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Gardening for Amateurs 



The Question of Stone is an important 

 one. If stone abounds in the district it is 

 generally chosen, if suitable, for rock garden 

 building. In other cases a choice should be 

 made from the following : Limestone, especi- 

 ally that of the same character as the cliffs 

 of Cheddar or from the Yorkshire Hills, is 

 very attractive. Tufa is expensive in most 

 places, but is very satisfactory. Many find 

 in millstone grit a good stone for rockwork. 



constructed where nothing else can be 

 obtained. The question of ways and means 

 must decide the question of material, but it 

 is better to have a few good-sized stones than 

 a larger number of poor, small ones. In 

 many districts natural stone is difficult and 

 expensive to procure, and artificial " rocks " 

 must be provided. We have seen excellent 

 " poor men's rockeries," as they were collo- 

 quially called, made of small concrete blocks 



Sea Pinks or Thrift growing wild on the rocky coast of North Devon : a charming p 

 of natural rock gardening. 



Sandstone, especially the old red sandstone, 

 is as good as any, but it is not always easy 

 to secure weathered material. In a few 

 months, however, stone is toned down, and 

 then harmonises with the foliage and flowers 

 of the alpine plants. The worst rocks are 

 those with much quartz in them ; whinstone 

 and granite ought not to be chosen if other 

 material can be had, although good plants 

 can be grown on either. Stone which is not 

 too white shows up the flowers much better 

 than that of aggressively conspicuous tint. 

 Rockeries made of artificial stone may be 



(such as are used as an edging to pavements). 

 These are built up on a firm foundation until 

 they form a " rock " of the height and width 

 desired. About 2 inches of soil and a few 

 stones are placed between each block, the 

 latter to prevent the blocks from pressing 

 too heavily on the plants. In a rockery of 

 this kind the plants ought to be put in as 

 the work of building progresses ; this is, in 

 fact, necessary in all cases when plants are 

 arranged in the crevices between large stones. 

 It is essential that the earth be made firm 

 behind the " rocks " as the building pro- 



