THE TYPES OF ROCK GARDEN 21 



Since the chief object is to provide as many 

 spots as possible to plant in, select the type 

 of rock that will give the greatest variety of 

 pockets, remembering at the same time that 

 all pockets, no matter of what size, must be able 

 to be drained. The necessity of draining having 

 already been emphasised in the first chapter, it 

 is superfluous to dwell further on it here. 



The quality of the rock should be carefully 

 observed, and if there be any choice in the 

 matter, select a soft and porous stone, such as 

 sandstone, in preference to hard rock. The 

 former has the double advantage of absorbing 

 the moisture essential to plants, and minimising 

 labour when it comes to making drains. 



Examination of the different types of arti- 

 ficial rock gardens reveals that they are, as 

 one would naturally expect, more difficult and 

 probably more expensive to make, demanding 

 more thought and skill to engineer successfully 

 than do the natural gardens. On the other 

 hand, they possess the great advantage of ex- 

 treme adaptability, for they can be made 

 almost anywhere, from a level field to the 

 side of a mountain. 



