134 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



April, 1906 



The native bloodroot (Sanguinaria Canadensis) delights in having its roots, in & rocKy crevice. It must be Kept 

 well within bounds, however, as it is hard to eradicate 



pletely cover the ground by the end of the 

 season. 



THE LONGEST SEASON OE BLOOM 



About the beginning or middle of May a 

 few seeds of rose moss (Portidaca grand- 

 iflora) may be sown very thinly, and covered 

 over with a handful of fresh soil. They will 

 produce flowers best under these conditions, 

 intermittingly from June till frost. The 

 season can still further be lengthened by 

 planting a few bulbs cf crocus, snowdrops, 

 sparaxis, scilla, ixia, Spanish iris, cr grare 

 hyacinths, in the fall, They will blcom in 

 early spring, before the phlox. 



Thus, for a small outlay, an otherwise bare 

 spot can be made to look bright and cheerful 

 frc m early spring till late fall, with almost no 

 attention whatever other than an annual top 

 dressing (which is desirable) cf good soil and 

 manure mixed in equal proportions, and 

 applied in spring or fall,' about one to two 

 inches deep, to replace the wastage from 

 washing by rain, which will always occur in 

 elevated, exposed situations. 



To prepare such a bed, commence in early 

 spring. Cover the whole spot three or 

 four inches deep with a mixture of good soil 

 and well-rotted animal manure in equal 

 parts. Fork this over, and incorporate 

 whatever good top soil is already there. 

 This will all pack down together, and be less 

 liable (o wash away. 



REQUIRING MORE SOIL THAN PHLOX 



The rock cress (Arabis albida) delights 

 in a dry situation and produces a profusion 

 of white flowers from early spring till early 

 summer. 



The purple reck cress (Aubrietia del- 

 toides) makes excellent mass effects. When 

 planted in pockets in the rocks, it gives 

 the greatest satisfaction. It loves a rich soil, 

 with cool root environment :u:h as is foui d 

 in rock pockets. It flowers in early summer, 

 and gives a color and effect which is uncom- 

 mon at that time. It is not quite so hardy as 

 the others, but with a slight protection of 

 dead leaves in winter, it will survive all 

 right. 



Bold, solid masses of one plant give richer effects than a mixture of many on the same space, 

 colors of the Alpine flowers are realized only in large sheets 



The true 



For a mass of yellow, grow golden-tuft 

 (Alyssum saxatile) which is gorgeous in April 

 and May. 



IDEAL;" FOR[sAND 



For a sandy soil and sunny situation the 

 sea pink (Armeria maritima) is ideal. It 

 flowers in summer and is quite distinct from 

 any of the plants just named. The flower 

 heads are borne six inches along the ground. 

 The leaves are a glaucous green, and the 

 plant is beautiful, even when not in flower. 



THE BEST WHITE-LEAVED ALPINES 



Woolly-leaved chickweed (Cerastium to- 

 mentosum) and the edelweiss (Leontopodium 

 alpinum, known to the trade as Gnapha- 

 lium Leonto podium) are suitable for massing 

 in sunny places. Both have white, downy 

 foliage, and whited flower heads, forming a 

 dense mat of growth, their beautiful foliage 

 conspicuous at all times. 



THE BEST KIND TOR CREVICES 



But the rocky spots are not always to be 

 found in the open, where the summer sun 

 beats incessantly from early morning until 

 late in the afternoon. There are sheltered 

 spots below the trees, in the shade of build- 

 ings, and in the corner of the woods. There 

 are precipitous slopes where the falling rains 

 have washed the rocks bare, and in the inter- 

 vening crevices the young seedlings have been 

 washed away before they got sufficient foot- 

 hold. These bare rocks, with their ragged 

 edges, usually have intersecting crevices, how- 

 ever, that can be used to advantage; and often 

 a few rocks can be so placed as to form re- 

 ceptacles that will hold enough soil to accom- 

 modate many suitable plants that will change 

 the whole aspect of a place. Such a place 

 cannot be made. It is nature's handiwork, 

 but man can improve it. Soil should be 

 added wherever space can be found to hold 

 it. Small spaces are not desirable; they 

 should be three square feet, at least. Plant 

 in masses; patchwork looks artificial, and 

 shows too clearly the human trail. 



The well-known lily-of-the-valley (Con- 

 vallaria majalis) is a gem that can stand close 

 inspection. Plant it as near the bottom — or 

 edge — as possible, just as soon as the ground 

 is fit to work in spring, and if established 

 clumps are used they will flower freely the 

 second season. 



There are the forget-me-not (Myosotis pal- 

 ustris), and windflower (Anemon Canaden- 

 sis, known to the trade as A. Pennsyl- 

 vania), St. Brigid's anemone {Anemone cor- 

 onaria, var. St. Brigid), Pasque flower (Ane- 

 mone Pulsatilla), and snowdrop anemone, 

 (Anemone sylvestris, var. flore-pleno). 



The common English primrose (Primula 

 vidgaris), the cowslip (Primula officinalis) 

 and polyanthus (Primula Polyantha, known 

 to the trade as P. variabilis) are all hardy, 

 if given a slight covering of leaves in winter. 



The heart-leaved saxifrage (Saxijraga 

 cordifolia) is one of the most striking of rock- 

 ery plants. It has bold, showy, heart-shaped 

 leaves, and large heads of pink flowers. It 

 is at home among rockery surroundings, 

 and is perfectly able to take care of itself. 



