Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-09-08
WATER GARDENS.
Nothing Is More Beautiful or He
quires Less Care.
philadelphia lie

(Phuadelpnld beuBeIs)
The water garden holds the strongest
elements OF beauty that nature can az
ford or that art can simulate, but so lit
tie has the nature Of aquatic plants been
known and the simple requirements OF
the water garden been understood that
what is really the most inexpensive and
satisfactory feature u country home or d
city door-yard can have has until OF late
been counted as only within the means
of princes and corporations, and as
luxury beyond the individual IT. ordinary.
Where water must be furnished II Is al
expense II one would have the Moving
stream or the cxpanse OF pond or lake,
but even here a few sunken tubs or bar
rels requiring even for a season OF
drought. only few bucketfuls OF water
that would 10 furnished In the season
rainfall, and less in the aggregate than
would be required 10 keep bed OF YER
benas, geraniums. or any other hardy
soil plant in healthy bloom could be
made a delight the whole season through.
besides adding to the apparent value OF
the property as no earth garden would.
But IL is rare, indeed, that these tubs
of lilies and the Ike are TO be seen, ana
rarer still IL IS 10 find the banks OF the
brook or the pond OF country place
even cared fer. much less made a thing
Of beauty, and In not one instance In ten
thousand is the marsh and misasmc land.
so abundant everywhere. converted into
that source OF health and delight, L fish
pond and aquatic garden.
The first water garden IN America We
are told, was on the Caleb Cope place. at
Holmesbuig, LOW tie site oil The Forrest
Home.
There may have been earlier attempts.
but Il was here that the Victoria resia
first bioomed In America. This was In
1851 two years after the plant had bloom
ed for the first time in England.
In both places the plants were grown
indoors I'm tanks, 20 constructed as 10
give tropical heat 20 the water. and what
was then considered OF more Importance.
so constructed that the water was kept
in motion. This was by means OF a
water-wheel. the outflow from both ,anks
going to outside tanks in which other
water plants were grown.
Whoever lived in that day will remem-
Der the enthusiasm there was over the
blooming of the Victoria regla in Eng
land, and that the immense growth made
by the plant was the vindlcation OF the
honor OF the explorer who saw It first.
and whose word was doubted as he told
OF IL.
Mr. Caleb Cope with the enterprise for
which he was noted in his day, secured
seed from that English plant, and pro-
vided the means for growing It in the
tropical surroundings. but II Is TO his gar
dener. George Brown, now Superintend-
ent OF Parks in Washington. ID. c., that
the credit OF planning the enterprise and
carving Il TO conclusion Is due
But much as this is, Philadelphia has
another boast TO make in this water gar
denng as first 10 cultivate the Nelubbium
speciosum. or Egyptian lotus. In the re-
cord of the Pennsylvania Horticultural
Society OF the meeting of February, 1870.
the Committee on Distribution of Seeds
reported the receipt or two parcels OF
seeds. one from Calcutta. presented in
1893 by Dyllwyn Parrish. containing
amons other things seeds OF Nelumbium
speciosum and album. From these seeds
plants were grown by Robert Buis.. ara
in 1899 Hovey tells Us Nelumbium spec!o-
sum was naturalized near Philadelphia,
blooming ab1ndantly all summer in a
shallow ditch. Later I'm 1851. we hear OF
IL as an attraction % Caleb Cope's garden
IN the reservoirs built 10 receive the out
flow from the Victoria regia's tanks.
Some years later Mr.. Sturtevant started
this sacred lily in a pond near Borden
town, n. j., WDtle IL has lnfiNtn wonder
fully well.
The latest venture I'm water gardening
f. at the H. a. Drecr place. at Rlverton.
and the change that has been wrought
I'm less than years time is simply won
derful But. whoever has a bit OF land
TO spare and can get the water can do as
much.
These water gardens are made up OF an
artificial pond. in which the Victoria regia
and many others are at home. This was
probably somewhat OF an expense, as the
bottom was cemented. and, early In the
season the water was heated by the
waste steam from the green houses. This
may be counted as the luxury. But over
beyond the houses in a lot that year ago
was the dumping ground for The neighbor-
hood. where old cans. rubbish. and ashes
were the chief products. IL now a shaded
grass plot. In which are nine lakes, each
filled with water lilies OF different sort.
and at this season in the mornings are
a mass OF bloom and foliage. The set
ting OF this garden OF lilies is a hedge OF
sn,,,a "a nk-proVing water plant ana tust