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I GARDENERS' CHRONICLE | 



I (OF AMERICA) | 



I Devoted to the Science of Floriculture and Horticulture I 



■ Vol. XXVII 



MAKCH, 1923 



iiiii 



No. 3 I 



1 



Things and Thoughts of the Garden 



WILLIAM N. CRAIG 



IT is pleasing to note the increased interest in rock gar- 

 dening' in America. For years this form of gardening 

 has been very popular in Europe and in Great Britain. 

 No garden is really complete without its rockery ; these 

 are now often of considerable size, as for instance, the 

 one at Friar Park, Henley-on-Thames. The rock garden 

 at Kcw attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors an- 

 nually, and contains an enormous number of species. 

 Verv notable also is the one at the Edinburgh Boaanical 

 Gardens, many plants thrive better there than at Kew 

 on account of the more northern latitude. At the Chelsea 

 Holland House, and other noted shows, the exhibits of 

 rock gardens are alwa}'s one of the great features out- 

 doors, and at earlier shows in the Royal Horticultural 

 Society's Hall in Vincent Square, London, displays of 

 rock and alpine subjects are numerous and interesting. 



In America on account of the hot Summers, rock 

 gardening may never attain so wide a popularity as 

 abroad, but a marked increase in the culture of these 

 plants is developing each year. Gardens such as Mon- 

 tague Free has constructed at the Brooklyn Botanic 

 Gardens, are tine examples of how such gardens may be 

 laid out. In Massachusetts there are fine examples on 

 the Thomas E. Proctor estate at Topsfield, where James 

 Marlborough has charge. Many members of the Na- 

 tional Association of Gardeners had the privilege of 

 seeing this garden on the occ^ision of one of the outings 

 during last Fall's Boston convention. Rare and unique 

 plants are to be found in this garden ; the rocks are mas- 

 sive and well placed, and the rockery follows the shores 

 of Q small lake. Another notable rock garden in Massachu- 

 setts is on the Weld estate, Dedham. The layout here 

 is a most natural one with a rocky stream, pools of water, 

 steep winding paths and a veritable wealth of choice 

 plants well acclimated and planted naturally. There is 

 considerable shade from large trees here, which is an 

 advantage for many shade loving subjects, but others 

 enjoying more sunny exposures are inclined to damp off 

 from the constant drip. The lilies, gentians, primulas, tril- 

 liums, and many other plants are wonderfully fine. The ma- 

 CO jority of rock plants prefer an open sunny exposure, but 

 ^ primulas, polyanthus, trilliums, er\i:hroniums, and not a 

 ■* few others are most at home in at least partial shade. 

 «P * * * 



^^ Anyone with a very small garden can without much 

 C^ effort make a rockery. It should not consist of a mound 

 ,^-of stones as some garden makers still seem to imagine. 

 "^Stones should always be well embedded, pockets should 



be of irregular shape. The stones used should, if pos- 

 sible, be old and weather beaten ; the rougher and more 

 rustic they are in appearance, the better. Soil should 

 be porous to allow of good drainage for nearly all varie- 

 ties. F-ormality should be avoided as much as possible. 

 There are many plants which can be raised from seeds 

 for use in the rockery, and a considerable variety of the 

 more easily grown can be purchased at very moderate 

 prices. Those wdio want "immediate effects" should start 

 with such flowers as pholox subulata and divaricata, 

 Alyssum saxatile compactum, single and double arabis, 

 cerastiums, saxifragas, viola cornuta, campanulas, ro- 

 tundifolia, and carpatica, various dianthus, arenarias, si- 

 lenes, armerias, such iris as cristata and pumila, sedums, 

 ciempervivums, primulas, hepaticas, trillums, blood roots, 

 sweet scented violets such bulbs as snowdrops, chiono- 

 doxa. scillas, small varieties of narcissi, some of the 

 species of tupli[is. and. of course, small cedars, spruces, 

 and other e\ergreens. To relieve the flatness an occa- 

 sional vucca filamentosa, foxglove or verbascum can be 

 used. The amount of material available is great ; there 

 are numeri'us good plants not mentioned here at all. 



* >!: * 



The rock garden gives pleasure long before a formal 

 garden can do so, for just as soon as snow passes, we 

 can find snowdrops and other bulbous subjects, the 

 Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) Draba aizoon, hepati- 

 cas, violets, 'pi"imulas like dentisulata and vulgaris, saxifra- 

 gas like cordifolia, arabis and other plants in flower. Until 

 June there will be a constant succession of interesting 

 flowers. During Summer we do not look for a floral 

 display. While it is true that annuals are often planted 

 in to continue the show of flowers, they have no place, 

 however, in a true rock garden a* they simply smother 

 out the hardy subjects. Such plants as myosotis, double 

 daisies, and bedding violas are permissible if planted 

 where they will not encroach on other plants, but even 

 these should realh- be omitted. The idea is to trust to 

 hardy subjects only, and pockets of these can be planted 

 out in Spring or late Summer. It is better not to do any 

 very late F"all planting in the rock garden; bulbs, of 

 course, are an exception. 



* :-.- :{; 



The statices are coming into increasing favor in 

 America ; I am referring more particularly to the annual 

 varieties. The well known hardy S. latifolia has long 

 been a valued plant for the perennial border or rockery. 

 The varieties Bonduelli and Sinuata are most useful 



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