For March. 1920 



103 



Natural Effects in Landscape Work 



ALBERT MILLARD 



CARPETBEDDING is a thing of the past, and 

 rightly so. We have not the trained help to 

 spend enough time in keeping such bedding in 

 first class condition — and certainl}- a neglected carpet or 

 mosaic-bed is an eyesore. Besides greenhouse running is 

 too costly nowadays to grow the many different plants 

 in quantities required for such plantings. Lately we 

 came back more to the style of natural planting" in wood- 

 land or in rockgarden, and we can notice in many new 

 and old places the creation of rockgardens — more are laid 

 out in the past few years than ever before. 



Rockgardening in its place, small or large, has a most 

 fascinating influence, it is or rather should be the most 

 wonderful artistic work in the most wonderful style of 

 natural landsca])e work. 



A thoughtfully arranged rockgarden is always admired 

 by any professional or amateur gardener, because con- 

 stantly new flowers appear, something new is creeping, 

 winding over the paths and rocks, and one feels repaid 

 in frequent visits to watch and look for new features. 

 We admire a well trained Privet Hedge, and it answers 

 its purpose well — but it is always the same old Privet 

 hedge — give me the little steps on the rockgarden to 

 climb, it will strengthen my body and rest my soul. I 

 may say that only a friend of Nature, who studied rock- 

 formations and habits of plant life is able to create a 

 successful rockgarden — and select the place for it. 



Nature has very often provided a place to build a rock- 

 garden, may be in a lonely, cool, elevated spot under a 

 tree with sloping ground to the level, bordering a lawn 

 or a walk. This would be an ideal location. If the 

 ground is level, then we have to shape it into a hilly 

 appearance, build up with rocks and boulders, make crev- 

 ices and pockets, shady and sunny spots to suit our plant- 

 ings. Trees, especially Evergreens, narrow slim growing 

 ones, like Cedars, Juniperus, Tanus, etc., give us the 

 wanted irregular skyline and a fine color effect, the latter 

 even in Winter. But a bank is also a very well fitted 

 place for a rockgarden arrangement. Imagine a drive- 

 way or a walk flanked on both sides with a bank, and 

 this is a suggestion suitable also for smaller places. 



Rustic arbors, settees, birds' feeding stands add to the 

 charming effect in such natural surroundings. It is 

 not at all necessary to use only low growing and creep- 

 ing plants, some varieties of shrubs, or low growing 

 weeping trees — for instance the weeping Caragana, the 

 weeping Cherry, weeping Forsythia, weeping JMuIberrv, 

 Japanese Maple.s — are very desirable. For a larger place 

 the weeping Willow, Pin (3ak. Mountain Ash, Table Pine 

 rightly located, are very effective. It is out of question to 

 use any shmb like Lilacs, Mock Orange, Altheas, Hydran- 

 geas or the like, but Andromeda. Azalea calendulacea, 

 pontice, aniocna Hinodogiri, Kacmpferi (the new hardy 

 salmon colored), viscosa (Sweet White Honeysuckle 

 .\zalca), arborescens, are all beautiful planted in clumps. 



Clcthra alnifolia (Sweet Pepjjer Bush) in half shadv 

 spots, Comptonia asplenifolia (Sweet Fern Bush) Cor- 

 niis florida and stolonifera (red osier) Etionymus varie- 

 ties. Ilex vcrticillata (Black Alder) with their red ber- 

 ries in Winter, Pyrus arbutifolhis, and all the Rhus 

 varieties as 7?. aromatica, copalUna, glabra typhina and 

 typhina laciiiata. These Rhus varieties should be cut 

 hack to the ground every Spring. Riibiis odoratus (flow- 

 ering Ras])berry) and tlie grand Riihiis — delicious with 

 the very large white flowers — Samhucits piibeiis, red- 

 berried, Crati-rgiis pyracantha Lclandi carrying their 



red fruit until after Christmas. Symphoricarpus ra- 

 cemusns (Snowberry) delightful to the eye in Fall and 

 Winter and Haiithorisaa apiifolia a low growing shrub 

 doing fine in shade and sun, also under trees. The fall 

 coloring of the leaves is exceedingly fine. 



Water is essential in the rockgarden to cool oft' the 

 rocks after a hot sunny day and to feed to the plants. 

 If a natural flow of water is at hand, or near by, it should 

 be utilized in leading a stream over the rocks, forming 

 a cascade and ending in an informal pond. Moisture 

 loving plants will grow in the pool or in the border 

 surrounding it. Caltlia palustris (marsh marigold). Iris 

 (several varieties). Lobelia cardinaUs (the brilliant red 

 flowering), Typba latifolia (Cattail) Sarraccncia va- 

 rieties, the Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpum) and 

 the difl:'erent Water Lilies would enjoy such a damp 

 atmosphere and the moist soil. 



Further, the planting of a background, more or less 

 heavy, is a very important factor to be done. Green 

 Spruces or Pines look well, they act at the same time as 

 a windbreak, and the whole scenery is well set in, like 

 a picture in a frame. 



I regret to state that I often saw rockgardens made 

 from a pile of boulders, they may rightly be called Rock- 

 eries, but the gardener's eye does not approve of these. 

 The main success depends on deep pockets, as I main- 

 tained before, twelve inches should be sufficient for the 

 average plantings. Of course there are many plants 

 which would be satisfied with 3 or 4 inches, like Sedum 

 and Sciiipcrz'k'iiin. They are extensively used for the 

 paths, to plant around flat, irregular stepping stones. 

 The small velvety Sedums are beautiful to plant between 

 and around these stones. Also Cerastium tonieiitosum 

 (white leaved), Cainpaiiiila Carpatica (blue and white), 

 Dianthus deltoides (always in flower), Ilonstonia ewrn- 

 lea (the Bluets) Phlox subulata (Moss Pinks) Silcne 

 alpestris ( Catchfly ) the Thyme varieties (all are fragrant 

 and excellent for stone walks). 



\''ines, hanging and clinging to large rocks, to cover 

 tree trunks, to ramble over slopes, over little bridges or 

 railings are indisiiensable in our work. 



One of the best vines is the new self-supporting 

 Aiiipclopsis Lozi.'ii, it has very dainty leaves, dazzling 

 in sunshine, and once established grows quick and up- 

 right. Ampclopsis Veitchi and Engelmanni are only 

 good for a large campus, and too coarse for small gardens. 

 Aiiipelopsis Henry, Clematis paniculala, Celastrits sean- 

 dens (Bittersweet), Rubns hispidits (Running lUack- 

 berry),, Vitis cestivalis and cord i folia (the wild grapes) 

 are of greatest value. I recommend one common vine, 

 but seldom used. Lysimachia- nummiilaria (creeping 

 Jenny), to jjlant fre(|uently in shade or the open, grows 

 everywhere, is a c|uick grower, covers any space, and 

 docs not burn out, also along paths or to cover big 

 boulders, is not surpassed by any other vine. Also Arcto- 

 slaphylos Uva-iirsi ( I'earberry), a terrible name to re- 

 meiuber, but the greatest plant for rocks in a sunny 

 position, and cannot be beaten in sandy, poor soil. 



Climbing Roses are permissible to ])lant in a Rock- 

 garden, but only the single flowering as "Wichuriana 

 ( white) Hiawatha, and Ruby Queen, a universal favorite. 

 Other Roses for single planting or grouping are the 

 beautiful Lord Penzances, Sweet Briar hybrids, the 

 .\ustrian Briars, the .Scotch Briars and the lately intro- 

 duced single yellow Hugonis, a real gem. I could not 



(Continued oti /ri.Ci' 107) 



