July, 1 913 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



2 37 



A fountain-basin may be transformed into a water-garden 



Ic - y'> '' ■ 1 - ' '"y d ' 



HE possession of 

 so much pleasure 

 easy to make 

 and keep in 

 order, that 

 doubtless 



there would be many more 

 of them if this were gen- 

 erally known. It is not 

 necessary to have a natural 

 pond or stream at hand as a 

 basis, for a water-garden 

 can be satisfactorily formed 

 by means of a sunken tub or 

 cask in the yard of any 

 suburban home. 



The water-garden may 

 consist of a single tub or of 

 several placed in the ground 

 near together. A cement 

 basin can be made instead 

 and may be of any preferred 

 size. A group of small tubs 

 is much easier to manage, 

 however, than a large basin, 

 and the group has the fur- 

 ther advantage for a be- 

 ginner that a single tub will 

 suffice for the commence- 

 ment of one's enterprise, 

 others being added, one at a 

 time, as interest and con- 

 fidence grow. 



The following direc- 

 tions for the making of such 

 a garden as here given are 



The Water Garden 



By E. M. Bun- 

 Photographs by T. C. Turner and Others 



a water-garden can give collected from authorities who have had wide experience 

 and is so comparatively in Lily-growing. The depth suitable for the pool is given 



as two feet. If the plants 

 to be used are strong and of 

 a large variety the depth 

 may be from two and a half 

 to three feet. For Lotus 

 plants a large tub must be 

 provided; for the smaller 

 and more delicate varieties, 

 called Nymphcea, a half- 

 kerosene cask is recom- 

 mended. For the usual 

 varieties ordinary tubs and 

 half-casks are suitable. The 

 pond should be water-tight 

 and there should be some 

 means provided of drawing 

 off the water. This latter 

 is usually necessary during 

 the Winter months. When 

 the pool is small in size, it 

 is claimed, it may be so pro- 

 tected that water may stand 

 in it during the cold season; 

 but even so it involves a 

 risk that it is wiser to avoid 

 if possible. In order to 

 make the pool water-tight a 

 lining of clay is often suf- 

 ficient but a wall of brick or 

 stone with a thin facing of 

 cement is best. 



To prepare the tubs for 



planting they should be two 



The Lotus may be grown in American water-gardens thirds filled with a SOU 



