156 



CASSELL'S POPULAE GAEDENING. 



in perfection. In some "way, then, a continuous supply 

 of moisture at the roots is a necessary condition for 

 the successful cultivation of hog-plants : it is not a 

 large quantity that is required, so long as it is never 

 a,hsent ; it is therefore desirahle, in order to econo- 

 mise the supply of water to the utmost, that arrange- 

 ments should be made to insure it trickling from the 

 -source of supply as gently as possible, and in such a 

 manner as to insure its regular diffusion over the 

 -entire area devoted to bog-plants. 



One way of securing this result is to arrange a little 

 TTOcky basin at the highest available level, into which 

 the water should be first discharged, and from which, 

 t)eing margined by gently-sloping stones, the water 

 win pass by gravitation to the lower level on which 

 the bog is situated. The bog-bed may be made of any 

 size, according to requirements and space available — 

 -a few sqviare feet or yards, or on any larger scale de- 

 _ sired. As a rule, small hogs only will be made where 

 "the water has to be supplied with some difficulty, but 

 the principle of construction will be much the same 

 whatever the size. 



The first thing to do after having fixed on 

 the site, will be to remove the ordinary garden soil 

 "to a depth of from twenty to thirty inches at least, 

 ■over the entire area of the bed. This space must 

 "then be filled with peat, peaty soU, or such substi- 

 tutes in the way of vegetable mould, decayed leaves, 

 and some peat, as the ease or difficulty of obtaining 

 these ingredients may render most convenient. 

 As it is impossible to provide by general directions 

 -for all possible combinations of circumstances, we 

 shall content ourselves with a statement of such first 

 principles as are applicable to aU cases, and which only 

 need applying with intelligence to lead to success. 

 When peat or peaty soil is easily procurable, it is 

 always to be preferred. Where it can be obtained 

 -only at considerable cost, as in districts where it is 

 scarce, a fairly good substitute will be found in sound 

 turfy loam and leaf-mould, in about equal propor- 

 "tions, for the lower part of the bed, the pure peat 

 being reserved for the uppermost six or eight inches. 

 In fact, the uppermost layer may consist of one-half 

 peat, and sharp sand and leaf-mould in equal quanti- 

 ties, well mixed together, and many plants will thrive 

 in it. For other plants for which peat is indispens- 

 able it must be provided if they are to be grown; and 

 the system of pockets already described wiU enable 

 the cultivator to isolate such peat-loving plants, and 

 secure the proper soil for them at the smallest pos- 

 sible cost, by limiting its use to those pockets where 

 these plants are to be grown. 



As already indicated, it wUl be invariably ad- 

 "vantageous to place the bog-bed on a lower level 

 *han the surrounding surface, so as to utilise to 

 tthe utmost all moisture derived from natural 



or artificial sources. The employment of rock 

 for making pockets and ledges, and to isolate the 

 plants from one another, is strongly to be recom- 

 mended, and the rock may be so introduced as to aid 

 in producing artistic effects, as well as providing 

 secure foothold when weeding or planting has to be 

 done. Some of the Gentians will thrive in such a 

 bed, so as to repay all the trouble and expense in- 

 curred; indeed, Gentiana bavarica and our lovely 

 British (?. Fneumonanthe (the Marsh Gentian) will 

 thrive only in such positions. G. acaulis (Gentia- 

 neUa) planted at the edge of the bog-bed will thrive 

 much better than on the ordinary rockery. Our 

 common Buokbean {Mem/anthes trifoliata), the Butter- 

 worts {Pmguieula), the Grass of Parnassus {Famas- 

 sia palmtris), the Sundews {Brosera), many Orchises, 

 Cypripediums, &c., are mentioned here, to indicate 

 the class of lovely plants for which bog-beds must 

 be pro-yided if it is desired to grow them in our 

 gardens in the highest perfection. Along with these 

 plants may be most appropriately intermingled Irises, 

 Narcissi, and many other interesting bulbous plants, 

 which thrive in a moist peaty bottom. In the im- 

 mediate neighbourhood of the bog many plants "will 

 thrive better than elsewhere, for though not needing 

 as much moisture as the natural occupants of bogs, 

 they seem to benefit by the constant presence of 

 moisture in the air. In the list which -will follow, 

 these will be indicated by some such phrase as 

 " Plant near bog-bed." 



Alpines in Ordinary Borders. — There are 

 many positions in gardens other than on rockeries 

 where some Alpine plants, and among them not a few 

 of great beauty, may be properly planted, and where 

 they -will keep in health, and thrive. These positions 

 will be in the very front line of the mixed border, in 

 full exposure, away from the larger and coarser 

 plants, and where they will not be liable tobe over- 

 grown. All the hardier kinds, which grow freely, 

 are suitable for such positions, and -will certainly 

 adorn them. The dwarf hardy Heaths, many of the 

 Saxifrages, Sedums, and Sempervivums, the Forget- 

 me-nots, Saponarias, Hepaticas, Silenes, the dwarf 

 Campanulas, and many others, may be used to form 

 the most charming of front rows in the choicest and 

 most select mixed borders. The larger and more 

 vigorous kinds such as the Sun-roses [Selianthemwna) 

 wiU find congenial positions on raised sunny banks, 

 fringing drives, and on the margins of shrubbery 

 borders, where they are not overshadowed by trees 

 and shrubs. 



Alpines on Window-sills.— Where a broad 



window-siU — especially a stone one — exists, there, 

 particularly if fully exposed to the south, any of the 



