88 THE STORY OF MY ROCK GARDEN 



same manner, how very decorative they would be, 

 among our small Alpine plants. 



Some time since I made an experiment in this 

 direction, and a few notes with regard to this may be 

 of interest, and I trust helpful to others who are of 

 the same way of thinking as myself. 



On a shoulder of my Rock Garden, near to the steep 

 cliff dropping down to the pool, I originally had a small 

 Rowan. After a time, however, this grew too large 

 to be in keeping with my tiny garden, and I was com- 

 pelled to remove it. Desiring to replace it with a 

 dwarf or slow-growing conifer, I secured a plant oi 

 Juniperus chinensis, three feet high, and with a naked 

 stem for the first eighteen inches. This I carefully 

 planted in the desired spot, and staked it securely to 

 prevent it being swayed by the wind. It then 

 appeared as is shown in the first photograph on page 76. 

 It will be noticed, that though it is by no means as 

 dense as many of the slow-growing dwarf conifers, 

 it still has a youthful appearance, and would not suggest 

 to anyone a mature tree of the mountains. 



When the rains had settled the soil well about the 

 roots, I proceeded to replace the three bamboo canes 

 with pieces of thin copper wire, arranged in a triangle 

 and fastened to the upper part of the bare stem, 

 radiating to three points, where I securely fastened 

 them to concealed iron pegs in the neighbouring rock. 



