revelation of beauty, a landscape feature posi- 

 tively unique. 



I am not going, on this occasion, to give an account of 

 all the aquatic plants I grow. I have the tender Pontederia 

 crassipeSj a floating plant with curious orchid-like purple 

 flowers, water-poppies, pitcher-plants, cat-tails, and a score 

 of other species and varieties that I shall not enumerate. 

 All these kinds of water-plants doubtless add greatly to 

 the attractions of decorative waters, but, after all, it is the 

 lotuses and lilies, or lilies and lotuses, not giving the prece- 

 dence to either, that every one ought to want. Having 



