ROCK, ALPINE, FERN, AND WILD GARDENING. 



157 



succulent plants which, are found growing naturally 

 in diy rocky spots might he planted with eveiy an- 

 ticipation of success. A dainty use of bits of rock, 

 peat, and loam, sufficient to afford a foot-hold, and a 

 charming outside window garden might be secured 

 with little or no trouble. 



Reserve Plants.— It will he advisable to grow 

 at least one or two plants of each of the rarer kinds 

 in pots, so that protection may he given to them in 

 severe winters, emd a species which may be killed on 

 the rookery may be kept alive in the reserve garden, 

 to supply its place on the return of ^ring. It is 

 also a source of great pleasure when a friend sees 

 some plant on the rookery which he much admires, to 

 be able, on his departure, to surprise him with a dupli- 

 cate plant in a pot, which he may carry home with 

 him. In this -way we have set many fiiends growing 

 choice Alpines who previously had never done so. 

 It is also advisable to grow any new plant, coming to 

 hand in a small or delicate state, for a time in a pot, 

 until it is thoroughly established, before placing it 

 permanently in the rockery. The reserve garden of 

 Alpines should consist for the most part of these 

 plants in pots, duplicates of established plants, and 

 plants on trial, or in a state of prepsiration for plant- 

 ing out. 



If possible, two shallow frames should be set 

 apart for the reserve Alpine garden, one of them 

 fully exposed, the other facing north. The bed of 

 the frame should be covered with four to six inches 

 of finely-sifted coal-ashes, and on this a layer of sand 

 or cocoa-nut fibre should he placed. The pots con- 

 taining the Alpines should he plunged in the porous 

 material up to the rim, so as to minimise evaporation, 

 and maintain a uniform temperature about the roots. 

 Small pots should be used for economy of space, and 

 to prevent over-potting. The frame placed in the 

 north aspect will be found most ser\-iceable for the 

 protection of plants during the winter, when the 

 lights should be kept on only during severe weather, 

 at which times the further protection of a mat or 

 litter should he provided, and kept on until a thaw 

 has set in thoroughly. Whenever the weather is 

 mild, plenty of fresh air should be admitted, and aU 

 decaying leaves carefully removed. The use of a few 

 fragments of stone on the surface of the pots, on 

 which the plants may repose, wiU in many instances 

 be foimd conducive to their weU-heing, and often 

 prevent their damping off. The soil to be used in 

 potting should be such as is usually employed for 

 small pot plants, consisting of good turfy soil, sweet 

 and well-decomposed leaf-mould, and sand in equal 

 quantities, well mixed together. A few fragments 

 of porous stone may be judiciously inserted in each 

 pot. The young plant should then be firmly fixed in 



the centre, carefully avoiding the least injury to the 

 deKcate roots. The same plan will serve for newly- 

 rooted cuttings, offsets, seedlings, and divisions of 

 full-sized roots. The propagation of the choice 

 Alpines in these several ways will be found a very in- 

 teresting occupation, and the stock of tiny treasures 

 will soon increase, so as to provide for the wants of. 

 the cultivator to SR blanks and extensions of the 

 rockery, and permit of presents to friends. 



Ho-w to rorm a Collection of Alpines. — 



The quickest way is to buy such plants as are wantei 

 from one of the many firms who now offer these 

 plants for sale in pots. Several houses, who may be 

 relied on to supply good plants, true to name, adver- 

 tise coUeotions of one hundred varieties at prices 

 varying from 25s. to 60s., according to the plants 

 selected, and smaller collections at slightly higher 

 prices ; another plan is to obtain from one's friends, 

 surplus plants; or, thirdly, to combine the two 

 methods. Raising from seed those kinds of which 

 seeds are obtainable will take time, but when success- 

 ful will be found a very pleasurable pursuit. It will 

 be unnecessary to dwell on the way to do this, as full 

 instructions are given in other pages about seed- 

 sowing and after-treatment of seedlings, to which we 

 refer our readers. 



HoTV to Plant Alpines. — Being generally- 

 fumished with plenty of roots, the operation of 

 planting Alpines is not by any means difficult, espe- 

 cially when the plants have simply to be transferred 

 from pots to the rockery. The chief point is to plant 

 firmly, hut in doing so to avoid pressing roughly 

 about the collar of the plant, or the roots will wholly 

 or in part be broken off or bruised, especially in the 

 case of the more delicate subjects. After the plant 

 is firmly fixed in its new home, and cannot be moved 

 without considerable effort, fill the surface up to- 

 the collar of the plant with nice potting material, in 

 which there is plenty of leaf -mould and sand, and if 

 the weather is dry, give a good watering from a fine- 

 rosed watering-can. A day or two afterwards loosen 

 the surface soil with a small hand-fork, and ascertain 

 that the plant is firmly fixed, or if it is not, make it 

 so. Never plant Alpines when the ground is saturated 

 with moisture or woris heavily. 



The After-treatment of Alpines.— When a 

 rockery has been planted a few months it will be ad- 

 visable to examine every part of it, and, where neces- 

 sary, to give a slight surface dressing of such potting 

 material as is mentioned in the preceding paragraph. 

 In the case of plants which raise their collars every 

 season, this top-dressing is an absolute necessity, unless 

 the plant be taken up bodily and re-planted. Many 



