IRISH GARDENING 



VOLUME IX 



No. 105 



Edited by C- F. Ball. 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 



ARBORICULTURE IN IRELAND 



NOVEMBER 

 1914 



The Making and Planting of Rock Gardens. 



Bv L. B. Meredith. 



What a different picture rises before us when 

 we com],are the rock gardens of yesterday with 

 those of to-day — the former an ugly inartistic 

 mass of stones, with here and there a few sickly 

 plants struggling to live in the most unsuitable 

 soil and surroundings that could be devised ! 

 Small wonder then that the rock garden of 

 twenty years ago eventually became the dum]i- 

 ing ground for the refuse of the garden. Let us 

 leave this incongruous scene and look at the 

 modern rock garden. In it the stones, instead of 

 being bare and exposed, are clothed with masses 

 of purple Aubrietia, pink and yellow rock Roses, 

 blue and white Campamxlas, crimson Thyme, 

 &c., blending their glorious colours together in 

 such a manner as few artists can faithfully 

 portray. 



In writing this article my object is to give the 

 would-be OAvner of one of these gardens a few 

 simple ijistructions how it is best to attain the 

 object desired, showing the diflficulties likely to 

 be met w'ith, and how they can most easily be 

 overcome. 



When making a rock garden the jirimary and 

 most important point to consider is position. 

 The ideal spot is some sloping ground facing 

 south-east, with a background of trees for 

 shelter on the north and north-east ; these trees, 

 however, should not be closer than some 15 to 

 20 yards. But unfortunately the ideal can but 

 seldom be realised, so it is best to show what 

 especially to guard against. Avoid, above every- 

 thing, overhanging trees ; do not make the 

 garden in a place where there is any doubt 

 about obtauiuig effective drainage, or where the 

 sun cannot reach at all times of the year. As 

 already shown, it is best when possible to have 

 shelter from the prevailing cold winds. 



Having selected the site, the next pomt to 

 consider is the general scheme ; this of necessity 

 will greatly depend on the contour of the land 

 available. Let me impress on the reader when 

 laying out a rock garden the importance of 



having some definite plan, such as a little valley 

 or miniature mountain pass ; let all paths lead 

 definitely from one point to another, and be laid 

 out in such a way as to appear as if it was the 

 one and only line this path or paths could take. 

 I prefer laying out the main paths first, and 

 using them as a basis to work up the banks to 

 the required formation. 



Perhaps a few suggestions as to the general 

 scheme would not be out of place here. 



Supposing the site selected to be a strip of 

 ground, say 30 yards by 20 yards, rising gradu- 

 ally throughout its entire length, this could, 

 with comparatively little labour, be converted 

 into a charming muiiature valley by digging out 

 a sinuous path up the centre. If, on the other 

 hand, the face of the slope was only 20 yards 

 wide, a very attractive scheme would be to lay 

 out the main path at the foot of the slope with 

 smaller paths converging from it up and along 

 its face. 



Level ground is harder to deal with ; but here 

 again much can be done by digging out ])aths 

 and raising the ground adjoining with the soil 

 removed in doing so. 



The great art in designing a rock garden, or 

 in fact any garden, is to ])reserve ])roportion 

 throughout. 



Having decided on the main scheme and 

 paths marked out, prepare the banks roughly, 

 niaking the desired formation with as nnu'h 

 variation in gradient as ]iossil)le and avoidhig 

 repetition. When digging out the paths do not 

 cover the good top soil with the inferior subsoil. 

 If this cannot be removed altogether, it should 

 be placed where the highest parts are required, 

 and even theix it is best to take off about 12 

 inches of the good soil first ; this will entail more 

 labour, but it is worth it. 



While the formation of the banks and digging 

 of the paths are being made, great atteiitioji 

 should be given to that all-essential point, 

 drainage. It is possible to overdrain, but it is 





