874 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



ROC 



trees, shrubs and evergreens may be planted 

 as a background, and for affording shelter. 

 The stones should be arranged to form cavi- 

 ties of irregular size and shape, for the ac- 

 commodation of various plants from the sides 

 of a walk made in the centre of the cutting, 

 up the gradual slope until the shrubs or back- 

 ground is reached. Formality must be 

 avoided as much as possible in the arrange- 

 ment, and the stones should be deeply im- 

 bedded in order to hold them firmly. 



The rock-gardens at the Kew Botanic Gar- 

 dens (London), and at the Botanic Gardens at 

 Edinburgh (Scotland), are probably as fine ex- 

 amples as are to be found anywhere ; the lat- 

 ter containing upwards of five thousand com- 

 partments, of which over three thousand are 

 filled with various species and varieties of 

 alpine and dwarf herbaceous plants, besides 

 numerous dwarf shrubby kinds from all tem- 

 perate parts of the globe. The remainder 

 with free-flowering duplicates, placed at uni- 

 form distances to please the eye of those 

 whose taste is more for color, but even to the 

 botanical cultivator such free-flowering dupli- 

 cate masses cannot fail to be otherwise than 

 extremely interesting. All the irregular in- 

 terstices between the plant compartments are 

 filled with bulbous plants such as species of 

 Tritelia, Calliprora, Calochortus, Cyclobothra, 

 Cyclamen, Sisyrinchium grandiftorum, etc.-, and 

 among them nothing more pleasing than Iris 

 reticulata, which flowers abundantly in such 

 situations. Many of the larger compartments 

 are filled with spring-flowering bulbous plants, 

 such as the common and Crimean Snow-drop, 

 varieties of Scilla, Puschkinia, Grape, Hya- 

 cinth, vernal Snow-flake, Bulbocodium, dwarf 

 Narcissus, etc. After the spring bulbs are 

 done blooming and cut down, a little good 

 soil is placed on the surface and the spaces 

 are filled with dwarf annuals and shallow- 

 rooted summer-flowering herbaceous plants, 

 such as Leptosiphons, Clintonias, Gilias, Mes- 

 embryanthemums, Holosteum umbellatum, Myo- 

 surus minnus, lAnaria alpina, Papaver alpi- 

 num, dwarf Lobelias, etc. Such plants are all 

 removed as soon as injured by frost, and the 

 surface again covered with a little fresh soil, 

 to protect the seeds of the annuals used. 

 Large divisions are also appropriated for 

 a selection of monocotyledonous plants, ex- 

 clusive of bulbs, such as the dwarf and her- 

 baceous species of Iris and Yucca, also species 

 of Cordyline, Sparaxis, Helonias, Ophiopogon, 

 Trillium, terrestrial Orchids, Convallaria, Uvu- 

 laria, Narthecium, Tofeldia, Acorus, rare species 

 of alpine Carex, etc. 



Every plant is distinctly labeled with its 

 botanical name and native country; often 

 with its popular name or other interesting 

 peculiarity, rendering it at all seasons one of 

 the most delightful as well as instructive por- 

 tions of the whole botanic garden. Every one 

 who has seen these rock-plants at the Botanic 

 Gardens of Kew (London), or at Edin- 

 burgh, is charmed with the effect. In 

 the rock garden at Edinburgh over three thou- 

 sand species of plants have been grown, a list 

 of nearly fifteen hundred of which was pub- 

 lished by the curator of the gardens in the 

 transactions of the Botanical Society for 

 1887-'88, as having flowered during 1887 ; and 

 being not mere botanical curiosities, but well 

 selected species of plants suitable for rock- 



ROD 



gardens, is just such a list as intending plant- 

 ers would do well to inspect. 



While destitute yet of a botanic garden 

 worthy of the name in America, yet there are 

 grand opportunities for such collections in 

 many of our public parks here, which would 

 certainly be as interesting as the unvarying 

 masses of color from Coleus and other bed- 

 ding plants. We saw some very fine rock- 

 work, exceedingly well planted, in the Boston 

 Public Gardens in 1888, which seemed more 

 attractive to the public than anything else in 

 these very well planted grounds. 



Rock-work. Often, on cleaning up after the 

 formation of new grounds, masses of rock and 

 stumps are present, which are often difficult 

 materials to get rid of ; such may be arranged 

 in natural-looking mounds or screens for wind- 

 breaks, which, when the interstices are filled 

 in with soil and planted with bright-leaved or 

 bright-flowering plants, can be made most 

 attractive ; or in locations where rocks exist 

 in their natural condition, they can be made 

 highly interesting and ornamental by setting 

 out plants of a drooping or creeping habit to 

 overhang among them. The rocky caves in 

 the grounds of the National Soldiers' Home, 

 at Dayton, Ohio, have been so utilized both 

 inside and out, and are one of the most attrac- 

 tive objects of that grandly kept place. Purely 

 artificial "rock-work" may be made by clink- 

 ers from iron or other furnaces being dipped in 

 water-lime or cement, which gives a pleasing 

 drab-color to their grotesque shapes. These 

 are used in building the " rock-work" to the 

 shape and dimensions wanted, care being 

 taken, that, in forming the upper courses, 

 cavities eight or twelve inches deep and wide 

 be left to be filled with soil in which to grow 

 the plants. For this style of rock-work, in 

 addition to the many plants grown for their 

 pleasing or distinct foliage, bright colors 

 may be used to a considerable extent to 

 contrast with the ground-work, such as 

 bright - colored Verbenas, Coleus, Lobelias, 

 Rose-colored Geraniums, Golden Moneywort, 

 and many other similar plants can be used 

 with effect. A rockery so formed and planted 

 even without having any pretensions to 

 being natural, is always an attractive and 

 interesting object, more especially if placed 

 out of view of formal surroundings of any 

 kind. See Rock-garden. 



Rodrigue'zia. Named after E. Rodriguez, a 

 Spanish physician and botanist. Nat. Ord. 

 OrchidaceoB. 



Epiphytal Orchids, natives of South America. 

 There is but one species generally cultivated, 

 R. secunda, which has flower spikes from six 

 to nine inches long, with carmine red flowers 

 arranged on one side. It blooms freely in the 

 autumn and winter months, requiring the 

 same care given the Cattleya. Introduced in 

 1820. This genus is closely allied to Burling- 

 tonia. 



Rods. Boning or Borning. This name is 

 given to instruments used in leveling ground, 

 or for determining heights in making a uni- 

 form incline. They are indispensable when 

 laying out walks or edges, leveling sod, 

 and other operations of a like nature. Three 

 are generally used, and are made of equal 

 length, about three and a half or four feet 

 long, provided with cross-pieces, which should 



