CULTURE OF WATER LILIES, ETC. 123 



a clump of the tall Bamboo (Arundo Donax), and its 

 variegated variety. There are groups of Cannas, and a 

 large Palm, brought from the greenhouse to spend the 

 summer in the open air. Another stately plant is Aloca- 

 sia arborea, with a tree-like trunk and fine, large leaves. 

 What is this great-leaved plant near the water's edge ? 

 It is Gunnera scabra (the Giant Khubarb), with leaves 

 six feet in diameter. Now do you wish to give your 

 friends a glimpse of fairyland ? Then illuminate your 

 grounds, and invite them to an evening fete or garden 

 party. The Lotuses and hardy Lilies have closed their 

 flowers, but the night-blooming Water Lilies offer us a 

 feast for the eyes at night. Place large lamps, with re- 

 flectors, in such a position as to throw a powerful light 

 directly upon the flowers ; or, perhaps, Edison's magic 

 lamps are available, and you suspend a number of them 

 in midair over the water. Now the red Lilies fairly 

 glow with color, and are far more beautiful than by day- 

 light. The water is like a mirror, and in its depths you 

 behold another glorious picture a perfect image of the 

 flowers themselves. The large, star-like white ones keep 

 company with the red in their night watches, and are 

 not unworthy companions for them. Look around at 

 the floating leaves, the numerous buds which will open 

 with to-morrow's- sun, the tall shields of the Lotus, the 

 rich, tropical foliage on the banks, the rustic arbor cov- 

 ered with myriads of the silvery blossoms of the Moon 

 Flower (Ipomcea grandiflora), and tell me if this is not a 

 fairy scene. And having taken a view of the Water Lily 

 Garden by daylight and by lamplight, will you not ac- 

 knowledge that in all that is really beautiful it far sur- 

 passes the most elaborate exhibition of carpet bedding ? 



Perhaps you will say that this is a fancy sketch. Our 

 answer is, that it has been so far realized that AVC do not 

 hesitate to place such a garden as we have described among 

 the list of "possibilities of horticulture" in America. 



