KOCKERY PLANTS 



127 



is comparatively expensive. Given half an acre of garden devoted 

 to herbaceous borders or bedding plants, and a similar area devoted 

 to rockeries, the last would be much the most costly. This arises 

 partly from the cost of construction of the rockery, and partly 

 from the greater number of plants required. 



Whether a rockery is too expensive a luxury for any particular 

 flower gardener or not, must of course depend upon circumstances. 

 An important factor is the stone supply. Is it near or far? Have 

 you a quarry within easy distance for carts, or would you have 

 to send one hundred and fifty miles for 

 stones, and then have to cart them three 

 or four miles, owing to being a con- 

 siderable distance from a railway? Much 

 turns on the reply to these questions. 

 Remember that stones, and large, hard 

 stones, are really necessary. Hotch-potch 

 rockeries made up of clinkers are only 



CONSTRUCTION OF ROCKERIES 



satisfying to those who have seen no R5ght and wrong way to fix the stones . 



nthpr "Dirprtlv trip nwnpr nf 3 Hinkpr Long, or round-shaped rockeries. A, 



oiner. uirecuy me owner wrong way . B> right way Thearrows 



rockery sees one made well with suit- show that on A side there is no space 



J left for soil, but there is on B side. 



able stones his pleasure in his property c shows stones too formal M regards 



J placing. 



departs, because he sees that it is un- 

 natural. In rock gardening we set ourselves deliberately to copy 

 nature. We not only elect to grow good plants, but also to grow 

 them in a particular environment, such as they would have in a 

 state of nature. No one who can get hard stone locally need hesi- 

 tate about starting rock gardening, for with a charge for stone of 

 no more than five or six shillings a ton, the cost is not going to 

 be excessive. If, however, the necessary stone has to be got from 

 a distance, at a possible cost of a pound to twenty-five shillings a 

 ton, it is well to carefully calculate matters before making a start. 

 One obvious way of reducing the cost of a rockery that a person 

 who is bent upon having one, and yet has only a little money 



