FLOWERS ON WATER SIDE AND SURFACE 127 



fowl may be held in check, and the beautiful 

 floating bloom is under close observation. To 

 look across a lake upon which the nymphaeas are 

 spreading out their fleshy leaves, amongst which the 

 flowers seem like huge gems, is to see a rare picture 

 of garden beauty, but the enjoyment is keener 

 when one has the privilege of punting near 

 the flowers in the hot sun of a July day, and 

 looking into the very centre, the gorgeous shades of 

 crimson or of the more delicate tones of rose-pink 

 and yellow seeming to reflect the sunlight itself. 



When planting flowers by water side over- 

 crowding must be avoided. Growth under these 

 conditions is usually quick and rampant, and many 

 of the kinds used are of considerable stature. 

 Sometimes it is wise to restrict the selection to a 

 few sorts, such as the late Mr. G. F. Wilson did 

 in his pretty retreat at Wisley, now the experi- 

 mental gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society. 

 By the margin of a pond the Japanese irises were 

 planted lavishly, and also the Siberian iris, which 

 precedes it in flowermg. The result was satis- 

 factory—no overcrowding or overlapping, or any 

 fighting for the mastery between things of different 

 character. 



I cannot refrain from introducing the notes 



