196 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  7,  1901. 
The  Lily  Pond  in  Greenwich  Park. 
Perhaps  in  no  other  gardtn  or  grounds  around  London  is  there 
a  more  natural  or  interesting  sheet  of  water  than  that  in  the  Royal 
Park  at  Greenwich.  When  it  was  suggested  a  few  years  back  that 
the  better  kinds  of  Water  Lilies  and  other  aquatic  plants  might  be 
successfully  grown  there  the  notion  was  ridiculed  by  not  a  few,  but 
that  success  has  amply  crowned  the  effort  a  glance  at  the  accompaning 
illustration  will  clearly  show.  Marliac’s  best  Water  Lilies  have  become 
quite  established  and  flower  freely.  The  Cape  Pondflower  runs 
rampant,  while  the  Bogbean,  Water  Ranunculus,  Arrowhead, 
Catstail,  and  hosts  of  other  native  and  foreign  aquatics  prove  pretty 
conclusively  that  even  in  the  smoke-begrimed  outskirts  ot  the  great 
metropolis  these  beautiful  flowering  subjects  find  a  congenial  home. 
The  three  clumps  of  Water  Lilies  in  the  foreground  of  the  picture 
(page  197)  are  Marliac’s  red  and  pink  forms,  which  bear  an  abundance 
of  big,  showy  flowers,  the  most  remarkable  circumstance  about  which 
is  that  they  do  not  become  in  the  least  soiled  by  the  atmospheric 
warbler,  moorhen,  and  coletit  all  breed  regularly  by  the  pond  side,  the 
old  Oaks  and  the  Chestnuts  fostering  the  kestrel  and  sparrow  hawk 
carrion  crow  (by  no  means  common),  goatsucker,  ringnecked  dove,  and 
common  and  rock  pigeons,  the  latter  described  by  Darwin  as  the  parent 
of  all  our  domesticated  forms. — A.  D.  Webster. 
Planting  Park  and  Avenue  Trees. 
Park  and  avenue  trees,  both  for  timber  and  ornament,  are  a  valuable 
addition  and  permanent  features  of  interest  in  a  gentbman’s  demesne. 
These  trees,  if  designed  to  cover  a  large  extent  of  landscape,  which 
would  necessarily  be  the  case  if  the  park  in  question  is  of  great  extent, 
should  be  so  arranged  in  their  relative  positions  as  not  to  appear  to  the 
eye  of  a  spectator  crowded  together  in  clumps  unnecessarily  large,  but 
arranged  so  as  to  open  up  vistas  of  beauty  in  all  directions.  Araucaria 
imbricata  is  an  ornamental  object  in  a  park  if  regarded  simply  for 
“THE  WILDERNESS  A  PICTURESQUE  SCENE  IN  GREENWICH  PARK. 
impurities,  which  so  often  leave  a  filthy  black  scum  on  our  London 
ponds  and  lakes,  possibly  owing  to  the  flowers  closing  at  night  and 
remaining  so  during  dull  weather,  when  soot  and  dirt  do  most  abound. 
Further  away  may  be  seen  the  Cape  Pondflower,  and  on  the  left  the 
deliciously  sweet  flowers  of  our  native  Bogbean  and  Water  Ranunculus. 
The  silver  and  golden-leaved  Irises  have  a  fine  effect  when  carpeting 
the  water  beneath  the  shade  of  the  Babylonian  Willow,  and  in 
company  with  the  giant  Typhas  and  better  forms  of  Arundo.  There 
are  few  distinct  gains  without  losses,  and  the  Canadian  Pondweed 
(Elodea  canadensis)  is  the  plague  of  our  pondman’s  life,  for  even  the 
hundred  and  one  loads  ot  this  merciless  creeper  that  were  removed 
during  the  past  summer  seem  only  to  pave  the  way  for  further  and 
more  extended  growth.  The  undulating  ground  around  the  pond  is 
planted  with  big  irregular  clumps  of  many  and  varied  bulbs — the  be  t 
Daffodils,  Chionodoxas,  Crocuses,  Snowdrops,  and  Scillas ;  while  near 
the  water  margin  the  Gunneras,  Mocassin  Flower  (Cypripedium 
spectabile),  giant  Fennels,  Royal  Fern,  and  hosts  of  other  damp-loving 
subjects,  not  forgetting  the  startling  Loosestrife  and  Willow  Herb, 
actually  revel  in  their  surroundings. 
The  other  picture  is  that  of  the  wilderness  by  the  pond  side, 
which  is  most  remarkable  for  its  growth  of  bracken,  and  as  being  a 
sanctuary  for  many  birds  that  are  extremely  rare  around  London.  The 
kingfisher  is  a  frequent  visitor,  while  the  wagtail,  lesser  grebe,  sedge 
ornament,  but  useless  as  a  timber  tree.  I  have  in  my  mind’s  eye  now 
a  plantation  of  this  tree,  and  the  plantation  is  in  Snelston  Park,  the 
residence  of  John  Harrison,  Esq.,  about  two  miles  from  Ashbourne. 
This  plantation  of  specimen  Araucarias  is  really  a  fine  sight  as  an 
ornamental  object,  but  rather  sombre  and  tuuereal  in  its  appearance, 
consisting  only  of  one  kind  of  tree.  It  is  not  the  planting  of 
ornamental  trees  alone  which  should  be  aimed  at,  but  the  judicious 
combination  of  those  kinds  of  coniferous  and  forest  trees  suitable  both 
for  timber  and  ornament.  In  this  park  to  which  I  have  alluded  these 
two  distinctive  features  of  landscape  scent  ry  are  carried  out.  I  believe 
this  park  was  designed,  laid  out,  and  planted  by  the  late  Mr.  Ponting 
of  Plymouth,  well  known  as  an  able  and  practical  master  ot  forestry 
and  all  matters  connected  with  arbiriculture. 
Tnere  are  some  fine  specimens  of  '*  the  forest  king,”  also  of 
English  Elms,  Sycamores,  Horse  Cnestnuts,  and  Beech  in  this  park; 
but  the  ordinary  forest  tree  planting  is  chiefly  at  the  outskirts, 
arranged  so  as  to  form  a  boundary.  In  forest  p1  anting  with  a  view 
to  profit  and  to  make  the  trees  available  as  timber  as  soon  as  possible, 
it  would  be  advisable  not  only  to  plant  thickly  but  to  plant  a  class 
of  trees  suitable  for  the  land,  and  of  a  vigorous  growth.  With 
reference  also  to  trees  suitable  for  avenue  planting,  I  would  call 
the  attention  of  my  readers  to  two  fine  avenues  in  this  neighbour¬ 
hood  worth  a  visit — one  at  Tissington  Park  and  the  other  at 
