io6 ALPINE FLOWERS AND ROCK GARDENS. 



against its face. I used the word " built '' advisedly, 

 for it is in no sense the laying of stones in position as 

 in an ordinary rockery. They are practically in 

 contact with each other from top to bottom, but 

 being irregular in shape they do not form a close wall 

 like mortared brickwork. There are crevices between 

 them and there are spaces between the ends, thus 

 affording suitable openings for plants. 



Such walls may be furnished with plants both during 

 and after construction. Some plants may be laid 

 between the stones as they are placed in position, 

 and others squeezed into the end spaces subsequently. 



Another plan of enlivening a bare, low wall is to 

 make a border along the top, and plant pretty things 

 which will droop over. I have recently cut a yard 

 out of chalk, and instead of walling the sides I have 

 fitted in old railway sleepers. These useful articles are 

 solid, quickly put into place, and inexpensive, but they 

 are not, strictly speaking, gardenesque. In order to 

 brighten them and rob the yard of its bareness I 

 have set some vigorous plants, such as Rock Cresses, 

 yellow Fumitory, Nasturtiums (for summer) Snow- 

 in-summer, and Rockfoil at the top. It cannot be 

 expected that the Rock Cresses and Snow-in-summer 

 will ramble as freely down the face of the timber as 

 they would over a stone surface, but at least they will 

 do something to rob the baulks of their ugliness. 



There are few gardens, perhaps, in which there are 

 no bare ridges and ledges which could not be made 

 attractive with plants. Even garden yards should 

 be considered worth beautifying by such simple means 



