190 
little excuse for deserting the walks for the purpose of inspecting 
the plants. 
As the rock garden is intended primarily to supply proper cul- 
tural conditions and to display in a suitable setting alpine and 
— 
saxatile plants, it may well be considered as an ecological exhibit. 
With this in mind, the garden was located opposite and adjacent to 
the Ecological Section, in point of fact being a part of and tying 
up with latter feature. The desirability of making the rock 
Fic. 3. Alyssum saxatile, Thymus Serpyllum, Achillea ageratifolia, (3232) 
garden an adjunct to the [cological Section resulted in a general 
easterly exposure which is not considered ideal from the gardening 
standpoint, because of the lack of shade for the plants that object 
to full sunshine. This disadvantage has been overcome by saving 
a few small trees that happened to be on the site and by « disposing 
the larger boulders so that they cast some shade. 
Rock Gardens, as we know them, undoubtedly originated in 
order to provide proper cultural conditions and suitable settings 
