January, 1906 
AMERICAN HOMES 
AND GARDENS 43 
The Lily Pond 
By Ida D. Bennett 
HE growing of aquatics in our public parks, 
cemeteries and in a few of our larger floral 
establishments has become so common as to 
excite little comment, and has been taken 
as a matter of course. On the other hand, 
<< few private ponds or water gardens have 
been constructed, though there are many varieties of water 
plants as easily grown as the geranium or verbena. They 
exact much less care, as no weeding or cultivation is required 
and little if any watering, water usually being supplied by 
the water system used about the place or by piping from a 
convenient well. 
Many of the choicest water lilies, even the magnificent 
Victoria regia, may be grown from seed. For many years 
the seed of this lily, when brought to this country, failed 
to germinate. It was finally found that by bottling the seeds 
in the water of the river in which they grew they could be 
transported safely from the waters of the Amazon to the 
Far West. Here the lily is usually grown with bottom heat, 
as it is very tender. Seeds started in pots in a temperature 
of go degrees will germinate in about two weeks and 
may be planted out in the open air when the nights have be- 
come warm, usually about the first of June, and will bloom 
the same summer; they can not be carried through the winter 
but must be started afresh each season, either by the pur- 
chase of plants or the sowing of seed, the latter being, of 
course, much more economical, as seeds may be purchased 
for a few nickels apiece, the plants costing as many dollars. 
The plants will give earlier and more generous results. 
The new Victoria trickeri is more adapted to amateur 
handling, being much hardier. In the vicinity of Philadelphia 
it is grown in the open ground, without artificial heat, from 
self-sown seeds that have laid in the ground all winter, and in 
that locality seed may be sown where they are to remain, but 
in the North seed 
must be started in 
the house. 
The regias, how- 
ever, require more 
room than can 
usually be devoted 
to them on the home 
grounds. The ne- 
lumbians_ or lotus 
will be found more 
satisfactory to the 
amateur, not being 
easily grown, but 
quite hardy in the 
open ground when 
well established. 
The _ Egyptian 
lotus is a beautiful 
rose-colored variety 
with magnificent 
foliage held well 
above the water. 
Our native Ameri- 
can variety has im- 
mense, creamy yel- 
low blossoms. Great 
beds of them are 
found along Lake 
A Lily Pond in which Rocks have been Effectively Used for Ornament, and in which 
the Flowers have been Artfully Arranged 
Erie in the vicinity of Monroe, Mich., from which I have 
had many magnificent specimens. 
N. parkinensis, a brilliant hybrid, originating in this 
country, is one of the darkest varieties, a beautiful rosy 
crimson. These three give a desirable range of color and all 
are easily grown from seed. The Egyptian lotus, how- 
ever, is only grown from imported seed, the flowers failing 
to mature fertile seeds here. Young plants of the lotus may 
be grown in tubs and small artificial ponds of a few feet in 
diameter. 
It is doubtful, however, if any class of water lilies appeal 
to the popular fancy as strongly as the nymphzas, not the 
least in our affections being the common Nympheza odorata 
of our ponds and streams. Rivaling this in beauty of 
form and color we have the lovely Cape Cod lily, 
Nymphea rubra, in its robes of rose color, and Marliacea 
rosea, an equally beautiful and more healthy member of the 
family of rose-colored or pink water lilies. Marliacea 
chromatella is probably the best of the yellow lilies, 
being a very strong grower and a free and persistent 
bloomer, and one of the earliest, the plants frequently being 
found in bud when uncovered in the spring, which is also 
true of Marliacea rosea. Tuberosa Richardsoni is prob- 
ably the best all-round white water lily in cultivation. It is 
large, full and double, standing well above the water, the 
lower petals drooping, forming a perfect ball. It is of all 
my lilies the most admired. All these are quite hardy, re- 
maining in bloom, either in tubs or in ponds, until frost, and 
will live out-of-doors during winter, provided the water in 
the pond or tank does not freeze to the bottom. If grown 
in tubs the water may be drained by leaving the soil only 
moist and wintering the tub in a warm cellar. 
Among the tender lilies the Zanzibar lilies form a very 
interesting class and are of the easiest culture. Plants may 
be purchased of the 
florist or they may 
be started fromseed. 
If it is desired to 
grow plants from 
seed that will bloom 
the first season seed 
should be sown in 
February. While 
seed may be started 
in anything that will 
hold water I prefer 
a large glass dish, as 
that will admit light 
from the sides as 
well as from the top, 
and the processes of 
germination, which 
are very interesting, 
may be watched. 
Place a couple of 
inches of rich soil in 
the bottom of the 
dish and cover with 
clean white sand. 
Fill with water from 
the rose of the 
watering pot, letting 
it run until the sand 
