2972 



ROCK-GARDEN 



ROCK-GARDEN 



but gradually deepening till a depth of some 6 or 7 feet 

 was reached, and an average width of about 10 feet at 

 the bottom. All the soil taken out was placed on the 

 top of the slopes, thus still further increasing the height. 

 The cutting was made in a winding manner, not formal 

 or zigzag, but in such a form that when completed, 

 not only would a variety of aspects be secured to suit 

 the requirements of different plants, but each turn 

 should seem to possess a peculiar charm of its own. The 

 whole cutting is perhaps some 200 yards in length. The 

 rocks are placed in the banks in as natural a manner as 

 it would seem possible to place them; now they stand 

 out boldly, almost perpendicular with the edge of the 

 path, then again they recede into hollow recesses. 

 There are not too many rocks, nor yet too few. In one 

 place a cascade falls over the rocks into a small pool 

 which not only provides a habitat for aquatic and bog- 

 plants, but also adds greatly to the beauty of the rock- 

 ery. For the convenience of the public, a broad gravel 

 path runs through the whole rockery. Rhododendrons 

 and other shrubs are planted on top of the banks in 

 groups, and not in straight lines, while behind these, for 

 protection and shade, are planted pines and other coni- 

 fers, as well as some deciduous trees. The rocks were 

 placed in most cases so as to form "pockets" of good size 

 into which the plants could be placed, and the soil 

 made in the pocket to suit the requirements of the dif- 

 ferent plants. With such a variety of aspects and 

 conditions, this rockery is able to accommodate one of 

 the largest collections of alpine and rock-plants in the 

 world. Deep carpets of mossy saxifrage, aubrietia, 

 arabis, cerastium, sedum, and the like, hang over pro- 

 jecting ledges of rocks, while in fissures and holes in the 

 rocks are growing those dainty rosette-making saxi- 

 frages, S. longifolia, S. Cotyledon, S. Crustacea, and S. 

 c&sia, as well as the charming androsaces. In the 

 deeper recesses of the rockery are to be found the 

 large-leaved saxifrages, such as S. crassifolia, S. ligu- 

 lata, S. Stracheyi, and S. purpurascens. Quite at home 

 and in suitable positions are alpine primulas, auriculas, 

 and cyclamens. There are Iceland poppies, Himalayan 

 poppies (Meconopsis Wallichi and M. nepalensis), 

 gentians from the tiny blue Gentiana verna to the tall G. 

 septemfida, and many kinds of Hosta, Fritillaria, Erica, 

 Epimedium, Cypripedium, Orchis, Lilium, Erythro- 

 nium, Allium, Alyssum, Ajuga, Achillea, Armeria, 

 Sagina, Sempervivum, and creeping Veronica, besides 

 other plants too numerous to mention. Particularly 

 prominent positions, as on top of the rocks, or at a 

 turning point in the path, are occupied by some stately 

 plant, such as Rheum palmatum, Acanthus mollis, or 

 Gunnera manicata, or G. chtiensis, while foxgloves, ver- 



3419. Entrance to the sunken or "underground" rock-garden. 

 Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts 



bascums, and such plants would fill up the recesses in 

 the shrubs on the top of the rockery. One end of the 

 rockery beneath the shade of overhanging trees is 

 devoted to hardy ferns, ^yhich grow with wonderful 

 luxuriance. With the variety of rare and interesting 

 plants, together with the artistic yet natural appearance 

 of the whole rockery, a more beautiful place it would be 

 difficult to conceive. 



In 1898, the writer built a rock-garden in the Botanic 

 Gardens of Smith College, Northampton, Massachu- 

 setts, somewhat after the pattern of the one at Kew, 

 but on a very much more limited scale. (Fig. 3419.) 

 The position chosen (the only one available) is near the 

 outskirts of the garden proper, on what was formerly a 

 grassy southern slope. A cutting was made through the 

 slope in much the same manner as the one at Kew, but 

 to secure good northern aspects the soil was all banked 

 on the southern side. The path, which is quite level, 

 varies in width from 3 to 6 feet. The height of the banks 

 in which the rocks are placed ranges from 2 feet at the 

 entrances to some 8 or 10 feet at the highest point. 

 For rocks, large water-worn boulders collected in the 

 vicinity were used. One shaded recess, with a northern 

 aspect, is devoted to native ferns, which at the present 

 time, 1916, comprises some forty species. The whole 

 rockery outside is banked with flowering shrubs, and on 

 the southern bank outside are planted some trees, 

 chiefly catalpas, for the purpose of shading the southern 

 aspect of the rockery, as well as for ornament. Water 

 is laid on so that the plants might not suffer in dry 

 weather. The writer has not been successful with 

 alpine primulas, mossy saxifrages, tufted gentians and 

 several other subjects which delight in a cool, moist 

 climate, perhaps from his not having provided the ideal 

 conditions for such plants, but more probably due to our 

 extremes of climate. Still there is a large variety which 

 does well here. The writer has found most of the low- 

 growing veronicas, sedums, sempervivums, arabises, 

 alyssums, achilleas, alsines, erysimums, aquilegias, cam- 

 panulas, stellarias, pachysandras, the beautiful shrubby 

 little Daphne Cneorum, and many others, do very well 

 in the more sunny or southern aspects of the rockery, 

 while on the northern aspects cerastiums, iberises, 

 ajugas, Iceland poppies, rosette and large-leaved saxi- 

 frages, moss pinks, epimediums, herniarias, arenarias, 

 cardamines, armerias, dianthuses, native orchises, 

 cypripediums, and many other plants do well. On the 

 top of the rockery, to fill in recesses in the shrubbery, 

 are planted foxgloves, verbascums, and tall veronicas, 

 while at conspicuous points are planted clumps of Boc- 

 conia cordata, Buphthalmium speciosum, Aruncus syl- 

 vester, or any herbaceous plant which looks well as an 

 isolated specimen. In among the 

 plants in irregular colonies are 

 . <,.. v. .. ... j - planted hardy bulbs, such as cro- 

 cuses, scillas, ornithogalums, nar- 

 cissi, snowdrops, chionodoxas, and 

 grape hyacinths; these come up the 

 first thing in the spring and blossom 

 before the other plants get well 

 started into growth, and are a 

 decided acquisition to a rockery. 



Almost all alpine plants may be 

 readily propagated by seed, cut- 

 tings, or division of the plants. A 

 good plan is to sow the seeds in 4- 

 inch pots early in February in a 

 finely prepared light soil, and place 

 the pots in a moderately warm 

 greenhouse; here they soon germi- 

 nate, and as soon as large enough to 

 handle they are transplanted either 

 into other pots similarly prepared, 

 or into small shallow boxes. They 

 grow vigorously through the early 

 spring months, and by the first of 



,i; ,-Y 1 ' 



Botanic Gardens, 



