88 POT-POURRI FROM A SURREY GARDEN 



and that most objectionable of conifers, a Wellingtonia, 

 grows almost in the middle of the garden. 1 cannot out 

 it down, as this would deprive the lawn-tennis groimd of 

 the only shade it has. How I long to turn that lawn- 

 tennis ground into a sunk Dutch garden, with its low red 

 wall all round it ! Yet I know I should miss them very- 

 much if I no longer heard the cries of the lawn-tennis 

 game or the more recent cUck of the croquet-balls. The 

 top of the low wall, in front of the south side of the 

 house, is a long bed of Tea Eoses. Mr. Eobinson names all 

 the best sorts, so I need not do so. They do not flourish 

 very well with us, I confess, and yet certainly better than 

 any other Eoses. It is their first flowering in June that 

 is not very good. Prom August to October they are a 

 great dehght, flowering at intervals dmring all that time, 

 and sending up long lovely shoots of brown leaves, that 

 one can gather without scruple, as they are sure to be in- 

 jured by the winter frosts ; and the more the blooms are 

 cut, the more they flower. At the other side of the lawn- 

 tennis ground I have a httle rockery, the system of which 

 I can recommend to anyone who wants room and various 

 aspects for plants without blocking out the rest of the 

 garden or the distance beyond. We dug a large deep hole 

 in the ground, carrying up gradually a small irregular 

 path to the level of the ground on each side, roughly 

 placing pieces of flat stone on each side of the path (to 

 form steps) and all round the hole at the bottom. We 

 kept the earth from falling by facing it with a wall of 

 stones, stuck flatly and irregidarly into the earth ; this 

 makes an excellent cool and deep root-bed for many 

 Alpine and other plants. When it rains, there is a natural 

 tendency for the water to drain down in aU directions into 

 the hole at the bottom. This hole had been dug deeper 

 in the middle, and puddled with a little clay, not cement ; 

 and arge stones were laid in the bottom, to retain the 



