SHRUBS FOR THE ROCK GARDEN. 279 



merged them into one, but it is convenient to regard 

 them as distinct for garden purposes, inasmuch as 

 they are almost invariably kept distinct in books and 

 catalogues. 



The glory of the sun, both at dawn and eve, shines 

 in the colours of the hardy " Ghent '' Azaleas (Belgian 

 only in breeding, not in origin, for they come from the 

 North American species calendulacea^ nudifloraj speciosa 

 etc.) ; and in the offspring of the Japanese species 

 mollis. Beautiful tones of cream, lemon, primrose, 

 salmon, orange, pink, rose and cinnabar prevail in them. 

 The colour of that superb variety Anthony Koster 

 is almost unmatchable among shrubs. The varieties 

 of mollis are not perfectly hardy in the gardens of 

 northern Europe and America, but they endure most 

 winters in congenial soil and in sheltered places. They 

 should not be planted in rich, alluvial, highly-manured 

 loam or clay where hardy growth is wanted, but in 

 sandy peat. 



The Rhododendrons proper do not give the exquisite 

 sunshades of the Azaleas, but they are larger and more 

 brilliant. There is no shrub to vie with the tender 

 tint of Pink Pearl, the dense red of John Waterer, or 

 the glowing crimson of Michael Waterer. Their greater 

 size puts the Rhododendrons at a disadvantage with 

 Azaleas for small gardens, but in larger places the re- 

 verse holds good. They love sandy peat, they like 

 gritty loam, they tolerate friable clay, they loathe 

 limestone. 



The coarser evergreens, such as Aucubas, Laurels and 

 Holhes, will not be needed for the rock garden, but the 



