WATER IN THE GARDEN I93 



the hardy nympheas. The soil may be a 

 compost consisting of: 



Pond mud 2 parts 



Loam I part 



Leaf-mould i part 



Road scrapings . . . . i part 



If the first ingredient cannot be obtained 

 it may be omitted and double the quantities of 

 loam and leaf-mould substituted. 



A layer of drainage material (broken tile 

 or brick rubbish) should be spread upon the 

 pond floor, on which the compost should 

 be heaped to the water-level height at the 

 points where the plants are to be placed. 

 The water may then be admitted and 

 allowed to stand for a couple of days 

 to assume the temperature of the atmos- 

 phere. The plants may then be inserted in 

 their mounds, which by this time will have 

 settled down considerably below the water- 

 level. 



The water may be run off and renewed at 

 fortnightly intervals, or even less often if it 

 shows no tendency to become fouled. Twice 

 a year the ponds must be thoroughly cleansed 

 to remove decayed vegetable matter, leaves 



