Book of Gardens 



31 



ROCK GARDENS AND THEIR ALLIES 



Suggestions for Creating a Garden of Alpine Plants, with Those Variations 

 of It, the Bog Garden and the Naturalistic Pool 



TODAY the pleas- 

 ure which is de- 

 rived from the culti- 

 vation of small Alpine 

 plants is fully recog- 

 nized and enjoyed by 

 the owner of the me- 

 dium and small sized 

 property- The rock 

 garden — or Alpine 

 garden, as it is some- 

 times called — has be- 

 come a popular fea- 

 ture of modern land- 

 scaping and is no 

 longer found onl}' on 

 large estates and pub- 

 lic parks. It is a place 

 of informal outline, 

 closely akin to the 

 wild garden, and is 

 developed along nat- 

 uralistic lines, aiming 

 toward the picturesque 

 in landscape design 

 and avoiding straight 

 lines and set arrange- 

 ments. 



There are two types 

 of rock gardens: the 

 natural and the arti- 

 ficial. In the first, 

 the rocks have been 

 placed by nature ; and 

 in the second they 

 have been arranged 



.4 remarkably successful development of the rock garden. The site is well 

 chosen for its seclusion and freedom from cold winds. In the left center 

 can be seen the entrance to a grotto. An abundance of plants gi^ies the 

 garden that sense of color and delicate growth so necessary to set of 

 the rugged lines of the rocks and put them into their proper place in 

 the general scheme. John Handrahan, landscape architect 



by man. The old 

 quarry, the rocky 

 bank, and the rocky 

 knoll and valley all 

 lend themselves to the 

 development of the 

 natural rock garden. 

 Suggestions for the 

 construction and care 

 of an artificial rock 

 garden, as well as 

 planting lists of re- 

 liable Alpine flowers, 

 evergreens and ferns 

 for the natural rock 

 garden, are given on 

 the foUowdng pages. 

 From them a selection 

 can be made for any 

 situation. 



The true rock gar- 

 den should be treated 

 as an isolated feature 

 of a property. The 

 site chosen for this 

 type of garden, when 

 circumstances permit, 

 should be away from 

 and out of sight of 

 anything formal. No 

 hard and fast rule for 

 the choice of a site 

 can be given, for it 

 obviously depends 

 upon what sites are 

 available. While a 



PLANT MATERIAL for the ROCKY BANK 



Abronia latifolia (sand verbena) : trailing, lemon yel- 

 low, blooms July. 



Achillea tomeiitosa (wooly yarrow); 1', bright yellow, 

 blooms July-October. 



Adonis amitrensis (pheasant's eye): 8", yellow, blooms 

 March. 



AdoJiis pyrenaica: 1', deep yellow, blooms May-July. 



Adonis vcrnalis: 1', yellow, blooms April-May. 



Aethioncma coridifolium (aethionema) : 6", rosy-pink, 

 blooms June-July. 



Aethionema grandiHorum : 12", rosy purple, blooms 

 June. 



Ajnga genevensis (bugle-weed) : 8", bright blue, blooms 

 May-June. 



Ajuga reptans: 6", blue, blooms May-June. 



Alyssum alpestre (madwort) : 3", golden yellow, blooms 

 May-July. 



Alyssmn montaniim : 3". yellow, blooms June- July. 



Alyssum saxatHc compactum (rock madwort); 1', yel- 

 low, blooms April- May. 



Androsace lanuginosa (rock jasmine) : trailing, rose, 

 blooms May-October. 



Aquilegia alpina supcrba (columbine) : 2', blue and 

 white, blooms May- June. 



Aquilegia canadensis: 2', red and yellow, blooms May- 

 June. 



Aquilegia chrysantha: 3', yellow, blooms June-August. 



Aquilegia coernlea: 18", blue, blooms May-June. 



Aquilegia -fiavellata : 1', pure white, blooms May-June. 



Aquilegia nivea grandifiora: 2', white, blooms May- 

 June. 



Aquilegia Skinneri: 2', greenish yellow, blooms May- 

 June. 



Aquilegia vulgaris alba ^. pi.-' 2'-Z', white, blooms 

 May-June. 



Arabis albida (rock cress): 5"-9", pure white, blooms 

 April-May. 



Armcria alpina (thrift): 6"-I0", pink, blooms May- 

 June. 



Armeria maritima: 6", pink, crimson, blooms May- 

 June. 



