The Rock Garden 



pearance, and to hide what is artificial ; and 

 among shrubs I am fond of yuccas for such a 

 place, they naturally grow among rocks, and they 

 look well, whether placed at the extreme top, or 

 in any other part. But avoid all root-work ; it 

 looks rather well at first, but it soon becomes a 

 harbour for vermin of all kinds, and as it rots 

 away it very seriously disarranges the whole of 

 the garden, however carefully it may have been 

 put together. Avoid also all such things as frag- 

 ments of old buildings, old pinnacles, bits of 

 Gothic windows, and, above all, such things as 

 plaster casts, glass balls, glass scoriae, or any other 

 scoriae, statuettes, and such like, and if you must 

 have labels (and they are almost unavoidable) have 

 them as inconspicuous as possible ; all such things 

 (except the labels) suggest that the whole thing is 

 a sham, and the more natural and wild the rock 

 garden can be made, the better. For this reason 

 I would, if possible, use only one kind of stone, 

 and place the stones, if I could, in their natural 

 positions. All this will involve labour and thought, 

 and doubtless many a good rock garden has been 

 made in a more haphazard manner. I am only 

 giving a counsel of perfection, and much good 

 work may be done without reaching to that. 



Nothing is uglier than many rockeries, perhaps 

 the majority of them, but I contend that they are 

 necessities in a good garden, and that they need 

 not be ugly, and may be made quite beautiful ; 

 and so I am more inclined to agree — or rather 



89 



