The Small Grower's Chance 35 



A Fundamental Error in such a case is that the minia- 

 ture "pockets" usually formed are not infrequently 

 rendered almost watertight, and the plants being out of 

 touch with mother earth quickly perish of starvation. 

 There is, however, no need for this. The miniature or 

 town rock garden need not of necessity fail because of 

 its size or position; while for the rest there is a remedy, 

 and the difficulties are not insuperable. By first dig- 

 ging up the existing soil, adding grit, gravel, old 

 mortar or the like to afford increased drainage, and 

 bringing into position a few barrowsful of garden 

 soil, a mound will be formed equivalent to the soil 

 bank of the larger erection. Then, when forming the 

 receptacles — ^' pockets " — for the plants take care that 

 their bases remain open, so that through the crevices 

 or fissures thus formed the roots of the plants will have 

 a chance of getting away. In these and in other ways 

 the town rockery may be placed on all fours with that 

 of a more pretentious character. Everything, it should 

 be remembered, is being done on a small scale, hence 

 miniature ravines may be constructed for the smaller 

 plants, with snug little bays for many more (Fig. 14). 



Natural Rock. — There is, of course, no reason why 

 natural rock should not be employed, and either sand- 

 stone or limestone may usually be had at no g^eat 

 distance. A rockery bed of either, in sun or shade, 

 would have a much prettier effect than the cemented 

 article, though we are not going to deny that even out 

 of this latter the amateur, by reason of his abundant 

 enthusiasm, will obtain a very fair measure of success. 

 Occasionally, a water tank for Lilies forms part of the 

 scheme, its overflow constituting the supply for a bog 

 garden, where plants from the dwarf-growing Sun- 

 dews to Mocassin Flower and Panther Lily of eight 

 feet high are grown. Such combinations are not a 

 little remarkable in their way, and afford their owners 

 an infinite amount of pleasure. The following plants 

 may be expected to do fairly well in town gardens, 

 except where the air is poisoned with chemical fumes : 



