vi PREFACE 



Many of them are attractive little tufts of green or 

 silvery grey in winter, when most garden plants have 

 lost their leaves, or, perhaps, both leaves and stems ; 

 the flowering season, beginning in February, progresses 

 through spring to the full tide of blossom in early summer, 

 though not altogether failing until the coming of autumn. 



" Rock Gardening for Amateurs " endeavours to 

 show how a rock garden, whether large or small, is 

 built and planted, and how success is achieved with these 

 exquisite mountain flowers. Care has been taken to 

 make the directions as simple and as explanatory as 

 possible, and to describe a thoroughly representative 

 selection of flowers, including those that are easy and 

 others demanding some skill and more than usual care. 

 Luckily some of the loveliest and showiest of all are 

 easiest to grow, and the beginner's rock garden, planted 

 with Aubrietia, Mossy and Silvery Saxifrage, dwarf 

 Phlox, evergreen Candytuft, and others will compare in 

 brilliancy of display with another planted with the most 

 exacting of high alpine flowers. The colour plates and 

 illustrations from photographs need no introduction ; 

 they are, it is hoped, no less useful than attractive. 



The writer has had the privilege of assistance from 

 Mr. S. Arnott, an accomplished grower of alpine flowers 

 and a well-known writer on rock gardening. Acknow- 

 ledgments are also due to Mr. Walter Irving, who has 

 charge of the rock garden in the Royal Gardens, Kew, 

 for his valued help. Mr. Irving has been good enough 

 to read the proofs of the book, and has also contributed 

 notes on some of the most important genera of alpine 

 plants. H R T 



February, 1914. 



