LARGE ROCK-GARDENS 89 



even too many different kinds of Ferns, but in some 

 long rocky rifts an abundance of Hart's-tongue, and in 

 some half-dusky region at the foot of the rocky wall, 

 so placed as to be reflected in a quiet backwater of the 

 main pool, a goodly planting of the Lady Fern, and then 

 some handsome tufts of Royal Fern. And in the 

 margin of the pool I would only have, besides the 

 Ferns, one or two native water-plants ; and of these 

 the chosen ones would be the Water Plantain {Alisma) 

 and the Flowering Rush (Butomus), bearing in mind 

 that the Ferns are to have the mastery. I am not 

 even sure that it would not be better to have those 

 spray-loving Alpines in some lower reach of the dell, if 

 just the right place could be contrived for them, and 

 to have Wall-Pennywort in their place in the greater 

 rocky wall, in order to keep the place of rock and pool 

 and Fern as quiet as possible, and to present one 

 simple picture of rock and water, and restful delight of 

 cool and beautiful foliage. And such a picture would 

 also serve to show what could be done with our native 

 plants and these alone. Some stretches of native 

 Heaths, the pink Bell-Heather (JErica tetralix) and the 

 white Irish Menziesia would not be out of place ; and 

 in mossy beds such dainty things as Pyrola, Linncaa, and 

 Trientalis would do well, for while serving as delightful 

 surprises of tender plant-beauty in detail, they would 

 not be so conspicuous as to mar the unity of plan of 

 the main picture as a whole. 



The path downward would lead out of this upper 



