CHAPTER IV 



THE ROCK GARDEN IN SPRING 



VITH the first breath of spring bright patches of colour 

 r ill fleck the slopes of the rock garden, and with the 

 ingthening days the flowers from mountain and hill 

 othe themselves in summer garb. Quite early, though 

 ic keen winds check all tender vegetation, the 

 .lyssum and Rock Cresses shake out their banners of 

 urple and gold. A little later the Cushion Pinks and 

 lowy Arabis mantle the ledges with rosy blossoms and 

 iscades of virgin white. Now is the rock garden at 

 s brightest and best. After the barren greyness of 

 r inter, when the flowers in garden borders have 

 :arcely roused themselves from sleep, here is the 

 ilness of life and colour, the fulfilment of the eternal 

 romise of spring. 



To which class of spring flora are we most indebted 

 >r the freshness and charm of the rock garden at this 

 ?ason ? Surely our chief cause of thankfulness is to be 

 )und in the myriad bulbous plants, the Alpine Irises, 

 ic Fritillaries and Muscari, the Narcissi from mountain 

 astures, the Snowdrops, Chionodoxa, Snowflakes and 

 cilia. If rock gardens were formed for these flowers 

 lone, they would still be worthy of our care, and in 

 lis chapter only bulbous plants will be considered. It 

 nil be a good day for English gardens when the 

 ractice of growing spring bulbs in ornamental lawn 

 eds is regarded with the same disfavour as parterres 

 f broken brick or the once-belauded carpet bedding. 



