84 THE NEW GARDENING 



A spell of terrible weather came, with severe frost, 

 which turned the moisture among the roots of the plants 

 into ice. Heavy snow for many days prevented planting, 

 and although a covering was thrown over the plants they 

 remained frost-bound for over a week. Not one of them 

 showed signs of injury from this ordeal, which was 

 different from, and more severe than, any which they 

 were likely to have had to undergo when growing in the 

 soil. Here ice caught them, root and crown, while they 

 were out of the ground, and presumably in the most 

 vulnerable state. 



Liberal-minded nurserymen send large clumps of the 

 plants which they lift from the ground, and with gratitude 

 in his heart for such generous treatment the plantsman 

 may divide them at the very outset. Given more pockets 

 than plants one obvious step is to plant two pockets 

 with one kind. But another point is that, with a large 

 clump and a large pocket it were better to divide the 

 clump and set the portions at different parts of the 

 pocket than to put it undivided in the middle. " Pocket " 

 is used as the popular word in connection with rock 

 gardening, but it would be misleading if it suggested 

 that all spaces between stones should be limited to the 

 size even of the capacious pocket of a poacher. In these 

 broad areas which the flower-lover with large grounds 

 might carpet with flattish stones there will be consider- 

 able spaces for plants, and here the planting of small 

 pieces wide apart will suggest itself as more appropriate 

 than merely putting in one large clump. 



A small side issue of rock gardening, yet one that 

 often causes some little trouble, is the choice and use 

 of labels. The best of labels are objectionable in a rock 

 garden, and the worst are an insufferable eyesore. Yet 

 it is desirable that the flower-lover should learn to know 



