242 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



May, 1912 



The way to treat an ordinary boundary wall, without soil to back it. is by vines to clamber over it. 



wall. At Nantucket. Mass. 



English ivy. growing in •• tree " iorm when it clears the 



flowers and yet continue to grow. The 

 plant in July is almost smothered with its 

 pink blossoms. It does not grow over six 

 inches high. 



Heuchera sanguined, well named coral 

 bells (which is better, by far, than the other 

 popular name of alum root), has bright coral 

 flowers borne on long stems resembling 

 lilies-of -the- valley. 



The livid red flowers of Callirhoe involu- 

 crata are larger than those of the usual rock 

 plant and they continue from July until 

 October, which alone makes it a desirable 

 thing. 



Yellow Flowers. — First to mind comes 

 the English primrose {Primula vulgaris) 

 with its pale sulphur yellow flowers in April 

 and May and the attractive clump of pleas- 

 ing foliage. 



For bright effects the compact, hardy 

 alyssum is quite useful. The Iceland pop- 

 pies must not be forgotten. These come 

 in white and yellow and bear their delicate 

 flowers on graceful stems. All summer long 

 they give forth a wealth of bloom. 



Where most moisture is to be had plant 

 the double buttercup {Ranunculus acris, 

 var.y?. pi.) and not only have the benefit of 

 the beautiful flowers but the glossy foliage 

 as well. 



Though you may not admire the cactus 

 leaf, put in some plants of Opuntia Rafines- 



quii and the large bright yellow blossoms 

 will repay you in their season. 



The large-flowered evening primrose 

 {Oenothera Missouriensis) must not be over- 

 looked. The blossoms frequently measure 

 three to four inches in diameter. 



Lotus corniculatus will be a pleasure to 

 many because of its wealth of globular 

 flower heads. It blooms all summer and 

 frequently into the fall and never gets 

 much over six inches high. 



Lastly in the yellows are the stonecrops 

 — ■ many of them — for details of which see 

 The Garden Magazine for January, 191 2. 



Blue Flowers. — Blue flowers are not 

 over plentiful and are really absent in the 

 early part of the season. In June and July 

 the dwarf blue aster {A ster alpinus) displays 

 its large, showy flowers. 



Though a little difficult to get established 

 in exposed positions, the leadwort {Cera- 

 tostigma plumbaginoides) is well worth a 

 trial, and its foliage alone is worth while. 



The dwarf growing veronicas should not 

 be overlooked, those which are especially 

 worth being V. rupestris, flowering in May; 

 V. circaeoides and V. spicata, var. nana, in 

 June; and V. Candida in June and July. 

 The last named has silvery foliage. 



Various Colors. — The columbines are 

 true rock-loving plants and can be had in 

 almost all colors. Of the most desirable, 



Aquilegia chrysantha is the best yellow; 

 A. ccerulea, blue; A. vulgaris, var. alba, and 

 A. flabellata, var. nana alba, whites. Red 

 with yellow centre is seen in A . Canadensis. 



Many of the real dwarf irises are quite 

 satisfactory for use. 



Teucr ium Canadense deserves to be 

 planted for its beautiful foliage which is 

 rich and glossy and almost evergreen. 



If you are drawn to plants with history 

 do not overlook the famous edelweiss of the 

 Alps {Gnaphalium le onto podium). It will 

 do almost anywhere among the rocks. 



Ferns. — There is a rich lot of material 

 here, for the more shaded portions of the 

 wall. The tall-growing forms are available 

 at the base of the wall, such as the cinnamon 

 and ostrich ferns. In among the rocks may 

 be planted the maidenhair, the brakes and 

 the polypods. 



One final word: look well to the condition 

 of the plants for the first season. Make 

 sure that they are getting the water they 

 need; be on guard lest a drought strike 

 before they gain a foothold. 



It is always possible, indeed practical, 

 to supplement the original planting by a 

 sowing of seeds of some good rock plants 

 the spring following. These will tend to 

 find intervening crevices which are often 

 impossible to plant at the time the wall 

 is being built. 



