52 ROCK GARDENING FOR AMATEURS 



Pigmy Conifers. Most picturesque of all shrubs for the 

 rock garden are the pigmy conifers ; they are so admirably 

 in keeping with the rest of the scheme the rocky 

 peaks and promontories and alpine dells and add 

 greatly to the illusion, for that is really what the rock 

 garden is an attempt to reproduce a piece of mountain 

 scenery in miniature. The pigmy Spruces are especially 

 suitable ; they form somewhat rounded little trees, vary- 

 ing in height from one to three feet, and give one the 

 impression that they are true mountain trees dwarfed 

 by exposure on alpine heights. In fact, similar shrubs 

 are to be found at high elevations. Some of the Spruces 

 suitable are: Picea excelsa and its varieties globosa 

 nana, compacta, dumosa, and pygmaea. Or one may 

 have little Pines, e.g. Pinus montana and P. edulis ; 

 together with the dwarf Cypresses, prostrate Juniper 

 (Juniperus Sabina prostrata) and J. communis tamar- 

 iscifolia; and the dwarf Yew, Taxus baccata ericoides. 

 Some of the Heaths are very delightful in the rockery, 

 especially Erica carnea, that flowers in winter and spring 

 and is of low growth. If interplanted with bulbs of 

 various sorts, Squills, Glory of the Snow, and Daffodils, 

 a charming display results in spring. Low-growing 

 Rhododendrons, too, may be used here and .there for 

 example, R. ferrugineum, R. hirsutum, and R. racemosum. 

 Among the Rocksprays, or Cotoneasters, several are good 

 rockery shrubs, notably C. microphylla, C. thymifolia, 

 and C. humifusa ; all have low-growing or prostrate 

 stems, and bear showy berries in winter. 



