AND GENERAL HOBTICULTUKE. 



491 



WAT 



The many species that can be successfully 

 grown and flowered in the open air in this 

 latitude are described in their proper place in 

 this work, but for convenience we here group 

 them together. 



NiOHT-BLOOMiKG Wateb Lilies. Unlike 

 our native NymphcEa odorata, some species 

 open their flowers at night, beginning about 

 eight o'clock and remaining expanded until 

 about ten o'clock the next morning, each 

 flower opening three nights in succession. 



The following will be found the moat de- 

 sirable of this class : Nymphma Devonimsis 

 (rosy red with scarlet stamens), N. rubra 

 (brilliant red), one of the parents of. the fore- 

 going, N. Slurtevanti (a semi-double variety, 

 with rosy-red flowers, not so free flowering as 

 the others), N. dentcUa (a native of Sierra 

 Leone, with white sweet-scented flowers). If. 

 Lotus (pure white) and N. Ampla (sulphur- 

 white), strongly banana-scented. 



The day-flowering and other ornamental 

 water-plants we group together: Nymphma 

 acutifoUa (syns. N. coerulea and N. eyanea) 

 (lavender blue), N. Zanzibarensis, unquestion- 

 ably the deepest colored and finest of all the 

 blue Water Lilies known, there are several 

 varieties of it now in cultivation : Nelumbium 

 apedosum, Limnooharia Humboldtii and L. 

 Plumieri, Ouverandra fenestralis, Pontederia 

 crassipes major, Pondeteria azurea, Piatia atror- 

 tioidea, Salvvnia Triaruea, Azolla, etc. Myrio- 

 phyllwm Proserpinacoides, a comparatively new 

 introduction from Bra^iil, is also desirable, on 

 account of the exquisite beauty of its leaves, 

 which are arranged in whorls along the stem, 

 and are as finely divided as the most delicate 

 Fern. Hedichiums, Commas, Richardias, Papyrus 

 antiquorwm, Cyperus aUernifoliua, and other 

 plants may be partially immersed and will add 

 largely to the beauty of the arrangement, 

 especially if used as a background. 



Many of our hardy aquatic plants can also 

 be introduced, and will be found of great ser- 

 vice— .Nynip/wBa odorata and its rose and yel- 

 low colored varieties, Nelumbiwm, hdeam, 

 lAimnamtkemwn, Lacwnoaum, Aponogeton Dia- 

 tachyon, Trapa, the various Sagittariaa, Callaa, 

 Pondeterias, etc. 



In conclusion, we cannot do better than 

 quote from Mr. Sturtevant, the pioneer of 

 water-plant culture in America. See ' 'Possibili- 

 ties of Aquatic Gardening" in "Gardening 

 for Pleasure," pages 121-125 : 



" One argument in favor of cultivating 

 tropical Lilies in the open air is, that larger 

 leaves and flowers are obtained, and incase of 

 the colored kinds, greater depth of color than 

 under glass. Another argument is, the grand 

 effect which may be produced on the lawn or 

 in any part of the pleasure ground. Let us 

 suppose that you wish to have an aquatic gar- 

 den, fifty, sixty or a hundred feet in diameter. 

 We will not build it in the stiff form of a circle 

 or oval, but the outline shall be irregular, 

 with here and there a small bay, across which 

 we will throw a rustic bridge to a miniature 

 peninsula. Somewhere on the margin we will 

 build a rustic summer-house. It shall be a 

 two-story affair, for sometimes we shall want 

 to view our pets from an elevated position; 

 for, unlike our fellow-creatures, they smile 

 upon us when we look down upon them. If 

 we have a rocky ledge in our grounds, let us 

 place our pond near it. Now, let us suppose 



WAT 



that all has been planted, established, and 

 come to midsummer perfection. Some morn- 

 ing, before the night-blooming Lilies have 

 begun to take their midday sleep, let us as- 

 cend the low tower and take a view of the 

 picture. There, beneath us, is the noble 

 Nymphma dentata, covering a space twenty 

 feet in diameter, some of its leaves two feet 

 across, and its milk-white flowers twelve 

 inches across ; there is the grand N. rubra, 

 with its immense cups of glowing carmine ; 

 and, there, queen of them all, is N. Devonien- 

 aia, surpassing in brilliancy of flower, if not in 

 size of leaf, the famous Victoria regia. Then 

 come groups of these same Lilies, planted 

 more thickly; and though the flowers are 

 smaller, yet they are more numerous and just 

 as brilliant. Yonder, a little bay is filled with 

 Egyptian Lotus, its pink and white flowers, 

 on stalks three feet aboA e the water, looking 

 like immense tulips. Next is a mass of the 

 American Lotus, with its sulphur-yellow 

 flowers; some of its floating leaves have 

 strayed out into an open space, and are thirty 

 inches in diameter. Let us descend and walk 

 along the border of our little lake. Here is a 

 plantation of the lovely blue, JV. acutifoUa; you 

 perceive its fragrance before you come near 

 it. Next is the beautiful Yellow Lily from 

 Florida ; and our own sweet Water Lils' is not 

 forgotten, for it is here in masses. Associated 

 with it are its charming new, rose-colored va- 

 riety, N. odorata rosea, and the delicate pink- 

 tinted one. Here are N. candidiaaima and N. 

 alba rosea, with their waxy petals, similar in 

 color to some of the others, but having their 

 own distinctive merits and attractions. The 

 favorite Calla of our winter gardens lifts its 

 white trumpets towards the sky, and numer- 

 ous smaller-flowered aquatics are found in 

 profusion along the edge of the water. Com- 

 ing around to the Lotuses again, we find 

 growing near them, in shallow water, great 

 clumps of the Egyptian Papyrus, with its 

 plumy heads on stalks six feet high. Now 

 let us look at some of the plants which asso- 

 ciate well with water, and help form a back- 

 ground for our picture. Scattered along the 

 margin we find groups of ornamental grasses, 

 Eulalias, Erianthus, and Pampas Grass. 

 Yonder, on our little peninsula, stands a noble 

 Banana {Musa Enaete), twelve feet high. Far- 

 ther on is a clump of the tall Bamboo (Arundo 

 Donax), and its variegated variety. There 

 are groups of Cannas, and a large Palm, 

 brought from the green-house to spend the 

 summer in the open air. Another stately 

 plant is Coloca^ia odorata, with a tree-like 

 trunk and fine, large leaves. What is this 

 great-leaved plant near the water's edge? It 

 is Qvmnera acabra (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 f§te 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 reflectors, 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 mid-air over the water. Now the red 

 Lilies fairly glow with color, and are far more 

 beautiful than by daylight. The water is like 



