96 TOWN AND WINDOW GARDENING 



large one (close to other people's houses, and much too 

 full of trees), we have contrived to make two rock- 

 gardens, one in shade and one in sunshine. Neither of 

 them is far from our own house, and one is much too 

 near some Fir trees ; but the plants do not seem to mind 

 either of these things in the very least. 



The first thing we have to consider in establishing a 

 rockery (after settling where to place it) is the rock, and 

 " rock," as we all know, is geology for every kind of 

 earth and stone. Limestone is about the best rock we 

 can choose ; there are so many plants that love to live in 

 it, and it is easier to procure than granite. Need it be 

 said that we must not dream of using clinker ? Stone is a 

 little difficult to get, and dear to buy and cart about, but 

 we lighted upon a cunning plan in getting ours. We 

 looked up a neighbouring builder, and for a trifle and the 

 cartage he let us have a number of disused steps and 

 sinks and stones that came out of old houses, and to him 

 were so much lumber ; they were just the thing for us, 

 and were already nicely weathered. 



I think we knew the right way to build a rockery, for 

 we had read many papers on the subject in The Garden^ 

 and also possessed Miss Jekyll's delightful book on " Wall 

 and Water Gardens," the pictures in which are very 

 helpful ; and though we could not do all the best things 

 that might be done, for want of room, we succeeded 

 fairly well, but we had to superintend and do all except 

 the heavy work ourselves. No gardener of the ordinary 

 jobbing or suburban type can be trusted to make a 

 rockery. 



The natural soil of our garden made drainage requisite, 

 so we began with that ; then we laid in a store of loam, a 

 little leaf-mould, and a great deal of coarse sand. Rock- 

 plants look as if they grew on the surface, lying on it like 

 water-flies upon a stream. This appearance is deceitful ; 

 they have particularly long roots, which strike down any 



