574 



Gardening for Amateurs 



Only the dwarfest Nymphaeas can be 

 attempted in tubs, as the leaves of the 

 stronger-growing kinds protrude above the 

 water and spoil the graceful effect that is 

 the Water Lily's greatest charm. Those 

 suitable include Nymphaea odorata minor 

 (pumila), N. pygmaea alba and its variety 

 Helvola, the first two have white flowers, the 

 latter is sulphur-coloured. The next most 

 suitable are the forms of Laydokeri, and as 

 all of these are coloured, one or more should 

 be included for this reason ; the best are 

 liliacea, fulgens and rosea. Other good 

 plants for tubs are Aponogeton distachyon 

 (Cape Water Hawthorn), scented white 

 flowers, floating ; Pontederia cordata, blue, 

 leaves and flowers projecting above water ; 

 Sagittaria japonica plena, sagittate leaves 

 and massive spikes of double white flowers 

 standing clear of the water ; Menyanthes 

 trifoliata (Bog Bean), spikes of pink and 

 white flowers resembling Horse Chestnut ; 

 Orontium aquaticum, with beautiful iri- 

 descent leaves ; Typha minima, a miniature 

 form of Reed Mace ; and Scirpus zebrinus, an 

 elegantly striped reed for very shallow water. 

 For the bog-beds around the tubs, Caltha 

 palustris flore pleno, orange yellow ; Mimulus 

 cupreus, brilliant coppery-red ; Primulas 

 rosea, japonica, sikkimensis, and pulveru- 

 lenta ; TroUius Orange Globe ; Myosotis 

 palustris ; Helonias Bullata ; Cypripedium 

 spectabile ; Ranunculus aconitifolius flore 

 pleno ; Astilbes Silver Sheaf, Queen Alex- 

 andra and Peach Blossom ; Dodecatheon 

 Meadia, Trillium and Iris Kaempferi, would 

 find the conditions suitable for their highest 

 development. 



Moisture - loving Plants. With the 

 water garden on a more elaborate scale, some 

 of the free-growing grasses and taller plants 

 can be included ; the grasses must, however, 

 be planted in groups by themselves, as if 

 placed among other plants in beds they 

 overrun and choke them. The best bog 

 grasses are Carex riparia variegata, Carex 

 japonica, Cyperus longus, Glyceria spectabilis, 

 Arundo Donax glauca, Phalaris elegantissima, 

 and Zizania aquatica ; for planting in ordinary 

 soil, in groups near the water garden, 

 Elymus glaucus, Gynerium argenteum, 

 Stipa pennata and Arundo conspicua are 

 distinct and ornamental. 



Of bog-plants the forms of Astilbe and 

 herbaceous Spiraeas are a host in themselves, 

 and they present great variety in colour, 

 height, and flowering season. A selection 

 includes Ceres, rose-pink, Pink Pearl, pink, 

 Salmon Queen, salmon, all about 3 feet 

 high ; Chinensis, pale pink, 2 feet ; Davidii, 

 3 feet, magenta-pink ; grandis, white, 

 4 feet ; Silver Sheaf, white, 2 feet ; rivularis 

 gigantea, cream white, 4 feet ; Spiraea 

 Aruncus, cream, 4 feet ; gigantea, white, 

 gigantea elegans, pink, 6 to 8 feet ; palmata, 

 crimson, 4 feet ; venusta, crimson, 3J feet ; 

 and of this the varieties Fairy, Magnifica, 

 and Blushing Bride are desirable. The 

 Globe Flowers, or Trollius, are choice plants 

 for the bog, in sulphur, golden and orange 

 varieties, so, too are Rodgersia podophylla, 

 pinnata and tabularis. The Cimicifugas 

 are tall plants of great value for late flower- 

 ing ; cordifolia, racemosa and simplex are all 

 good. Senecios are coarse, but effective as 

 single specimens, clivorum and Veitchianus 

 being good representative kinds, but both 

 are inferior to the old Ligularia (Senecio) 

 macrophyllus. Gillenia trifoliata is a choice, 

 slender - growing plant, with white flowers 

 and bright purple foliage in autumn. Chryso- 

 bactron Hookeri is of neat habit with erect 

 spikes of yellow flowers, like a small Asphodel. 

 Funkias are ah 1 good bog-plants, and not 

 too coarse. Of moisture - loving Liliums, 

 the most satisfactory are pardalinum and its 

 various forms ; Liliums Grayi,Parryi, parvum, 

 Philadelphicum, and superbum will also 

 succeed, but the position must not be too 

 wet. Some good ferns for wet ground are 

 found in Adiantum pedatum, Onoclea 

 sensibilis, ah 1 the Osmundas and Struthi- 

 opteris germanica, while among bamboos 

 Arundinaria Simoni, Phyllostachys aurea, 

 nigra, Quilioi, and viridi-glaucescens are 

 effective in positions that are not too wet. 



Plants to Grow in Water, in addition 

 to those already given, include Alisma 

 Plantago, Butomus umbellatus, pink flowers 

 on tall stems, above the water ; Hottonia 

 palustris, submerged, white flowers ; Myrio- 

 phyllum proserpinacoides, fern-like foliage, 

 floating, not hardy in the Midlands ; Ranun- 

 culus lingua grandiflora, yellow, 2 feet 

 above water ; Rumex Hydrolapathum, giant 

 leaves, above water ; Sagittaria gracilis and 



