>w Wwr >>v> p ew ' wu i j > to i , i W wi> i WWB C« » t.*W.'it/j U U '> U»JU ■a w.'J. 'V «i B WiW CT ;U».Vy>JWJU J ^v --JttatB» LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. ShellL.JJ..3 'c^^ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THE WATER GARDEN PRESS OF A T. DE LA MARE PRINTING AND PUBLISHING CO , LTD, NEW YORK. rL\TK I. VICTORIA REGIA (TRICKER'S VARIETY) AND VICTORIA REGIA RANDII. These are both fine specimen plants, backed by Sour Gum and Wild Cherry trees, with Eulalia, Golden-Rod, Sumach, Cyperus, and Caladium on the bank, and festooned with the Wild Cucumber, most beautiful, graceful, and harmonious. Tricker's Variety is the plant at the back; Randi in foreground. THE WATER GARDEN EMBRACING THE CONSTRUCTION OF PONDS, ADAPTING NATURAL STREAMS. PLANTING, HYBRIDIZING, SEED SAVING, PROPAGATION, BUILDING AN AQUATIC HOUSE, WINTERING, CORRECT DESIGNING AND PLANTING OF BANKS AND MARGINS, TOGETHER WITH CULTURAL DIRECTIONS FOR ALL ORNAMENTAL AQUATICS BY WILLIAM TRICKLR PROFCSELV ILLCSIRAIEI^ WITH XIXE rLATES, EICIllEEX El'IJ. EACE DESCEIETIl-E IVEIIS, AXD XCMEEOCS 077/EA' SXEECZ/ES /X EHE TEXT ''ST';" -* '/ NEW YORK A. T. DE LA .WARE PRINTING AND PUBLISHING COMPANY, LTD. 1897 AH rii;lity^ rvscrverl Coi)yriglit. 1807, I!Y A. T. Tie I. a Maiu; Ptc:. and Pi n. Co., I.td. PREFACE. OF late )-ears interest in the cultivation of aquatic plants has yrown enormously; not (.>nly are Water Lily ponds now features of our public parks and larger private i^ardens, but even in the back yard of the suburban resident one can frecjnently find a few tubs or a small tank, where the cultiva- tion of Water Lilies and of the Lotus is indulged. Snch widespread interest in a branch of horticultuix* which is com- paratively new seems to demand a practical handbook dealing with the Water Garden from the standpiiint of the cultivator. Certain it is, from the ex- perience of the author in having to frecpiently reply to impuries as regards the proper care and attention to be given to Water Lilies and other aquatics, that there. is some desire for a volume such as the present. The production of the work in its present form would not have been possible but for the kind assistance rendered by many friends, and thanks are extended to all, but especially must acknowledgements of valualilc aid be made to the follnwing: Mr. S. C. Nash for the use of many illustrations from negatives made by himself; to Mr. J. X. Gerard, for the opportunity of adding a view of his water garden ; to the proprietors of American (hardening, and the H. A. Dreer Co., for the use <.if illustrations; to 'Slv. WiJlard N. Clute who contributed the chapter on Ferns; to the Editor of the Metal Worker for illustrations representing vScollay's heating plant f'lr the Tropical Water Lily Pond in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, N. Y. ; to Mr. J. M. Hodgson for the miniature views of his Newport Garden; to Mr. P. Bisset for photographs furnished; to Messrs. Lord iV- Burnham for illustration of A(piatic house; and to Prof. Byron D. Halsted for information on diseases. In the matter of illustration, the use of the photographic camera and the direct reproduction of its work, has been largely relied upon. The object in view has been to present, as faithfully as could be done, views taken direct VI PRi:i\ci:. t'i'cjin nature and dcm(instratin_;tnria or Tropical Water Lily Pnnd 83 XIV- — Descriptive IJst of Water Lilies with Cultural Memnrand.i. I. Hardv Nvmpluras 86 II. Tender Nympha-as, Day Blooming 90 III. Tender Nympha'as, Night Blooming 92 IV. Victuri.i .iiid Hury.ile 94 V. Nelunibiums 95 XV. — Miscellaneous A^juatic Plrnits. 1. Tender 96 II. Hardv 98 III. Plants fur A(.|uari;i and Sh.allow Water loi XVI.— Orn.iniental Gr.isses— Bamboos— Orchids— Pitcher Plants 103 X\TI.— Ferns Suitable for the .Aquatic nd in the gardens of Hon Gardiner G. Hubbard, West Washington, X). V 31 Victoria Randii and Xyinphii'as grown in an artificial ])ond 35 A natural piece of water , 3*.) I'lanting of a natural piece of water 43 Victoria regia (Tricker's variety) showing partly opened flower 51 ^'ictoria regla (Ti-icker's variety) with fii[l> ened tlower, and I»ud showing 5.5 Vigorous growth of I'aulownia inipcrialis 5i) An At I ua tic house (J7 Leaf of Ouvirandra fenestralis 69 Ouvirandra fenestralis 70 An Aquatic garden and fishery combined 71 Nymphiva Marliacea chronintella 74 An Amateur's aquatic garden 75 Anindo don ax ((Jiant RetMl) 70 Leaf of hard\' Xyniplui-a affected with