CORNER ROCKERIES IN CITIES 



IN attempting to add true beauty to the 

 landscape or even to the small lot the 

 tendency in recent years has been to main- 

 tain as nearly as possible a strict natural- 

 ness. There are, however, very many cases 

 in which art and nature must be combined 

 to give the desirable effect. 



Large boulders and ledges are in them- 

 selves natural objects which add a charm 

 to their surroundings. Loose rocks and 

 cobbles on the other hand are unsightly rub- 

 bish. But even these objectionable smaller 

 stones may be made use of by having them 

 form the nucleus for clumps of shrubs. It 

 is the larger shaggy ledges, however, that 

 give the best effect. 



Large boulders arranged along a stpep 

 embankment with no regular outline add a 

 naturalness and beauty which can be ob- 

 tained in no other way. 



By combining plants and rocks even small 

 level lawns may be rendered much more 

 beautiful. Too frequently a corner lot is 

 spoiled by " busy " people taking short cuts 

 and making a hideous path across what 

 otherwise would be a beautiful lawn, ^fanv 



The First Prize Rockery in a Hamilton Rockery Competition. 



264 



means of preventing the making of these 

 unsightly paths have been tried. Fences 

 are being discarded. Shrubs and trees are 

 effective, but as a rule rockeries add more 

 beauty and are just as efficient in prevent- 

 ing inroads of hurried pedestrians. 



Large, water-worn Hmestone rocks pro- 

 duce the best effect. They are so rough 

 and irregular that they are almost certain 

 to present a natural appearance. By com- 

 bining what artistic tendency is possessed 

 by even an amateur landscape gardener 

 with the inherent naturalness of the rocks 

 themselves it is an easy matter to produce 

 a very pleasing effect. 



In building the rockery none but the best 

 soil should be used, and it is important that 

 it be well packed into every corner between 

 the rocks. The choice of shrubs, plants 

 and vines will depend on the climate and on 

 the site, as well as on the size of the rockery. 

 In Hamilton last year the City Improve- 

 ment Society offered prizes for corner rock- 

 eries and many beautiful eft'ects were pro- 

 duced. As an encouragement to amateurs 

 in any line it might be stated that the first 

 prize was won by Mr. 

 C. D. Xash. who had 

 had no previous ex- 

 perience in rockeries. 

 " -My rocker y.'^ 

 writes ]\Ir. Xash to 

 The Horticulturist, 

 " consists of water- 

 worn stones of all 

 shapes and sizes. In 

 erecting them no 

 l)articular care was 

 taken to make them 

 in any way straight. 

 This, of course, 

 gives a better eft'ect. 

 The rockery is 16 

 feet long, 26 inches 

 high, and 28 inches 



