ROCK, ALPINE, FERN, AND WILD GARDENING. 



167 



succulent plants which are found growing- natui-ally 

 in dry rocky spots might be planted with every an- 

 ticipation of success. A dainty use of bits of rock, 

 peat, and loam, sufficient to afford a foot-hold, and a 

 charming outside window garden might be secured 

 with little or no trouble. 



Reserve Plants. —It will bo advisable to grow 

 at least one or two j^lants of each of the rarer kinds 

 in pots, so that protection may be given to them in 

 severe winters, and a species which may be killed on 

 the rockery may be kept alive in the reserve garden, 

 to supply its place on the return of spring. It is 

 also a source of great pleasure when a friend sees 

 some plant on the rockery which he much admires, to 

 be able, on his departure, to surprise him with a dupli- 

 cate plant in a pot, which he may carry home with 

 him. In this way we have set man}- friends growing- 

 choice Alpines who previously had never done so. 

 It is also advisable to grow any new jDlant, coming to 

 hand in a small or delicate state, for a time in a pot, 

 imtil it is thoroughly established, before placing- it 

 permanently in the rockery. The reserve garden of 

 Alpines should consist for the most part of these 

 plants in pots, duplicates of established plants, and 

 ]ilants on trial, or in a state of preparation for plant- 

 ing out. 



If possible, two shallow frames should be set 

 apart for the reserve Alpine garden, one of them 

 fully exposed, the other facing north. The bed of 

 the frame should be covered with four to six inches 

 of finely-sifted coal-ashes, and on this a layer of sand 

 or cocoa-nut fibre should be placed. The pots con- 

 taining the Alpines should be plunged in the porous 

 material up to the rim, so as to minimise evaporation, 

 and maintain a uniform temperature about the roots. 

 Small pots should be used for economy of space, and 

 to prevent over-potting. The frame placed in the 

 north aspect will be found most serviceable for the 

 protection of plants during the winter, when the 

 lights should be kept on only during severe weather, 

 at which times the further protection of a mat or 

 litter should be provided, and kept on u-ntil a thaw 

 has set in thoroughly. Whenever the weather is 

 mild, plenty of fresh air should be admitted, and all 

 decaying leaves carefully removed. The use of a few 

 fragments of stone on the surface of the pots, on 

 which the plants may repose, will in many instances 

 be found conducive to their well-being, and often 

 prevent their damping off. The soil to be used in 

 potting should be such as is usually employed for 

 small pot plants, consisting- of good turfy soil, sweet 

 and well-decomposed leaf-mould, and sand in equal 

 quantities, well mixed together. A few fragments 

 of porous stone may be judiciously inserted in each 

 T)ot. The young plant should then be firmly fixed in 



the centre, carefully avoiding- the least injury to the 

 delicate roots. The same plan will serve for newly- 

 rooted cuttings, offsets, seedlings, and divisions of 

 full- sized roots. The propagation of the choice 

 Alpines in these several ways will be found a very in- 

 teresting occupation, and the stock of tiny treasures 

 Mall soon increase, so as to provide for the wants of 

 the cultivator to fill blanks and extensions of the 

 rockery, and permit of presents to friends. 



How to Form a Collection of Alpines.— 



The quickest way is to buy such plants as are wanted 

 from one of the many firms who now offer these 

 plants for sale in pots. Several houses, who may be 

 relied on to supply good plants, true to name, adver- 

 tise collections of one hundred varieties at prices 

 varying from 2os. to 60s., according to the plants 

 selected, and smaller collections at slightly higher 

 prices ; another plan is to obtain from one's friends 

 surplus plants; or, thirdly, to combine the two 

 methods. Raising from seed those kinds of which 

 seeds are obtainable will take time, but when success- 

 ful will be found a very pleasurable pursuit. It will 

 be unnecessary to dwell on the way to do this, as full 

 instructions are given in other pages about seed- 

 sow^ing and after-treatment of seedlings, to which we 

 refer our readers. 



How to Plant Alpines.— Being generally 

 furnished with plent}' of roots, the operation of 

 planting- Alpines is not by any means difficult, espe- 

 cially when the plants have simply to be transferred 

 from pots to the rockery. The chief point is to plant 

 firmly, but in doing so to avoid pressing- roughly 

 about the collar of the plant, or the roots will wholly 

 or in part be broken off or bruised, especially in the 

 case of the more delicate subjects. After the plant 

 is firmly fixed in its new home, and cannot be moved 

 without considerable effort, fill the surface up to 

 the collar of the plant with nice potting material, in 

 which there is plenty of leaf -mould and sand, and if 

 the weather is day, give a good watering- from a fine- 

 rosed watering-can. A day or two afterwards loosen 

 the surface soil with a small hand-fork, and ascertain 

 that the plant is firmly fixed, or if it is not, make it 

 so. Never plant Alpines when the ground is saturated 

 with moisture or wor/cs heavilij. 



The After-treatment of Alpines.— When a 

 rockery has been planted a few months it will be ad- 

 visable to examine every part of it, and, where neces- 

 sary, to give a slight surface dressing of such potting 

 material as is mentioned in the preceding paragraph. 

 In the case of plants which raise their collars every 

 season, this top-di-essingis an absolute necessity, unless 

 the plant be taken up bodily and re-planted. Many 