Cercospora 81 Heating a Lily pond in Prospect Park, X. Y 84 Stellate form of Xymphiea iJl Aponogeton distachyon 96 Liuiiiocharis Humboldti 97 MyrlophyliUin proserpinacoldes 98 Iris Kivrnpferi 99 Saglttaria 100 Cabomba 101 Stratiotes aloides 102 Lulalia japonica zebrina 104 Diona^a niuscipula (Venus' fly-trap) 105 Sarracenia 105 Adiantum peilatnm 108 Funkia 113 Mortensia virginica 115 Spira-a palmata 116 Trillium 117 Clethra alnifidia 118 Kaimia latifolia 119 Magnolia glauca 120 PLATES. L — Victoria regia (Tricker's variety) and Victoria regia Randii FroutLspiecf IL — Flower of Victoria regia Randii f;icj'nfr p-ifff >^ IIL — Xymphn-a gracilis " 24 40 48 56 64 72 1\'. — Xymijhci-a gigantea V. — Xympha^a sturtevantii VL — Egyptian Lotus , VII. — A charming nook VIII. — A magnificent Clump of Papyrus autiqnorum. IX.— Musa ensete " 88 -NliLI M A view in the large /jond at the Water dardeiis. ('littoii. N. J. In cninjiany with the Lotus :ire Xymplneas. The waruin of tiie pond is furnislied witii Zizania aiiuatica {Wild Rice); the central object in tlie Ijacliground is a trunk of a dead tree covered witli tlie wild ,urai>e vine. The Water Garden CHAPTER I. INTKOUUCTORY. 'ATM':K L1LII-:S, or pond LiUes, have existed tliront;h the a^es. 'J'lie native speeies, Nyni]jh;ea odorata, tlie white fragrant Pond Lilv, was introdneed into England in lySf). The I'^ngTish species, Xynipli:ea alba, also white, was recognized long before; these two s])ccies have become widelv known and the general inijiression has lieen that all Water Lilies were white, hence the expression of surprise when use plants, so arc acjuatics anmni^st j^ardcn fluwers, "The Elite." These are comparatively new and uf recent introduction, though they have been known to collectors and a few cultivators for a nximber of years ; but adaptability of them (including the most tender Nymplueas and \'ictoria regia) for general culture out-of-doors in summer is a realization of recent date. No class of plants is more widely distributed than Water Lilies, being indige- nous to the United States, Canada, Central and South America, East and West Indies, Japan, China, Siberia, England, Europe, Austria, Africa, and Australia, each ct)untry possessing its own or several species of marked distinction, size and color. No class of plants jiossesses such diversity of color, including red, white, N'ellow, and blue, and intermediate shades. The members are no less distinctive in ]ioint of fragrance, as nearly all are possessed of an aromatic, delicate, and jileasing odor. They are also very imlike the host of other favoiMle tlowers: some are day-blooming and close at night, others are night- blooming and close in the day. As a rule, the flowers ojjcn and clo.se for three days or nights in succession, generally the first day flower closes early, and on the third day after closing it sinks beneath the water and matures seed — if so be that it ])i'oduce seed at all I There is a great variation in the shape and size of Nympha-a flowers; .some are beautifully cup-shaped (see plate of Nymph;ea .Sturtevantii, facing page 48), others star-shaped with long flat petals, tajjering to a point, as Nympha'a gracilis (see plate facing page 24), some species have long stiff stems, 12 to iS inches above water, while others are flexible and the flowers float on the surface of the water. Xymph;eas have all leaves floating, but occasionally, when crowded, the leaves stand oat of the water. N. tuberosa, one of the strongest growers, soon crowds its own foliage out of the water, and often indeed the rhizomes likewise. The introduction of the X'ictoria regia into England gave a stimulus to a([uaticnlture, many tropical Nymphasas had reached England prior U) tlie introduction of the V'ictoria, also Nelumbiums; their cultivation, however, had never become general. The facts that they could not be grown out-of-doors, and that numerous (ither tropical plants occupied the space of the greenhouse and conservator}- to Ijctter advantage, were potent factors in this. About fifty years ago the X'ictoria was first introduced into England, and two years later was grown in a special house erected for it by Mr. Cope, of Philadelphia ; with it other tropical aquatics were introduced and this >; C y. c; "^ ixTkonrcTokv. 