THE ROGK BORDER 9* 



it is impossible to build high with rocks and soil, and the 

 low rock border is the result. This is no apology for a 

 rock garden, it is the real thing on a small scale, and 

 you may grow the choicest alpines there just as well as, 

 or perhaps even better than, on some higher level, which, 

 after all, may conceivably suffer from being wind swept 

 unless adequate protection is given. 



How to Begin. The way to begin the formation of a 

 rock border is to mark out the area of its base, making the 

 outline irregular, though not fantastically so, with miniature 

 bays here and there, and little promontories to shelter 

 them. Then the question of drainage has to be con- 

 sidered : if the ground is heavy, clayey stuff that gets 

 sodden in winter and is apt to cake and crack in hot 

 dry weather, thorough drainage is essential. In fact, 

 proper drainage is the chief secret of success in growing 

 alpine flowers, whether they are in a big rock garden 

 or on a low rock border. As has been so often pointed 

 out, they cannot thrive in water-logged ground. If the 

 land is " heavy " it becomes necessary to dig out the 

 soil to the depth of ten or twelve inches over the area 

 of the base and subsequently to fill the hole with broken 

 bricks, clinkers, stones or any other material that will 

 serve the purpose of draining away the superfluous water 

 from about the roots of the plants. If the soil dug out 

 is stiff clay, there is nothing to be done except to spread 

 it over the rose beds or the flower borders, first removing 

 a similar quantity of lighter soil to make room for it. 

 When thus exposed to the action of the atmosphere, and 



