NOVEMBEk 



IRISH GARDENING. 



165 



Rock Gardens. 



JUDGING from the lunnber of books on Rock 

 Gardens thai liave been issued from the press 

 within the last few years there must be a great 

 deal of real interest taken at present in this particular 

 form of g-ardening-. There are many reasons for this. 

 First, the amount of space required for the accommoda- 

 tion of even a considerable number of Alpines is relatively 

 small, so that the 

 man with the most 

 modest garden can, 

 in this matter, get 

 as much enjoyment 

 out of his hobby as 

 the owner of one ol' 

 the biggest gardens 

 in the c o u n I r y. 

 Then, once tlu- 

 groutul is preparetl 

 and planted, the 

 after -attention re- 

 quired is comjiara- 

 lively slight and 

 altogether delight- 

 I'ul. True, each kind 

 of subject demands 

 special knowledge 

 as to soil, position, 

 and treatment, but 

 this only adds to the 

 fascination of rock 

 gardening, as it 

 de\elops the powers 

 of observation, 

 gives scope to the 

 intelligence, and 

 calls forth all the 

 resourcefulness and 

 intelligent fore- 

 thought of the cul- 

 tivator. Then the 

 results. What a 

 pleasing succession 

 of rich colour pic- 

 tures are produced 

 throughout the 

 changing cycle of 

 the year, and all 

 at so small an ex- 

 penditure of time, 

 trouble, and money ! 



We have repeatedly given in these pages articles on 

 rock gardening, with the view of fostering a love for 

 the cultivation of those miniature wildlings of the hills 

 that refuse to live under the unsuitable conditions that 

 obtain in our ordinary beds and borders. Any one, 

 however, who wishes to possess a complete and reliable 

 guide to the making and maintaining of a rock garden 

 cannot do better than obtain a copy of a work,* written 

 by Mr. Lewis B. Meredith of Graigue Conna, Bray, Co. 

 Wicklow. Mr Meredith speaks of the things he knows, 



J'lioto b}] 



* Rock Gardens, 

 Norgate. 



by Lev 



B. Meredith. London : Williams & 



and his advice if followed will save the inexperienced 

 much trouble and vexation. For example, in making a 

 choice of site it is necessary, as he tells us, to avoid the 

 drip of overhead trees or the robbing encroachment of 

 their roots. The plants must be given exposure to sun 

 and air, and all things being considered a south-east as- 

 pect is the best. The soil must be well drained and of a 

 good fibrous, loamy composition. If the ground is natur- 

 ally undulating so much the better, and if it is placed by 

 the margin of a 

 shrubbery it will 

 add to its effective- 

 ness as a garden 

 picture. Of rock 

 gardens, the author 

 describes them 

 under their two 

 t )' p e s — n a t u r a 1 

 where the rocks are 

 ■ dready there, and 

 artificial where the 

 ground is to be 

 ]irepared and the 

 flicks brought from 

 a distance a n d 

 placed in position. 

 All the various modi- 

 fications of these 

 types are very 

 clearly explained 

 both as regards 

 small gardens and 

 large. For small 

 gardens the 

 "rockery bed" 

 form is specially 

 recommended. As 

 a preliminary pre- 

 paration of the soil, 

 in this case, it is 

 recommended to 

 "dig out the soil 

 to a depth of about 

 2j4 feet and put in 

 6 to 9 inches of 

 broken stones, 

 coarse first and 

 smaller above, 

 which will facilitate 

 drainage. At the 

 same time take 

 care that there is 

 a proper outlet for the water to get away. The soil 

 can, if necessary, be replaced, adding more then to 

 bring it to the required height : for the top should be 

 quite 3 feet above the surrounding ground." 



The placing of the rocks in position requires skill and 

 a close study of the natural home of Alpines. Alpines 

 are very sensitive to the presence of stagnant water in 

 the soil. The drainage must be perfect ; at the same 

 time they get a moist soil and a deep root run, which 

 they love. These conditions must be provided by 

 a judicious use of rock and soil. Giving these con- 

 ditions the finished work should look natural ; each 



[J/js. Dill i^ 1 10 ig' t n 



Water-Lilv Pond, Mount Usher. 



[From Merediths Kock (.iardens, reproduced through the courtesy of the publishers.] 



