The chief, and indeed almost the only value of these willows in Landscape Gardening, is to embellish low grounds, streams of water, or margins of lakes. When mingled with other trees, they often harmonize so badly from their extremely different habits, foliage, and color, that unless very sparingly introduced, they cannot fail to have a bad effect. On the banks of streams, however, they are extremely appropriate, hanging their slender branches over the liquid element, and drawing genial nourishment from the moistened soil. "Le saule incline sur la rive penchante, Balancant mollement sa tete blanchissante."
In the middle distance of a scene, also, where a stream winds partially hidden, or which might otherwise wholly escape the eye, these trees, if planted along its course, connected as they are in our minds with watery soils, will not fail to direct the attention and convey forcibly the impression of a brook or river, winding its way beneath their shade.
