HORTICULTURE 



Vol. XXIX 



JUNE 21, 1919 



No. 25 



CONSTRUCTION OF AMERICAN ROCK GARDENS 



Lovers of nature gradually begin to 

 realize the wonderful opportunities for 

 the exertion of personal ingenuity in 

 gardening by the introduction of the 

 rockery as a distinct feature of home- 

 grounds. That the designing of 

 elaborately built rockgardens will 

 chiefly remain the domain of the land- 

 scape architect is certain. Neverthe- 

 less, if the amateur without the 

 means of employing artists desires to 

 venture in this special field, I believe 

 we have every reason to encouiage 

 him. Rockgardening as a new hobby- 

 horse for even an advanced amateur, 

 however may at the start prove as 

 capricious as a wild broncho. In the 

 present absence of standard American 

 works for advice, the novice depends 

 on foreign books which, on account of 

 climatical differences, prove more or 

 less misleading. This is one of the 

 reasons for the scrutinizing study of 

 professional rockgarden work by in- 

 terested and self-active home ground 

 owners of today. 



Of late I notice our nurserymen, 

 hardy plant growers and enterprising 

 florists doing landscape work as a side 

 issue in the endeavor to meet exi{,en 

 cies have been or contemplate build- 

 ing sample rockeries on their grounds 

 Like the miniature rockgardens we 

 have seen at some of our recent ex- 

 hibitions they are calculated to serve 

 the purpose of advertising and as 

 practical demonstrations should indi- 

 cate the American conception and our 

 present professional standard of work- 

 manship. Now I question did we right 

 at the start realize that the true rock- 

 garden is to represent a combination 

 of what the cultured vision accepts as 

 beautiful in rocks and natural rock 

 formation with the characteristic 

 beauty of mountain vegetations and 

 the flora within regions of high alti- 

 tudes? We have ceased believing a 



rock garden being "appropriate only 

 on large estates where the natural 

 character of the landscape is especi- 

 ally adapted for." With the growing 

 desire for the enjoyment of an en- 

 chanting wealth of gaily colored vernal 

 blossoms the purpose of rock construc- 

 tion is to serve as receptacle and 

 stage for effective display. If a 

 flower lover calls on us to build a 

 rockery on his one-acre suburban lot 

 we should aim to make it a distinct 

 feature of beauty on the grounds 

 similar in comparison as for instance 

 an artistic oil canvas of a landscape 

 may give ornamental distinction t'j a 

 hall or reception room. In such cases 

 the rockery is not part of a natural 

 landscape any more as the oil canvas 

 is part of the wall it happens to be 

 hung upon. 



Having the undefinable elements of 

 beauty in natural rock formation in 

 focus we usually face the problems of 

 actual building with a fixed idea of 

 character and general outline but we 

 have no use for any detail plan. The 

 level ground, the slope, the ledge for- 

 mation and again the ravine with per- 



haps running stream and waterfall all 

 require special treatment. The lun- 

 ning of paths, the construction of 

 stairwork and occasionally of a 

 bridge are taxing personal ingenuity 

 delightfully. In all this work wc aim 

 to obtain the very best effects out of 

 the stone material at our disposal. 



Our illustrations of the bare rock 

 work of a rock garden at "Linden- 

 hurst" near Jenkintown, Pa., showing 

 different characters in outline and for- 

 mation will give the reader an idea of 

 some problems the builder is facing. 

 The location for it was the rather 

 abrupt end of a ridge-like ground ele- 

 vation with grassy slopes and sparsely 

 scattered tree growth. In the rear 

 there was a natural rock ledge for the 

 most part completely hidden below 

 the surface with only the bluffy end of 

 it plainly visible. A driveway running 

 in a semi-circular line around the 

 whole and a rustic summerhouse on 

 top were among the original features 

 to be taken in consideration by the 

 builder. 



A picture shows intentional mass- 

 ing of heavy material on top. In doing 

 so we try to adhere to the laws of 

 nature for it is near the summit and 

 the peak of mountains where the bare 

 rock formation is mostly seen. 



Kork Work at I.intieiiliur-t 