7 marks the CDnimciiccnicnt of tlic cultivation of a(juatics in tlic l^nilc(.l Slates. I^ittle proL,Tess, however, was made; the indulnenee in tlie new cult involved eonsideralile lalior and ex]iensc, and only the few could enjoy such a floral luxiirv. In 1S53 Mr. lolin I-'isk Allen, of Salem, Mass., exhibited a leaf and flower of A'ictoria before the Massachusetts Horticultural Society ; <.ither acjuatics were also exliil)ited, and the cultivation of such increased somewhat, but it was not until it was found that the E>;yptian Lotus, Xelumbium specio- sum, was quite hardy that a([uatic gardening- commanded real attention. The introduction of that plant, as well as of several species of Xympha-a, into the public parks and gardens became general throughout the United States. x\t the present time exhibitions are not complete without a display of aquatic flowers, and they have ever proved to be a special feature and centre of attrac- tion wherever shown. The aquatic plants at the World's Fair and in the public parks at Chicago attracted considerable interest, and their cultivation has increased by rapid strides since that time. CHAPTER II. WHERE TO (jROW AQUATICS. THE CULTIVATION of aquatics in our public parks, and the annual exhibitions before horticultural societies and the »Society of American Florists, have been educators of the public. The cultivation has extended throug'hout our land, and now in man}' private gardens, of small or large proportions, aquatic gardening is to be seen. These ever-fascinating and attractive gems of nature have attracted the attention and admiration of multitudes, who, beholding them, desire to possess them. Yet many hesitate through fear of a possible failure, or their lack of the knowledge of culti- vating such chaste and apparently delicate exotics. But this is assumption, for no plants grown in a hothouse or flower garden, are of more easy cultivation. Our common bedding plants require much coddling during the greater part of the year; cuttings are taken in August and cared for through several stages until the following Maj- or Jime, when the plants are placed in their summer cpiarters, and the same course has to be again repeated each year ; com])ared with aquatics the tender bedding plants are very costly. Where a natur.d piece of water exists, and such is to be met with at almost every turn (ponds of stagnant water, sluggish streams, swamps, bogs, lakes), the possession of a water garden is simply a matter of planting, and when judiciously done the result is a perpetual delight, a growing interest, verily, a joy forever. See the tropical Lotus, its majestic foliage standing above the surface of the water, and its mammoth flower buds as they burst in all their oriental splendor; it is perfectly hardy, and when planted in a natural pond soon takes possession of the same to the exclusion of any other plant. All the European Nymph;tas, including the many new hybrids of deli- cate and exquisite shades of color, are perfectly hardy. These, and the many attractive hardy herbaceous plants, inchiding the ornamental Grasses, Reeds, PLATE II VICTORIA REGIA RANDIl. In order to see a flower of a Victoria at its best in all its different stages, it is necessary to watch it very closely, and as it is a night- blooming plant the advantage of having it where an electric light is handy, is at once apparent. The flower on first opening is indeed most beautiful and its strong aroma is then most perceptible, but a continual changing of form and color is ever tak- ing place. The above picture was photographed by flash-light and is a faithful represention of a flower as it appears during the second night. MAKIXC .1 I'dXn. 9 Bamboos, Japan and other Iris, constitute one of the i^realest attractions of a landscape, and can be seen in all the leadini;- public parks, j;ardens, cemeteries, and private gardens ; then, to them, add the most strikinj,-- of all aquatics, the tropical Nympha-as, and other tropical terrestrial plants that can be grown during the smnmer under precisely the same conditions (they make rapid growth and flower profusely), and there is produced a mass of flcjwers of gorgeous colors that cannot be rivaled by any other class oi plants in this or any other country. < )n manv estates a natural pond or stream of water is to he found; if such be outside the limits of the garden proper, yet in such a location that it is in sight of a drivewa}' or footpath, a few clumps of the red or yellow Nymphicas or a mass of the Egyptian Lotus add a S])ecial charm to such a spot, and will make it inviting and attractive. Where a stream of water exists a dam may l)e built and a pond made at a moderate cost. It is not necessary that the pond be m