TREES FOR THE ROCK GARDEN 143 



species, V. salicornoides^ and may still be met with 

 under that name. The small violet or white flowers 

 of these miniature evergreen shrubs are not perhaps 

 much to be taken into account, but they have a 

 distinct value of their own as rock-work greenery. 

 There are other dwarf New Zealand Veronicas of 

 a leafy character, differing essentially from these 

 mimetic species, such as V. carnosula and V. pingui- 

 folia, also inhabiting regions 5000 feet above the 

 sea-level, which are suited for localities with average 

 advantages of climate. Others again, such as V. 

 Lyallii, V. glauco-ccerulea, and V. hulkeana, though they 

 grow naturally at lower altitudes, and must be 

 reckoned only half-hardy, may yet be serviceable for 

 Rock Gardens on the southern sea-board, or on the 

 west coast of Scotland. Belonging to the larger-grow- 

 ing and more familiar species of Shrubby Veronica, 

 mention may be made of a good purple-flowered 

 hybrid, of very compact growth, known as Purple 

 Queen, which is exceedingly ornamental from its free- 

 flowering habit. Many of the losses sustained amongst 

 these interesting New Zealand shrubs are owing to 

 drought rather than to frost, and their extreme sus- 

 ceptibility to dryness at the root is a fact not recog- 

 nised as it should be. 



Hardy Heaths are of the utmost value in the Rock 

 Garden, and range in height from the 6 feet or more 

 of Erica arborea to the 6 inches of the well-known 

 E. carnea, and can be used in rough places, where 

 more delicate plants might not thrive. A sudden 

 emergency once arose in the experience of the writer, 



