IN CALIFORNIA 87 



the magic influence of our almost tropic summer sun. 

 The range in the size of aquatic flowers is fully as 

 striking as that in color; the little white lily from 

 Siberia has flowers no larger than a half-dollar, yet 

 as perfect in all its parts and as full of series of 

 petals as the giant lily of the Amazon, victoria, over 

 a foot across. Still smaller than the Siberian is the 

 dainty little frosted snowflake flower. 



All flowering aquatics should be planted so that 

 they will be exposed to full sunlight. 



MAKING THE POND 



Every one may have at least a half barrel sunk in 

 the ground for a good water lily plant. In a country 

 of vineyards it should be easy to get a large wine 

 barrel. Sink one or both halves in the soil to within 

 three inches of the top of staves. Put in just a foot 

 of pond muck, leaf-mold soil or even a good garden 

 loam, and in this plant your lily bulbs. After plant- 

 ing, pour in water very carefully so as not to dis- 

 turb the soil, until a few inches above surface of 

 soil. After the leaves begin to grow gradually fill 

 with water. These miniature water gardens are in- 

 expensive and a source of much pleasure. 



In making a pond the excavated soil can be used 

 in forming the banks of varied heights and config- 

 urations. The outline of the pond, like that of a belt 

 of trees or shrubbery border skirting a lawn, should 

 be varied and irregular, with bold points and deep 

 indentations, and these should be few and bold 

 rather than frequent and tame. The resemblance 

 between a level lawn, surrounded by curved outlines 

 of shrubbery, and that of a smooth sheet of water 

 in a pond or small lake, with jutting banks and retir- 

 ing bays, is very close, so far as relates to their 

 artistic treatment in ornamental planting. The most 



