8 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



trickling- over rocks, or of its wild, leaping, headlong- 

 plunge that converts the stream and river into a 

 mere cloud of spray, are among- the most pleasing- 

 and thrilling- that can he imagined. But just 

 because these sights and sounds of falling -water are 

 so satisfying, the mere squirts, or ledges, or stairs of 

 waterfalls that one meets with even at Chatsworth 

 and the Crystal Palace, and in so many other j^laces, 

 are grievously disappointing. Unless, in fact, 

 nature can assist art with a waterfall, this imposing- 

 feature had better be dispensed with, or confined 

 to a mere dripping fountain or trickling- of water 

 among- the rocks. 



But rocks are quite as effective in water at rest as 

 under or beside it in motion. And where rockeries 

 are placed against a lake or stream, they should rise 

 boldly out of the water at certain points, and the 

 coast-line, however limited, should be distinguished 

 by the utmost possible variety — now boldly advancing 

 into the water, and anon retreating into a cosy recess 

 landwards. 



Instead of this artistic disposition of rock and 

 water, one often meets with lakes, long- and straight 

 as a canal, with smooth grass banks on either side, 

 and, beyond the banks, rockeries or ferneries formed 

 on the grassy base. Such arrangements tempt one 

 to wish that an earthquake might swallow up the 

 long straight lines of turf, and allow the water and 

 the rock-work to become mixed up together in the 

 irregular mode of procedure common to those great 

 upheavers and disturbers of nature. What would 

 thus be lost in symmetry would be gained in artistic 

 fitness and variety. 



Foreign Robbers. — By planting rockeries 

 in secluded nooks and corners in front of shrub- 

 beries and woods, much might be done to break 

 up the monotony of boundary-lines, by no means, 

 as a rule, overflowing with beauty, and to add 

 new interest and beauty to the scene. One 

 great practical difficulty presents itself here at 

 starting, and that is, the entrance of the roots of the 

 trees and shrubs into the rockery, and the conse- 

 quent exhaustion of the soil and starving- of the 

 plants. So imminent and so great is the danger, 

 that some strong measures must be taken to pre- 

 vent or mitigate it. The roots of an Ash or an 

 Elm will travel a hundred yards, and form a per- 

 fect mat of roots at that distance, in any good soil 

 it penetrates. How the roots scent out the new 

 larder remains a mystery; but that they do, and 

 make great speed to empty it, is patent to any one 

 who has either disturbed old ground or placed new 

 anywhere near to established trees or shrubs. Not 

 that all roots travel so fast or so far as those of the 

 Ehn or the Ash. But the roots of all plants make 



\dgorous and mostty successful efforts to reach and 

 exhaust any new soil laid over or placed near them. 



There are two means of preventing foreign roots 

 from using up and exhausting the soil of the 

 rockery. The first is to make the original surface 

 root-proof before building the rockery upon it ; and 

 the second, by planting in j^ockets in the rocks, the 

 base of such not to open into the soil. In the former 

 case the roots could not rise into the new material, 

 and in the latter, though they would rise and hug 

 closely the base of the rocks, they would be unable 

 to get into the pockets that supported the rock 

 plants. Though bottomless pockets are best for 

 general jDm-poses, those with impenetrable bases maj' 

 be used when needful to baulk the roots of trees, but 

 they must be pervious to the outlet of water or the 

 plants will die. 



A layer of common or gas-tar concrete over tree- 

 roots will prevent their coming- through, and like- 

 wise form a barrier against worms and slugs. 

 Neither is it found that such root-coverings, unless 

 carried too close to the plants, greatly injure estab- 

 lished trees or shrubs. But where this is feared, and 

 large stones are abundant, either these or artificial 

 stones may be used, that have no further connection 

 with the ground than merely resting upon it. Into 

 the pockets of these all the more choice and delicate 

 plants should be placed, while the spaces between the 

 rocks could either be left vacant or furnished with 

 stronger- growing ferns or other plants, that could 

 hold their own in the struggle for existence with the 

 roots of trees and shrubs. 



Rockery against Dwelling-houses. — It is 



often convenient to place it here, alike for ready 

 access and for pui-poses of shade, shelter, or verdure, 

 or the shutting out of unsightly buildings or other 

 objects. The one thing- wanting in not a few gardens 

 is shade. The smaller villas and suburban gardens are 

 the hotter, as a rule. Their glitter and glare at times 

 are wellnigh intolerable. A raised bank six or more 

 feet high, covered with rocks and foliage or flowering 

 plants, might be so placed as to afford shade at any 

 time desired. If a rustic alcove arch could be 

 worked into the rockery, so much the better. Such 

 a cool and welcome retreat could be commanded at 

 all seasons, that would often combine more taste, 

 and prove more conducive to health and comfort, 

 than the whole garden besides. 



Rock- work also affords a short and easy cut to the 

 solution of the most difficult problem that is evei 

 pressing urgently for solution, viz., the best mode of 

 shutting- out unsightly objects, or of insuring as 

 much privacy and seclusion as possible. In thou- 

 sands of sjpots, where neither shrubs nor trees can be 

 grown to any effective purpose, rockeries might be run 



