I04 The Wild Garden 



at Middleton Hall, Tamworth, I saw the finest example 

 I remember of its beauty, not only in growth and large 

 flowers, but in effect over a lake — in masses and 

 sheets divided by open water— an enormous sheet 

 of Water Lilies, and the picture, in association with 

 a pretty old manor house, was lovely. The flowers 

 were very large, and of two forms — one with a bronzy- 

 green outer division of the flower, and a flush of delicate 

 pink inside ; the other, a smaller form, pure white with 

 dark green outer divisions ; so we have at least two 

 forms of our native Water Lily, and there may be others. 

 In the numerous waters which have to be occasionally 

 cleared of sediment in gardens and parks, instead of 

 throwing all the mud on to the land, it would be better 

 to put some of it in masses near the margins of lakes 

 in which Water Lilies and other vigorous plants might 

 grow, and front which they would not wander far. It 

 is one way and the best of keeping rambling water- 

 plants in groups, instead of spread all over the water. 

 The Yellow Water Lily (Nuphar lutea), though not so 

 beautiful as the preceding, is worth a place ; then there 

 is the large N. advena, a native of North America, 

 which pushes its leaves boldly above the water, 

 and is bold in habit. The American White Water 

 Lily (Nymphsea odorata) is a "noEIe species, and there 

 are other species, while our gardens have lately been 

 enriched with a series of noble hybrids of these plants, 

 soft yellow, rose, and of other good colours. When 

 these are increased the hardiest of them will be good 



