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GARDENERS- CHROMCLE 



The Rock Garden 



ARTHUR SMITH 



WHEN people begin to realize the results which are 

 to be obtained by gardening- exclusively with 

 hardy plants, the ever-changing variety of beauti- 

 ful effects produced for the greater part of the year, and 

 the boundless possibilities connected with the system com- 

 pared with that of using tender bedding plants, they desire 

 to bring into their gardens some of the many enchanting 

 subjects which find a congenial home among rocks, espe- 

 cially those inhabiting alpine situations. Hence a rockery 

 is made with the idea of accommodating them. 



A rockery may cover only a few square yards, or one 

 can form a rock garden of any extent in which may be 

 created all kinds of .situations, variations in soil, aspect, 

 etc.. suited to the needs of plants growing in mountainous 

 districts, which needs distinctly differ in dift'erent species, 

 whether from arid Arizona or from mountains above the 

 tree line close to perpetual snow. 



\\'hatever the extent of rock-work we propose to under- 

 take, the underlying principles of construction are the 

 same. That these principles have not always been 

 realized accounts perhaps for the fact that there are few 

 matters connected with horticulture wherein there have 

 been more failures and ridiculous results than in the 

 formation of rockeries. 



The use of rocks in connection with growing plants is, 

 as far as possible, to create conditions similar to their 

 native habitat, and also to counteract to some extent the 

 adverse conditions brought about bv a distinct change in 

 that habitat. 



One of the most important points connected with the 

 naturalization of plants is to produce as far as possible the 

 environment in which the plants have been in the habit 

 of living. The fact that a plant has been growing under 

 certain conditions for thousands of years and is found 

 in no other, is evidence that those conditions are the best 

 for its constitution. Therefore if we wish to grow the 

 many beautiful subjects which are to be found upon the 

 mountains we must give them a home which reproduces 

 to the greatest possible extent that from which they have 

 been removed, and at the same time protect them from 

 the adverse effects which may arise from the differences 

 in their new environment. 



The mistake is often made in thinking that these jilants 

 grow iif>0)i rocks. It is true that a mere passing glance 

 might lead one to suppose such to be the case, but if 

 closely examined it will be found that their roots go down 

 deeply into the fissures of the rocks, and in cases where 

 these fissures have been opened up roots have been traced 

 down many feet and are thus safe from cold and drought. 



This jjrevailing idea that rock plants grow ujwn rocks 

 and that therefore they require little or no soil no doubt 

 accounts for the method frequently employed in making 

 rockeries, which is to dump a few loads of stones ujion 

 the tO]) of hard ground, form them into a sort of pyramid, 

 poke a few spoonsful of earth between the stones and 

 ram in the plant with a stick. It is true there are one 

 or two species which will more or less survive this treat- 

 ment, such as Sednm acre, and Scmficrvivum tcctorum, 

 but one does not go to the trouble and exi)ense of con- 

 structing rockeries merely for subjects like these which 

 will grow in any poor, droughty situation, although they 

 may rightfully have a place there. 



The first pc^int to be considered is the site. This should 

 not be near trees because their roots will inevitably find 

 their way into the soil of the rock .garden and rob the 



plants of food and water: the (hip I'nim trees is also 

 very detrimental. The situation should l>e an open one 

 away from tall buildings. 



The realization of the advantages of having the rock 

 garden in an open situation has perhai)s led some people 

 to construct them on a lawn, fully exposed and therefore 

 part of the landscape. However ideal may have been the 

 construction and planting of a rock garden, having a 

 rockery or a rock garden standing out upon a lawn is a 

 fundamental mistake, inasmuch as a condition is created 

 which cannot possibly harmonize with any other feature 

 of the garden and a discordant note is thereby established. 



Of course, one has to make the best of the conditions 

 udiich they possess, but if possible a garden of this kind 

 should be so enclosed by natural planting that from the 

 outside it will harmonize with, and appear part of, the 

 general landscape scheme — provided the latter is upon 

 naturalistic lines — and it is possible so to arrange matters 

 that it will ap])ear to be nothing but a somewhat more 

 pronounced promontory of a boundary ])lanting, and the 

 rock garden itself will not be seen until one is actually 

 in it, 



\\ ith the latter idea in mind — although it is only one of 

 many possibilities — such promontory may take an irregu- 

 lar pear shape in outline with the narrowest portion in 

 connection with the other ])lanting. This narrow con- 

 necting neck should gradually widen out to anv width, 

 and extend to any length, the room at disposal or the 

 desires of the owner may require. 



As soon as the neck widens out the formation of banks 

 should commence, bifurcating to any. Avidth desired and 

 meeting again at the other end. The banks should be 

 irregular, obtuse slopes, but the out line of the exterior 

 can be smoother than the interior. 



The planting on the outside of the banks should be of 

 a shrubbery, evergreen nature, conforming to that with 

 which it is connected. The species used may be, however, 

 of the dwarfer kinds, esjjecially on the higher parts of 

 the bank, so as to avoid any sudden elevation of the sky 

 line, so that from the outside it should have no conspicu- 

 ous difference from the other iilanting in its vicinity. 

 The selection and placing of the material used should be 

 considered from the point of view of the height reached 

 by the dift'erent species, and u]X)n the bank itself nothing 

 of a coarse growing nature with far reaching roots is 

 advisable. If a border of herbaceous ])erennials is in 

 front of the [ilanting to which this is connected such 

 border should continue. I'roijerly masked entrances may 

 be made at each end, or only one entrance may be pro- 

 vided for. 



The interior will jiresent a more nr less irregular 

 sha]ied oval surface surrounded by the banks. Water 

 effect can be provided for by means of having it issue 

 from between rocks in the form of a spring at one end, 

 continuecl along the center in the form of a winding 

 ri\ulet, or enlarging into a ixinl. and disa]>pearing into 

 a drain at the other end. 



As regards soil, most ])lants will <1'> well in a sweet, 

 fibrous loam, and for rock ])lants, esjiecially alpincs, one 

 composed of one part fibrous loam, one ])art leaf mold and 

 one ])art sharp grit is advisable. The grit should not be 

 rruind smooth pebbles but riddled broken stone and should 

 \arv from the size of cabbage seed to that of ])igeon eggs. 



.\s regards the kind of rock to use, th;it nattu-al to the 

 district ancl nearest at hand — jjrovided it has no objection- 



