CHAPTER XII 



WATER-SIDE PLANTING 



Even those who care for good planting are apt to 

 neglect the water-side, and we see much land near it 

 without any of the lovely effects which well-chosen river 

 or lake-side trees give. Some things come of themselves, 

 such as Osier and Withy, but they have little good effect. 

 Often beautiful views are shut out by these weedy trees, 

 and where the house is not in a commanding position 

 they may do much harm. One of the most beautiful of 

 situations for a house is upon a bluff near a river, as at 

 Nuneham; and even where there is no bluff, as at 

 Levens, the river may be a great aid in fine planting, 

 and careful thought should be given to it. 



The best water-side trees are often those of our own 

 country and easily procured, fine in colour, and good in 

 form. There are certainly gains in water-side position 

 which we do not often find elsewhere ; we get air and 

 light, shade and breadth from the water itself, which 

 prevents the dotting of plants over the whole area. 

 Again, there is often good land beside rivers liable to 

 flood, which we cannot plant with ordinary trees, and 

 cannot wisely build upon, and these give us those rich 

 levels that are such a gain in breadth to lowland land- 

 scape when fringed by noble planting. Flooding is in 

 no way against the right trees upon islands, lake 

 margins, and river-sides. Some of the best trees, like 

 the Willows, are well used to floods, and even trees 

 like the Eastern Plane, that we often associate with hot, 



