AN AQUATIC GARDEN. 
We are all more or less addicted to pets of various 
orders, whether cats or dogs, canaries or gold fish, but 
the latter when in an ordinary globe aquarium, always 
impress me painfully; their slow movement and blank 
stare, seem to plead for life, liberty and the pursuit of 
happiness under more favorable conditions. So, if the 
owner of such pets possesses an apology for a lake, 01 - 
even sufficient ground to contain a small pool, she may 
keep her pets out-of-doors and establish a beautiful gar¬ 
den to boot. The fish multiply very rapidly under such 
conditions; I know a certain old colonial mansion—now 
reduced to an excursionist’s hostelry—whose ornamental 
pools and fountains supplied every swamp, stream and 
pond for miles around with these fish. 
I have seen a very pretty piece of water in a lawn 
with the grass sloping down to its very edge, not a weed 
nor unsightly leaf to mar its regularity, but for my part, 
careless groups artistically arranged 
“ Do more bewitch me than when art 
Is too precise in every part.” 
Here, too, we have the opportunity of using some of 
our native beauties, often unjustly described as weeds, 
though I think a botanical Vandal would hesitate before 
applying that term to the lordly Cardinal Flower or 
the fragile Arrow-head. 
Of course, the first thing the aquatic gardener would 
think of is the common white Water Lily— Nymphcea 
odorata, too well known to need description here. With 
it we may grow the-yellow Pond Lily— Nuphar advena, 
as affording a variety, but many persons do not like this 
plant. It is not so graceful as the Nymphcea, and is 
without its agreeable odor. These two plants will be 
variety enough for the pool or stream itself, and next 
comes the arrangement of its banks. They may be as 
irregular as you please, 
“ With many a fairy foreland set 
With willow, weed and mallow.” 
while fancy may run riot as to the plants placed 
there. I wish to describe hardy native plants only, 
which are within the reach of all. 
Growing in shallow water mayb ePontederia cordata, 
or Pickerel-weed. It is a stout herb, bearing erect heart- 
shaped leaves, and a scape terminating in a spike of 
violet-blue flowers. A charming contrast with it is 
Orontium aquaticum, or Golden-club, whose club-shaped 
golden spadix makes a conspicuous appearance in our 
swamps during the early summer. Also growing in the 
water is the Sagittaria variabilis —Arrow-head, produc¬ 
ing its fragile white flowers profusely all summer, and 
our native Calla, C. palustris, or Bog-arum. This plant 
greatly resembles our garden GaWa-RichardiaEthiopica, 
though somewhat, smaller, but it has the compensating 
advantage of standing severe cold, while the Richardia, 
being a native of Africa, is destroyed by a slight frost. 
Our species is not confined to America; it is found all 
over Northern Europe, being very plentiful in Lapland, 
where the starchy roots are made into bread. The roots, 
when fresh, are very acrid, but this is removed by dry¬ 
ing and grinding. 
Some of our common Arums, such as Indian Turnip— 
Arisaema triphyllum, might be grown here too. I may 
remark, for the benefit of those who have no natural 
water-course at their disposal, that a tub, sunk to its 
brim in the ground, and filled with water, will keep the 
ground in its immediate vicinity sufficiently moist for 
these plants—creating, in fact, an artificial bog, while 
the vessel itself may have a little earth put in it; and be 
filled with Pond Lilies. The way to plant the Lilies, or 
water plants generally, is to tie them loosely in thin 
muslin, with earth and stones, and sink the whole 
bundle in the water. The Floating Heart— Limnanthe- 
mum lacunosum —is a pretty aquatic plant. Its heart- 
shaped leaves float on the water, while the pretty pale 
flowers proceed from the petiole or leaf-stalk, instead of 
pushing through the water on a stem of their own. 
Leaving the water to be the dominion of Lilies, Lim- 
nanthemum and live stock, of the latter you will soon 
have a most extensive variety. We must next consider 
the banks, where the only rule is irregularity, ap¬ 
proaching nature as nearly as possible. If one has a 
liking for the sedge or rush families, they offer some 
very handsome plants for such positions; the variegated 
form of the common Rush— Juncus, is very effective, and 
perfectly hardy. A clump of Cat-tails makes a fine 
show; the only trouble is it would make you liable to an 
epidemic of cat-tails all over the place. A very interest¬ 
ing oddity among bog plants is Sarracenia purpurea, or 
Pitcher Plant, Side-saddle flower. Huntsman’s Cup and 
Whip-poor-will’s Shoe. We give a choice of local names 
though the two first are comparatively meaningless, as 
there are two other plants known by the first name— 
Nepenthes and Darlingtonia, and the second alludes to 
an imaginary resemblance. So, on the whole* Hunts¬ 
man's Cup seems the most suitable; considering the cup¬ 
like form of the leaf. This plant is very common in 
New Jersey swamps, and is often offered for sale on the 
city streets. The flower is not very beautiful, but the 
oddity attracts, v-hile the plant’s so-called carnivorous 
habit makes it interesting to botanists. Another little 
gem, which bears a similar reputation, is the Sundew, 
Drosera rotundifolia. Its little round leaves, shading 
from green to crimson, are covered with hairs, and ex¬ 
ude a clear fluid, so that the plant always appears 
covered with dew. It is a close companion of ^he Sarra¬ 
cenia, often growing in the same clump with it. Drosera 
ftliformis —Thread-leaved Sundew has fine thread-like 
leaves and delicate rose-colored flowers. 
The Water Plantain, Alisma plantago, is an annual 
of easy growth, bearing delicate mauveflowers, also the 
Bog Asphodel, Narthecium ossifragum. The specific 
name ossifragum, literally bone-breaking, is an 
allusion to the old superstition that the plant 
softened the bones of cattle feeding on it. The 
plants above enumerated are for the very edge of the 
water; above them, clumps of damp-loving Ferns will 
grow; the charming Climbing Fern, Lygodium pal- 
matum, with its delicate palmate leaves and wiry twist¬ 
ing stems; the Sensitive Fern. Onoclea sensibilis, with 
its singular seed-bearing fronds, and stately Osmunda 
