Junk 16. 1904. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



155 



A Water-Garden in the Park at Los Angeles, CaL 



liable to suflfet from drought. If the 

 surface covered is large, access to all 

 piirts should be provided by means of 

 convenient paths or stepping stones, be- 

 cause, although every stone in the struc- 

 ture should be capable of bearing the 

 weight of a heavy man without danger 

 of displacement, it is better not to have 

 t(- tread upon the surface. 



With regard to soil, we must take care 

 that it does not retain stagnant moist- 

 ure, and yet it must not dry up too read- 

 ily. Plants should be able to penetrate 

 it easily with their roots. Good loam 

 with a little humus in the form of leaf- 

 mold or peat and hatf or three-quarters 

 of the whole composed of stone riddlings, 

 niake up a soil in which most alpines are 

 quite contented. Where we are convinced 

 that lime is useful it may be added as 

 pure lime, not planting until the same is 

 thoroughly slaked by mixture with the 

 soil. Bough surface dressing is a thing 

 in which all alpines delight, as it keeps 

 the surface of the soil sweet and moist 

 and prevents their leaves being fouled. 

 Dse for this purpose the same riddled 

 «t«>ne as mentioned before, which is bet- 

 ter than gravel, as round stones are eas- 

 ily washed oflp the slope. 



Now a few words about planting. It 

 IS better not to be in a hurry to see 

 the stones covered. It would be easy to 

 • over them with growth in a single sea- 

 son, but it would be harmful to the cul- 

 tivator. We must not degrade choice 

 alpines by putting them to keep com- 

 p{;ny with vinca, galium, hypericum, gle- 

 cnoma, fast running sedums, Campanula 

 •■iipunculoides, Hieracium aurantiacum 

 «'id others of the same habit. Indeed, 

 there are some plants, of which Coronilla 



varia is one, which, when once estab- 

 liehed among large stones, cannot be 

 eradicated by any means short of pull- 

 ing the whole structure to pieces. Any 

 plant which runs under a large stone and 

 reappears on the other side should be 

 treated cautiously. As a rule nothing 

 should be planted which cannot be easily 

 and entirely eradicated in a short time. 

 If a rockery is large there is no reason 

 for limiting the area to be assigned to 

 each plant, especially to such as are orna- 

 mental when in flower and not iinsightly 

 at other seasons. If different rockeries, 

 or separate parts of the same, can be as- 

 signed to rapid growers and to dwarf, 

 compact plants it will be an advantage. 



There are many subjects belonging to 

 the class of rock plants (alpine), which 

 require to be displayed in a broad and 

 high mass to do them full justice. Au- 

 brietias, for example, or Veronica pros- 

 trate, should look like purple or blue 

 cataracts; others should be unlimited in 

 b:eadth, like the dwarf, mossy phloxes, 

 or the silvery Cerastium Biebersteinii. 

 Sr.ch things do not like being cropped 

 around to limit their growth and if there 

 is not enough room for them, they had 

 better be omitted. 



Whatever is grown, the small and deli- 

 cate gems of the collection must run no 

 danger of being smothered by over- 

 spreading neighbors and require both 

 careful management and constant watch- 

 ing. The following species may be men- 

 tioned as suitable for cultivation: 



Achillea Egyptiaca is a silvery plant 

 in all its parts, with finely cut leat-es and 

 handsome heads of yellow flowers and 

 with something of the grace of a fern in 

 its leaves. Plant in sunny spots. A. 



tonicntosa is one of the tufted plants, 

 with flat corymbs of bright-yellow flow- 

 ers. A millefolium The Pearl has white 

 heads, and A. millefolium roseum, red. 

 This is good for cutting purposes, A. 

 ageratifolia, A. aurea and A. rupestris 

 are other desirable varieties. 



Adonis vernalia is a handsome plant, 

 requiring moist, sandy soil and should 

 not be disturbed for years. Ajuga rep- 

 tans and A. Genevensis are of easy cul- 

 ture. Alyssum saxatile is one of the best 

 of the early yellow spring flowers. Good 

 anemones are Japonica. pulsatilla, nemo- 

 rcsa, hepatica and Virginiana. Ane- 

 monella thalictroides and antennarias, 

 the latter with white, downy foliage, 

 eft'ective for carpeting, are good. The 

 anthericums, or St. Bnino's lilies, are 

 graceful, lily-like alpine pasture plants, 

 among the most beautiful of hardy flow- 

 ers. Though rather taller than most rock 

 plants, their alpine association as well 

 ari their l)eauty should give them a place 

 among the more vigorous plants or 

 among the rock garden shrubs. The best 

 varieties of this genus for outdoor cul- 

 ture are A. Hookerii, A. liliastrum, A. 

 liliago and A. ramosum. Anthyllis vul- 

 ntraria and A. montana are well worth 

 growing. 



Aquilegias, beautiful in habit, color 

 and form of flower, are widely distrib- 

 uted over the northern and mountain re- 

 gions of Europe, Asia and America. 

 These require to be carefully planted in 

 sandy or gritty though moist ground 

 and in well-drained pockets in the rock 

 garden in half shady positions. Good 

 species to grow are A. canadensis, A. 

 chrysantha, A. ca?rulea and A. glandulosa. 

 The latter is a native of the Altai moun- 



