MY GARDEN AND ITS ENVIRONMENT 15 



There are hosts of these plants which are of such 

 diminutive stature, that a large number can be accom- 

 modated in a tiny space, while if the surroundings are 

 carefully planned and unremitting care given to keeping 

 the whole thing to scale, one can almost believe that 

 the space so planted is three or four times as large as 

 it really is. 



Another strong point in favour of this form of gar- 

 dening is the evergreen character of a large number of 

 the plants thus giving us the appearance of verdure 

 through our long and usually miserable winters. 



How different a well clothed rock garden looks, say 

 in January, when compared with the too often seen 

 desolation of the average villa garden with its dank 

 and sodden border, from which rise the ghastly stumps 

 of last year's plants. Before these herbaceous subjects 

 have even pretended to hide the barrenness of the 

 surrounding soil, upon the return of spring, the Alpine 

 gardener has had a glorious succession of blossom for 

 at least two months. 



From my own small store of experience I knew that 

 from the large number of Alpine plants available, I 

 could, with careful selection, so plant my little garden 

 as to produce a succession of flower practically from 

 January ist to December 3ist. 



I would here like to say what a large amount of help 

 I received from other, and much more experienced, 



