168 
The Garden Magazine, May, 1920 
should play up to its important part in the general scheme by 
being considered not only in its direct aspect but in the indirect 
aspect in which reflections will present it. 
There is, for example, the skyline, the color, and the marginal 
line, as these repeat in the water — sometimes as vivid in their 
inversion as in their actuality, and inevitably affecting the aspect 
of the Water-lilies which may happen to float within their field. 
And there is of course the opportunities which just these points 
afford for pictures of startling beauty and unexpectedness. 
The water garden indeed may very well be considered as exactly 
doubling the possibilities which an ordinary garden creation 
affords, since there is this constant de capo at the end of every 
theme. Its reflections are as much a part of it as the plants 
and flowers which provide their substance. 
It is perhaps more difficult to shape an artificial pool accord- 
ing to natural lines than it is to group plants naturally — yet 
the whole character of a naturalistic pool will depend upon its 
being truly natural at its margins. If possible, secure this qual- 
ity by letting its margins be natural; that is, by utilizing a 
natural depression for the pool’s basin, if you are actuallv 
making it “from the ground up.” And where a dam is a 
part of the project, let this extend and then gradually unite 
the lines of the depression, rather than spring abruptly across 
it from its sides. 
II. THE SIMPLICITY OF GROWING WATER-LILIES 
CHARLES TR1CKER 
ANCIENT Egypt the Lotus, or Sacred Lily of the 
Nile, was a highly prized flower, closely associated 
Y' mr w ith court life and the Pharaohs. Some of the petals 
of the blue Lotus-of-the-Nile (really a Nymphaea) 
have been found in the mummy cases of Egypt, and artistic 
designs were fashioned after the pattern of the leaves and flowers 
of this particular species. But every continent has contributed 
some species of Water-lily that has been used in obtaining the 
wonderful varieties now in cultivation. 
From the northern part of the United States has come the 
Nymphaea odorata, our common Sweet-scented Pond-lily. 
From the southern states came Nymphaea mexicana (or N. 
flava) a small yellow Lily that has been one of the parents of our 
large-flowering yellow varieties. From Sweden we have 
Nymphaea alba rubra, or N. Froeblii, a red variety which 
brought much of the gorgeous red and pink coloring into some 
of the later varieties; and M. Latour-Marliac of Temple-sur- 
Lot, France, who has produced many marvelous hybrids, found 
that Nymphaea alba, from the European continent, was one of 
the best varieties for his purpose. 
Most of the blue Lilies have come from the tropical countries. 
Nymphaea caerulea, a light blue, is the aforementioned Lotus of 
the River Nile, N. zanzibariensis, blue, and N. zanzibariensis 
rosea, a pink, came from Africa, while N. gracilis, a pure white 
came from Mexico. These are day-blooming Lilies. Most of 
the original night-bloomers have come from India. 
With all these varieties a wonderful line of vari-colored 
Lilies has been built up — many pure white, white to pink and 
through all the shades to red and crimson; yellows, and yellow 
shaded with red and pink; and blue, lavender, and purple. 
THE SUMPTUOUS QUALITY OF THE LOTUS IS IN BOLD CONTRAST TO NORTHERN VEGETATION 
Its spreading habit is decided too, hence the roots usually need to be strictly confined, as here in the 
Lotus pool that lies midway along the walk to the lake; estate of Mr. R. H. Scott, Lansing, Mich. 
