THE ALPINE GARDEN 105 



the Alpine plants that we are familiar with, that are 

 tolerant of a variety of soils, and that are so well 

 represented in the best trade lists, do not appear 

 here ; so that if it is not convenient to supply any 

 plants with either granite or limestone, those named 

 in the following lists may either be avoided, or we 

 may be content with what success we may have in 

 such a soil as we are able to give them. 



There are certain plants of the higher Alpine regions 

 that are usually failures in English rock-gardens, of 

 which Eritrichium nanum may be taken as a type. 

 Others in the same list of what we know as difficult 

 plants are : Androsace glacialis, Charpentieri y helvetica, 

 pubescenSj wulfeniana, and imbricata ; Achillea nana, 

 Thlaspi rotundifolium, Artemisia spicata ; Campanula 

 cenisia, Allionii^ excisa, petr<za ; Saxifraga Seguieri 

 planifolia, and stenopetala. 



In order to succeed with these plants they must 

 have the poorest possible soil ; only a coarse gravel 

 of small stones with a little sandy peat ; such a soil 

 as will always be poor, light, and porous ; in one con- 

 taining more nutriment they simply die of indigestion. 

 The drainage must be perfect. They delight in full 

 exposure and sun heat, and will succeed either in a 

 wall or the flatter rock-garden, though here they are 

 much benefited by the ground around them being 

 covered with little stones in order to keep it cool. 



The following is a list of plants proper to the cal- 

 careous and granitic formations respectively : 



