LAKE OF WATERLILIES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 107, 30 January 1935, Page 7

LAKE OF WATERLILIES

Seventy Acres in Area A SIGHT TO REMEMBER J (By The Hoe.) There is an exotic charm about a waterlily that appeals to every lover of flowers. The possessor of even a solitary white-blooming plant, carefully placed in the centre of a miniature pool, w x ill gaze for hours at the beauty of the wax-like bloom which stands above those fascinating leaves lying so flat upon the surface of the water. I, too, have experienced the joys of a miniature water garden, have gazed in admiration at the sight of my first white waterlily. Then, with that urge which drives collectors ever on y and on, I acquired waterlilies in varying shades of yellow, pink and red. I have worked all tlie daylight hours of a summer’s week-end in feverish haste excavating and concreting a new pool for additional treasures—and until a few days ago I thought I was really “getting somewhere” with my collection. Last week, a friend whispered that he knew of a lake smothered in waterlilies not far from Wanganui. I have just returned from the lake with wonderful memories, but alas! with shattered illusions as to my own small efforts.' In short, I have been on Mr. James Allison's lake, a few miles out from Wanganui, and have seen more waterlilies of varied hues than I thought it possible to grow outside the tropics. Many Varieties. Mr. Allison’s lake, which occupies an area of over seventy acres, contains over 15 varieties of waterlilies, a single type often covering an area which, if I might hazard a guess, occupies an eighth of an acre. The shores of this lake are lined with beautiful biooms for a considerable distance. Indeed, so vigorous are some of the plants that they are spreading to the rich soil which runs down to the edge of the lake and are now blooming on the -land. Although technically out of their element, they appear quite at home. To appreciate fully the splendours of this waterlily lake it is necessary to row out and view the plants from the water. For this purpose, Mr. Allison ha’s a small boat, and I was careful to hand the oars to my companion that I might the better view the scene. Words are poor things with which to describe waterlilies when seen in such a setting and in such profusion that hundreds of blooms of many types til! appear at once. The mass effect would surely stir the pulse of a painter, while tlie more intimate charm of a single bloom makes one marvel at the exquisite perfection of Nature. As the boat slowly noses its way among the thick leafy growth, the visitor experiences a succession of thrills. The first clump to attract my notice was a glistening white type of unusual size witli golden stamens to accentuate the purity of the petals. Mr. Gladstone is the name of this beauty, although it is hard to reconcile the name with rhe subject. I was still admiring the sheer white petals of Mr. Gladstone when the boat moved in among a clump of a beautiful white-flushed pink variety which gave off a strange but entrancing perfume. Then, my eyes were attracted by a shell-pink variation. Next, a clump of vivid red blooms, although seen from quite a distance, made it difficult to suppress an exclamation of surprise. This, the finest hardy red waterlily I have seen, was imported from the originator in France and is probably the only clump at present growing in New Zealand. There are also the many lemon-to-yel-low shades, all vieing with one another to claim the visitor’s admiration. Importing ami Raising; Mr. Allison has been growing waterlilies for thirty-five years and has amassed a fund of information concerning them. His complete collection is not very far short of twenty distinct varieties. and when it is considered that the average nurseryman—even when he specialises in water plants—rarely offers more than half-a-dozen. Mr. Allison’s achievement can be more fully appreciated. But not content with importing new varieties from England, France and the United States, and carefully acclimatising them. Mr. Allison has raised a number of his own seedlings. One. a small, grace? fill pink type, is an exquisite thing, but its owner depreciatingly refers to the achievement as merely a little piece of luck. Those who have toyed with the idea of raising waterlilies from seed know that luck is largely a matter of skill. Waterlilies are always in demand for special occasions, as no other flower possesses their wax-like texture, beautiful form and colour. It is therefore not surprising that Mr. Allison is often appealed to to get out his boat and fill It with blooms. At a recent wedding, over 100 waterlilies were pulled from the lake for bouquets and decorations. Mr. Allison has not made the mistake of trying to improve on Nature. You will not find his lake set in concrete: it lacks all form of ornamentation. He has been content to provide a natural home for these water plants of such bewitching loveliness that their beauty could not be enhanced by all the artifices of man.