BLOOM EVERYWHERE IN MISS KEELER'S WALL GARDEN ON JUNE FIRST 



Five-foot Dalmatian Iris crowns the apex; just below are Gypsophila, Ceras- 

 tium, and Statice latifolia; white Columbine (left) is also already in flower 



FLOWERS IN A CRANNIED WALL 



LUCY ELLIOT KEELER 

 Where Five Score Plants and Plantlets Cosily Rub Elbows, Clothing Bare Rock with Scented Glory 



FIFTY-FOOT grass terrace, connecting two levels of 

 the lawn, a steep terrace, hard to mow, easily burnt 

 by summer suns and easily injured in winter by ex- 

 ploring little boys with sleds! Some fifteen years 



ago an old family house was moved 



off and, being a bit sentimental 



about the foundation stones, I be- 

 gan building them into a loose wall, 



urged thereto by pictures in my 



English periodical, William Robin- 

 son's The Garden. A length of 



about twelve feet was laid up ex- 

 perimentally at first, this being 



extended annually as I got stones 



and plants and experience. The 



seams of the additions prove some 



of the prettiest bits of the wall. 



One forms a little fern gully, 



another an herb patch, and in 



still a third, where granite boul- 

 ders took the place of limestone 



chunks, grow some plants which 



merely die on the hotter stone. 



Furthermore, since the highest 



parts of the terrace are shaded by 



trees, the middle section partially 



so, and the lower is sun baked, 



any plant can be lodged to its 



private taste. 



NEAR THE TOP OF THE WALL 



A fine bush of Santolina backed by Sedum spectabile (right) with 

 Sedum acre spreading its lusty growth over the joints below 



No "landscape architect" did the job, but my own hands, 

 aided by stronger ones of a day laborer. Some six inches of soil 

 were dug out along the base of the terrace, and the largest, 

 flattest stones placed there, tipping slightly inward so that rain 



falling on them would run back 

 into the bank. Good soil from the 

 compost pile was thrown over and 

 behind the stones and rammed 

 into the cracks. Plants I thought 

 suitable were then brought from 

 other parts of the garden, arranged 

 at the very face of the rock, roots 

 carefully spread out and back, 

 several more inches of earth thrown 

 over, and a second strata of rocks 

 superadded, their noses retreating 

 an inch or two behind the first 

 row. This process was repeated 

 till the desired height was reached, 

 by which time a strip of four feet 

 was added to the upper yard. 

 Some large rough stones were 

 embedded here, placed to afford 

 shade and pockets, several bushels 

 of rough gravel were strewed on 

 the top soil, and the planting fin- 

 ished. This work was done in late 

 September, when the ground was 

 still warm, and the plants went 



42 



