THE BEST STONES AND SOIL. 8i 



Alpine garden, and nothing less, will satisfy him. Many 

 a fair flower-lover has extracted a rock garden from 

 a half-hearted husband by a knowledge of masculine 

 pecuHarities. 



The stone question is one that is well worthy of 

 careful consideration. It must be taken into account 

 at the very outset. We have agreed that it is worth 

 while to try to put the rockery together in such a way 

 that it looks intrinsically pleasing and natural, while 

 giving full acknowledgment to the predominance of the 

 flowers. Now, one cannot very weU construct an 

 artistic rockery of any odds and ends which happen 

 to be handy. The staff of a country railway station 

 will sometimes give quite a cheerful appearance to a 

 platform garden by whitening some large clinkers and 

 planting Rock Cresses among them, but although 

 we admire from the passing train, we should not 

 be satisfied with cHnkers, whitened or not, in our 

 gardens. 



There is a way of getting rock which has the merits 

 of simplicity and complete efficacy, and it is to buy it 

 through the large hardy plant firms. It seems odd 

 to go to a nursery for stone, but the fact is that the 

 more important firms who deal in Alpine plants are so 

 often asked not only to supply the flowers but also to 

 construct the rockery that they have contracts with 

 quarry-owners, and in some cases actually own quarries 

 themselves. These people know exactly what is 

 required. They know the size, shape and texture 

 that is most suitable. If the prospective rockery- 

 builder tells them what class of construction he wants : 



