37 



The Rockery, or Rock Garden. 

 Natural rocky scenes, although of themselves rude and uncouth, seldom fail 

 to afford interest. They generally strike the mind with pleasurable emotions, 

 whether it be merely as the sun peeps into bushes of rambling roses, 

 which jut out from the crag beneath, or peers into the careless waving 

 mantle of the lovely woodbine, or glances in upon some more mystic form, 

 with shelly projections, creeks, and recesses, adorned with indigenous heaths, 

 foxgloves, crowberry, or other humble but beautiful flowers ; or, mayhap, hovers 

 by some dark boiling hollow, where mosses and ferns, and other amphibious 

 plants, nestle and peep by the side of a murmuring stream, as it steals away 

 to the adjacent river. Art must fall far short, however, of nature, in formations 

 of this kind. It has seldom even a basis on which to construct a superstruc- 

 ture — often hardly an appliance suitable to the wishes of the artist; still 

 something may generally be done, sometimes, even, a good deal, towards 

 accomplishing the object. 



When a natural rock presents itself suitable for this purpose, although 

 it may be at a considerable distance, I should endeavour to unite it with the 

 pleasure ground by a rural walk, graduating the scenery from the polished 

 grounds till it harmonizes naturally with the rocky and wild composition : 

 and, wherever practicable, advantage should be taken of salient points for the 

 exhibition of various kinds of rock plants — always minding to keep imme- 

 diately under the eye the simplest and most interesting kinds. This may not 

 be done so readily as we could wish on bold and majestic rocks, but it may 

 always be managed on smaller groups, which are nearer to view, and therefore 

 more appropriate. I scarcely need observe, that preparations for such plants 

 will have to be made by clearing obnoxious weeds, and supplying creeks, 

 crevices, and all such places, with good soil suitable for their growth. It 

 is quite practicable to form a highly interesting artificial Rocker}', ap- 

 proximately natural, with proper materials, where expense is not much 

 an object. 



I should make choice, for instance, of some abruptly undulated ground, 

 either near to the flower garden, or more remote, according to circumstances. 

 In the Plan for a Country Residence I have shown it near the flower garden ; 

 but it may be near, or further from it, at pleasure — linked together, first 

 starting by a shrubbery walk, gradually approximating natural wooded scenery 



