140 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
April, 1909 
The Making of an Iris Garden 
By Samuel Howe 
IN MANY parts of the country, ponds are a 
nuisance; they absorb undesirable and decay- 
ing vegetable and animal matter, afford a 
f 1 | NWO | bs] first-class breeding place for mosquitoes, and 
Ne 2 a shelter for all kinds of rubbish. Of course, 
this is the more marked when the pond hap- 
pens to be near the house. Yet, in spite of 
this undesirable quality, much can be done with it. To begin 
at the beginning, it is often wise to drain off much of the 
water, clean out the bottom of the pond and condense 
the stream into a narrow channel, and plant the newly 
exposed area with plants that love damp places. As to the 
movement, we get that by a clever adjustment and change 
of levels of the water. It can be made to run over stones 
and allowed to rest in certain well defined places. It can 
be held up at intervals so as to encourage movement. In 
short, if the stream is a nuisance it is mainly our own fault, 
because there are so many methods by which it can be made 
to shine as a living light in the garden. 
As a practical illustration of one of the methods by which 
this change can be brought about, the accompanying views 
of the transforming of the bed of an old pond near a road- 
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The iris garden in sunken bed of the old pond. The rustic bridge is over the cut in a former retaining wall. 
way, at Chestnut Hill, Pa., will be of some interest. This 
pond became an iris garden. The stream held back by a 
dam, its outline changed and adjusted to the requirements 
of the plants, its depth greatly reduced, became a delightful 
and vitalizing force, very welcome in the picture. 
I give a rough sketch outline of the layout, showing the 
names of the plants and their location. From it will be 
learned that a rough rustic wall of stones, taken from the 
field and elsewhere, forms a rude terrace round the edge 
of the old pond. The wall is sloped toward the hillside 
so as to hold back the dirt, but care is taken to so lay the 
stones that they receive most of the rain and so nourish 
the roots of the small plants which are lodged in the joints. 
It also helps the roots of the larger trees which stand senti- 
nel-like round the pond, casting their lace-like shadows over 
the scene. These trees are a portion of the native woods, to 
which have been added a tulip, a maple and a spruce. The 
head of the stream has been raised to husband the water, 
shaping and controlling it, encouraging it to reserve its 
force for a leap into the new channel; and the retaining 
wall at the lower end has been reduced in height so that 
every drop can be drawn off in the winter season should a 
The iris is but just planted, 
A second season will greatly change things, filling the beds and massing the flowers in places 
