WATER GARDENS 47 



see us; we wonder who we are; and thoughts spring up about the 

 mystery of life. Now, mere land rarely stirs such emotions. 

 Architecture may only oppress the spirit. Colour in a garden 

 may suggest only cost. So, I say, if you would have charm in a 

 garden, have water, for then you cannot possibly miss it 

 altogether. 



I saw many charming water gardens in England last summer. 

 Perhaps the most beautiful was that of Mr. William Robinson, who 

 is said to have the largest collection of hardy water-lilies in Europe. 

 He has three noble lakes on which to sail his lilies. I could not 

 go there when the water-lilies were at their best, and the plates 

 numbered 20, 23, and 25 give only a hint of the beauties there. 

 But surely the noblest idea in water gardening is the naturalizing 

 of water-lilies, the most gorgeous of all aquatic plants. It would 

 pay any American who owns ten or more acres of water surface 

 suitable for lily culture to go to England in July just to see this 

 garden; but, of course, he ought first to arrange for permission 

 to see it. 



Another famous water garden is the lake at Kew, which is a 

 favourite theme for painters. But here the effect is not at all 

 dependent upon water-lilies or any other gorgeous flowers. The 



chief material is trees. The picture on plate 19 shows the right 



f 



way of using the Lombardy poplar, the most abused tree in Amer- 

 ica. These few poplars are enough for a lake of three or five 

 acres. It would ruin everything to repeat them at intervals. 

 It is a good rule that two plants may make a pair, but three are the 

 fewest that can make a group. The two poplars at the left may 

 seem to group well, but that is because one is smaller than the other 

 and because they blend into their background. Make them 

 equal and alone, and they would spoil the picture. The great 



