84 WALL AND WATER GARDENS 



smooth bit of lawn, with pleasant easy hnes of flower 

 or shrub ckunp ; then you pass round some bush, 

 and all at once there is a shockingly sudden rock- 

 garden. I cannot think of any other term that gives 

 the impression I wish to convey. It often comes of 

 want of space. Only a certain space can be given 

 to the rock-plants, and it must be made the most 

 of ; still, even in small gardens it might be more or 

 less prepared or led up to. But I am not just now 

 considering the limitations of the smallest gardens 

 (a tempting theme, but one that should be taken 

 by itself), but rather the best way to lay out ground 

 that is not cramped in space or stinted of reasonable 

 labour. Therefore, where the region of groups of 

 handsome hardy moisture-loving exotics ends (to 

 the left of M and P on the plan), we come to an 

 occasional flatfish boulder or blunt-nosed rock just 

 rising above the ground, as the path rises very gently. 

 Presently these large plants, of which the furthest 

 back were in quite moist ground, are left behind, 

 and we are among bushes four to seven feet high 

 (N and above on plan). These give place to lower 

 shrubs, rather more thinly grouped, while the rocky 

 boulders are more frequent and more conspicuous. 

 Presently, and only by a gentle transition, the rock- 

 mound comes into view, and we see that there are 

 three paths, each having a slightly different aspect, 

 while the whole mound, clothed with dark, close- 

 growing, and for the most part, dwarf shrubs, has 

 a unity of character which presents no shock to 

 the mind, but only a pleasant invitation to come 



