xil INTRODUCTION 



cultivation of miniature gems and of dwarf 

 alpine plants is now fully recognised, and rock 

 gardens have become a popular feature in 

 gardening of to-day. In a properly constructed 

 rock garden many little plants which refuse 

 to grow and live under the ordinary conditions 

 of an herbaceous border, and which resent the 

 aggressive attentions of their more robust 

 neighbours, generally demonstrating their re- 

 sentment by dying, can be cultivated and kept 

 in health and vigour for many years, protected 

 by stones, sheltered from drying winds, and from 

 shade or sunshine, dryness or moisture, accord- 

 ing to their requirements. They can, owing 

 to their raised position, be seen and tended in 

 a manner more conducive to the comfort of 

 the observer and cultivator than would be 

 possible if they were grown on the flat. 



To ensure even moderate success in rock 

 gardening two main points are essential : a 

 properly constructed rock garden, and a re- 

 liable guide to the nature and requirements of 

 plants to be grown on it. There existed a 

 demand for a sound practical work, giving 

 explicit and detailed information on these 



