Brook-side, Water and Bog Gardens 103 



as well as our own wild kind— these are some of 

 many types of hardy flowers which would grow freely 

 near the water-side apart wholly from the plants that 

 naturally frequent the water. With these hardy plants 

 too, a variety of the nobler hardy ferns would thrive, 

 as the Struthiopteris ; and the Royal Fern would also 

 come in well here. 



We will now consider the plants that naturally 

 belong to the water. Water-plants of northern .and 

 temperate regions add much to the beauty of a garden 

 if well chosen. A great deal of variety may be added 

 to the margins, and here and there to the surface, of 

 water, by means of hardy aquatics. Usually we see 

 the same monotonous vegetation all round the margin 

 if the soil be rich ; in some cases, where the bottom 

 is of gravel, there is little or no vegetation, but an 

 unbroken ugly line of washed earth 'between wind 

 and water. In others, water-plants thicken till they 

 become an eyesore— not only submerged weeds, but 

 such as the Water Lilies when matted together. A 

 plant or group of plants of the Water Lily, with 

 its fine leaves and flowers, is beautiful ; but when it 

 runs over a piece of water and water-fowl cannot make 

 way through it, then even this fine plant loses its 

 charms. No garden water, however, should be without 

 a few groups of the Water Lily. Where the bottom 

 is not rich enough, earth might be gathered in certain 

 spots for the growth of the Nymphaea, and thus grown 

 it would not spread much. In the summer of 1893, 



