176 STUDIES IN GARDENING 



of these are too large for a small rock garden, but 

 others are not out of scale even in the smallest; and 

 besides these shrubs there are many little plants that 

 never deteriorate after flowering. Among these there 

 is no need to do more than mention the Mossy Saxi- 

 frages, the different varieties of Thymus serpyllum, 

 especially albus and lanuginosus, the dwarf Alyssum 

 saxatile, Lithospermum prostratum, which often flowers 

 intermittently in the late summer and autumn, Veron- 

 ica repens, Veronica pectinata, Arenaria tetraquetra, 

 several species of Draba, Achillea rupestris and A. 

 huteri, Tanacetum argenteum, and Saxifraga apiculata. 

 All of these are beautiful in their habit of growth for 

 long after they have ceased to flower, and most of 

 them remain beautiful all through the winter, keep- 

 ing the rock garden fresh and green when borders are 

 all desolate. 



But still there remains the problem of flowers; for 

 greenery is well enough, but we want something be- 

 sides greenery in August and September, and in many 

 rock gardens we do not get it. Yet there are a good 

 many rock plants that bloom well up into the autumn, 

 and a few which, if not rock plants, are yet well suited 

 by their habit to grow among them and which are 

 autumn blooming by nature. Most of the Pinks 

 flower in June, though some of them continue to 

 throw up blossoms intermittently until the frosts; 

 but Dianthus noeanus, a little-known species from 

 Asia Minor-, flowers in August. It has a very neat 

 tufted habit, and pretty white and curiously fringed 



