58 THE BOOK OF GARDEN DESIGN 
for which irregular groups of such trees as willows, 
alders, rhododendrons, dogwood and birch are particularly 
suited. Scrappy planting is to be avoided, boldly 
defined masses of certain varieties being far more effec- 
tive. In the marshy ground near the bays, the noble 
gunneras, rheum palmatum, and certain varieties of spirea 
and the larger grasses look extremely well. A list of 
suitable plants for such situations will be fouud in 
another chapter. 
If possible, portions at any rate of the lake should 
be visible from the best parts of the flower garden, or 
even from the house itself, and to attain this end vistas 
should be carefully preserved by the due regulation of 
timber and plantations. 
Stone embankments quite spoil the appearance of 
sheets of water, giving them a semblance to those 
miniature lakes which are frequently encountered in 
public gardens at the seaside. If there is a likelihood 
of the banks being seriously damaged by the wash of 
water, a suitable protection in exposed places may be 
made by stones set in cement, the whole being after- 
wards hidden with grass and trailing plants. Where 
the general surroundings are wild or rocky, a lake with 
gently undulating banks and sweeping outline will look 
out of place; the promontories will require rougher 
and more broken treatment, whilst firs, such as may be 
seen on Brathay Crag, Windermere, would be more in 
keeping than willows and alders, which are associated 
with scenery of a milder type. 
If the site commands a view of a fine natural sheet 
of water, it is seldom advisable to create an artificial 
lake. The latter is almost bound to look puny and 
ridiculous, whilst comparison is invited, which seldom 
tells favourably on the work of the designer. Similarly, 
the artificial stream only too surely betrays its character 
when a free flowing river is also included in the line of 
