ROCKERY PLANTS 



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question, equally with the stone question, must be taken into 

 consideration in connection with the formation of a rockery, and 

 provides a further reason for careful preliminary consideration. 



We have said that rock plants are extremely beautiful. They 

 are, of course, low-growing for the most part. It is permissible 

 to plant a few tall things in a rock garden, but the great majority 

 must be dwarf. For this reason nothing need be said about height 

 in the following jottings about rock plants, although it is so 

 important in connection with border flowers. Care must be taken 

 to provide for plenty of spreading carpeters that will cover the 

 face of stones and clothe them with bloom, such as perennial 

 Candytufts (Iberis), Aubrietias, Yellow Alyssum, and Arabis. It 

 is also desirable to provide for as long a period of bloom as pos- 

 sible, and it will help the planter if we class the plants we pro- 

 pose to recommend in four distinct flowering seasons, beginning 

 with spring. 



SPRING-BLOOMING PLANTS 



The largest proportion of the rock plants flower in spring, and 

 consequently we shall have no difficulty in making a selection. 

 We will give the colours of the flowers in each case, and put the 

 figure (i) against a few plants which, being both good and 

 cheap, will particularly suit growers of limited means. 



Adonis vernalis. A charming plant with 

 yellow flowers. 



(i) Alyssum saxatile compactum. A spread- 

 ing grower, with yellow flowers, that 

 will speedily cover a wide area. It 

 comes readily from seed sown in June, 

 and is a very inexpensive and beau- 

 tiful plant. 



(i) Anemones. Several of this beautiful 

 genus are desirable, notably nemorosa 

 Robinsoniana, a charming blue; and 

 Pulsatilla, the Pasque-flower, violet; 



Blanda, blue ; apennina, blue ; fulgens, 

 scarlet ; and other dwarf Anemones are 

 also well worth including. 



Antennaria tomentosa. The beauty of this 

 plant lies in its silvery foliage, which 

 spreads into a broad carpet of white. 



(i) Arabis (Rock Cress). One of the indis- 

 pensables. Experienced rock gardeners 

 may feel no interest in it, as it is so 

 abundant as to be almost as common 

 as Zonal " Geraniums," but beginners, 

 and those who have to garden econo- 



