CHAPTER XIII. 



Shrubs for the Rock Garden : Lessons from 

 the Japanese. 



The lover of flowers who has only a small rockery may 

 feel a slight tremor at the mention of shrubs, and 

 yield to the common temptation of supposing that a 

 system of rock gardening which embraces them is too 

 elaborate and extensive for him. There is little doubt 

 that many people have been deterred from cultivating 

 Alpines by the ridicule that has been heaped upon 

 amateurs' rockeries by owners of large places. An 

 injudicious reference to the use of shrubs in the present 

 work would add to the unfortunate effects of many an 

 ill-considered and disdainful reference to " made 

 rockwork." 



So far from small gardens being unsuitable for the 

 cultivation of Alpine plants, it is precisely in them that 

 the need for rockeries is most felt, because the area 

 available for plant-culture is increased by making 

 provision for surfaces of soil above the ground level. 

 There is nothing whatever ridiculous or contemptible 

 about a small made rockery, so long as it is built up of 

 honest stone and good soil on a suitable site. There 

 is, however, much that is absurd in the heaping 



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