278 ALPINE FLOWERS AND ROCK GARDENS. 



In selecting kinds for this purpose it is necessary to 

 consider the size of the stones, ridges and bays, and 

 take care that suitable proportions be maintained. The 

 Japanese are fully alive to this point, in fact, their 

 mastery of it is the secret of their success in landscape 

 gardening on a small scale. Thus have come into being 

 their famous dwarf trees. They do not put strong- 

 growing shrubs into rich soil when they are laying out 

 small pieces of ground, they put slow-growing kinds 

 into poor soil, and so guard against the general effect 

 being spoiled by too large shrubs. 



With the larger area and more numerous items of the 

 rock garden the use of shrubs becomes still more im- 

 portant. The approach to a rockery may be flanked 

 by groups of shrubs. Others may be planted behind 

 the rock-lined border of the pool. A large border, 

 such as is often given up to herbaceous plants, might 

 be made beautiful by dividing it into a series of bays 

 with shrubs, and laying fairly large flattish stones in 

 the bays to form a rocky groundwork for plants. 

 Where stone comes out naturally on the place the 

 flower-lover will, of course, avail himself of it eagerly 

 by grouping shrubs round or near it, and planting it 

 with suitable things. 



It is diflicult to give in a chapter an adequate descrip- 

 tion of the many beautiful shrubs which may be used 

 in association with rock plants, but they must not be 

 ignored entirely. Given a fair amount of space, and 

 soil free from lime, particular attention will be given 

 to Azaleas and Rhododendrons. These are no longer 

 regarded as separate genera by botanists, who have 