Asperula hexaphylla fwoodruff) : 6"-8", white, blooms 

 May -June. 



Asperula odorata (sweet woodruff) : 6"-12", white, 

 blooms May -June. 



Aster alpinits (blue mountain aster) : 5 "-10", bright 

 purple, blooms May-June 



Aubretia deltoides (purple rock cress): 4"-6", dark 

 violet, blooms April-May. 



Aiibrciia purpurea: 4"-5", purple, blooms April-May. 



Bel lis percnnis (English daisy) : 5", white and pink, 

 blooms May-June. 



Bel lis rotnndiHora coernlea: 4", white, tinged laven- 

 der, blooms May-June. 



Caltha palustris (marsh marigold) : 1', golden yel- 

 low, blooms April-May. 



Caltha palustris H. pi.: 6", bright yellow, blooms April- 

 May. 



Campan ula alpina (bell-flower) ; 6"-l 0", blue, July. 



Campanula carpatica 9"-18", blue, blooms June-July. 



Cerastinm alpinutn (chickweed) : 2"-4", white, blooms 

 May -June. 



Ccrastiuin tomcntosum (snow in summer): 6", silvery 

 foliage, white flowers, blooms June. 



Centaurca dealbata (bachelor's button): 18", deep pink, 

 blooms July-August. 



Chrysanthemum arcticnm : 12"-18", white, blooms Sep- 

 tember-November. 



Claytonia virginica (spring beauty) : 6", light pink, 

 blooms April-May. 



Convallaria majalis (lily-of-the-valley) : 6"-12", pure 

 white, blooms May-June. 



Crucianella stylosa (Crosswort) : 6"-9", crimson, pink, 

 pale rose, blooms June-September. 



Delphinium chincnse (larkspur): 12"-18", gentian blue, 

 blooms June-September. 



Dianthus barbatus (sweet william) : 12"-18". red, 

 white, rose, blooms June-July. 



Dianthus deltoides (maiden pink): S"-9", pink, white, 

 blooms June- July. 



Dianthus neglcctus: 8", bright rosy pink, blooms June- 

 September. 

 Dianthus plnmarius (grass pink); 1', various colors, 



blooms June-September. 

 Dicentra canadensis (squirrel corn) : 6", white, blooms 

 ilay. 



vhite, blooms 

 blue, 



6"-8" 



Dicentra spectabilis (bleeding heart): 1', pink, blooms 



May-June. 

 Dracocephalum Ruyschiaua (dragon's head) : £"-12", 



purple, blooms June-July. 

 Doionicum cxcelsnm (leopard's bane) ; 18"-2', bright 



yellow, blooms April-May. 

 Epimedium alpinum (barren wort) : 9", dark crimson, 



yellow, blooms May- June. 

 Epimedium liolaccnm: 9", violet, blooms May-June. 

 Euphorbia polychroma (milkwort); 2', chrome yellow, 



blooms April-May, 

 Gentiana acaiilis (gentianella) : 18", deep blue, blooms 



August-September. 

 Gentiana Andrczvsii (bottle gentian): I8"-24", deep 



blue, blooms August-September. 

 Geranium sanguincum (crane's-bill): l'-18", deep pur- 

 ple, blooms June. 

 Geranium sanguincum var. album: 18", 



June. 

 Globularia trichosantha (globe daisy) : 



blooms May-June. 

 Gypsophylla repcns (baby's breath) : 



white or pale pink, blooms June-July. 

 Hellcborus viger (Christmas rose): 9" 



purple, blooms March-April. 

 Hepatica triloba (common hepatica) : 



lavender, pink, blooms April-May. 

 Heuchera sanguinca (coral bells) : IS' 



son, blooms June-September. 

 Heuchera brizoidcs: 18"-2', purple, pink, blooms June- 

 September, 

 Hypericum calycinum (Aaron's beard): 1', golden yel- 

 low, blooms August. 

 Hypericum Moserianum: 18", golden yellow. 



June-September. 

 Ibcris semperz'ircns (candytuft) : 10", white, 



April -May. 

 Iberis sempervirens var. Little Gem: 6", white 



April. 

 Incari-illca Delaz'ayi (Delaway's incarvillea) : 



purplish rose, May-July. 

 Tncari-illca grandifiora: 1', bright rose color, 



May-June. 



4"-6" 



bluish 



'-15", white and 



4"-6", white, 



, bright crim- 



blooms 

 blooms 

 blooms 

 l'-2'. 

 blooms 



