144 ALPINE FLOWERS AND ROCK GARDENS. 



genera will prove more tractable and of greater real 

 worth. For many weeks in late spring and summer 

 the rock Pinks will produce their sparkling flowers. 



Dianthus caryophyllus gave us the modern Carna- 

 tion, and D. plumarius the border Pink. Picotees 

 are merely differently-marked forms of Carnations. 

 Cloves are Carnations with the rich, spicy odour which 

 gave the plant its specific name. With all of these 

 we have nothing to do here. We pass them over 

 with reluctance, because we are fully sensible of their 

 beauty and importance, but they are plants for the 

 garden beds and borders, not for the rockery. Dianthus 

 barbatus, the Sweet William, that dear old favourite 

 which we think of with tenderness and affection, 

 familiar to us from our earliest days, ever bright, 

 cheerful and happy, is also a border and bedding plant, 

 and the only sort which could be admitted to the 

 rockery appropriately is the dwarf salmon, which is 

 low, neat and compact in growth. 



Beautiful though these grand old plants certainly 

 are, we need not regret their unsuit ability for the rock 

 garden in view of the fact that we have at hand charm- 

 ing material from Alpine regions. They will meet 

 all our wants, and meet it well. We shall find from 

 experience that they are as well qualified to beautify 

 the rockery as their larger congeners are to grace 

 the border. 



The Pinks are easy to grow. They enjoy sunshine 

 and good soil. Loam with abundance of stone chip- 

 pings to retain moisture suits them well. Alpimis 

 is a great lime-lover, and enjoys a mulching of lime- 



