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Rustic Adornments . 
ponds or lakes this plan is not practicable; it is better in these cases to 
plant them in or on the bed. This is easily accomplished by enclosing 
the roots and a moderate quantity of mould in a piece of sacking or garden 
mat) and then dropping the plant in the water. It will sink by its own 
weight, and as the sacking gradually decays, the roots will establish 
themselves firmly on or in the bed of the pond. This is the best way to 
plant water lilies, and in fact all kinds of aquatics that are difficult to plant 
in the ordinary way. As to the best time for planting, we prefer March or 
April, the plants then establishing themselves so much more quickly than at 
any other time. 
And then as to the most suitable kinds to plant. For the centre of large 
ponds or lakes, there are no plants to equal the nymphaeas and nuphars. 
These cover the surface of the water with their ample floating leafage and 
yield a sparkling mass of white and yellow blossoms in summer. Then 
along the margins, especially of small ponds, the Cape Hawthorn (Aponogeton 
distachyon) is a charming plant to grow. Like the water lilies it has floating 
leaves, and bears white fragrant flowers. The Water Violet ( Houttonia 
palustrus) is a pretty little plant with fern-like foliage and white flowers 
for the margin of a pond. Its foliage requires to be entirely submerged. 
Of taller plants for the margins there are plenty. For example, there 
is the Sweet Flag (Acorns calamus ), with fragrant foliage; the Water Plaintain 
(cilisma plantago ), bearing white flowers; Flowering Rush (Butomus 
umbellatus ), Bog Arum (Calla palustrus ), Sweet Cyperus or Galingale 
(Cyperus longus ), Bog Bean (Menyanthes trifoliata ), Golden Club (Oron- 
tium aquaticum ), Water Arum (Peltandria Virgin ica), Pickerel Weed 
(Pontederia cordata ), Arrow-head ( Sagittaria sagittifolia ), Water Soldier 
(Stratiotes aloides), Cat's Tails (Typha latifolia , T. angustifolia , T. 
minima ), all charming plants for growing in the water at the margin of 
the lake or pond. 
For growing close to the sides in moist soil, we have also a good selection 
of plants. First and foremost are the Royal Ferns ( Osmunda gracilis and 
O. regalis ), the Shuttlecock Fern ( Struthiopteris germanica ), the North 
American Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis ), the Male Fern (Lastrea 
filix-mas), and the Lady Fern (Athyrium ftlix-fcemina). Then come the 
Meadow Sweets (Spiraea ulmaria , S. palmata , and S. aruncus ), the Willow 
Herb (Epilobium august ifoliuiti), the graceful Bamboo (Bambusa me take), 
the Great Bamboo (Arundo donax ), the noble Knotweed (Polygonium 
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