so 



THE LADIES' GARDEN.— No. III. 



BY J. C. CLAEKE, 

 Head Gardener at Cotkelston House, Taunton. 



SHE more numerous the features of a garden the greater 

 the pleasure it will afford to those who are interested 

 iu it. I propose this month to consider, in connection 

 with the Ladies' Garden, the subject of Alpine and 

 Rock Plants, and as they offer a great variety of 

 exquisite forms and brilliant colours, I cannot do better than advise 

 all who can set apart a portion of their garden for these most beau- 

 tiful and interesting plants to do so. They are neither expensive 

 to purchase, nor difficult to cultivate, although they offer the most 

 varied and interesting features amongst all the ornamental plants 

 that we possess ; moreover, they occupy but little room, and, com- 

 paratively speaking, require but little attention when once estab- 

 lished. We may, without fear of contradiction, pronounce them to 

 be eminently adapted for the lady amateur who cares more for real 

 beauty than mere glitter. 



I will begin with saying that the position for growing these 

 plants should be fully exposed to the sun, and, if possible, an elevated 

 spot should be selected to insure their health and display their 

 character. There should be a good body of earth, in which their 

 roots may ramify freely. The form and construction of a spot for 

 alpine and rock plants, should in fact be rather isolated from the 

 garden by a belt of shrubs or a green fence, but no attempt should 

 be made in small gardens to create an elaborate design. It is better 

 by far to have the spot prepared for usefulness than for show. 

 Raised clumps or banks with intervening walks are by no means 

 objectionable, and the surface should be made irregular by the 

 addition of stones or burrs from an ordinary brick-kiln. These, when 

 properly placed, will form receptacles for the plants, and when com- 

 pleted, the surface will present a broken and undefined appearance, 

 which will agree much better with the characters of the plants than 

 would a smooth and an even surface, or any approach to formality. 



The greatest enemy to the well-doing of these subjects is 

 damp. Therefore a water-logged soil is always to be avoided ; but 

 having raised beds or banks, we do away with the necessity of draining, 

 and secure for our plants conditions similar to those which prevail 

 in their alpine homes. It is of the utmost importance to see that 

 those plants which are averse to damp are planted in a porous soil. 

 A capital mixture for the more robust-growing ones consists of equal 

 parts of fibrous loam, half-rotten turves, and old mortar broken into 

 lumps the size of walnuts. This mixture when placed between the 

 stones to receive the plants will serve all the purposes of the strong- 

 growing kinds. A few of these I will here enumerate ; but as the 

 space allotted me will not allow of descriptions, I may just say that 

 all I shall name may be planted with every confidence, as they are all 

 good. 



I shall first name the Potentillas. These are strong growing 



