ROCK, ALPINE, FERN, AND WILD GARDENING. 



221 



■exotic kinds are desired, aU that is necessary is 

 to have a separate house or division with more 

 warmth, which may he afforded by hot- water pipes 

 hidden by the work, and the di^-ision so arranged 

 that by pushing aside a large glass door the two 

 compartments may be thrown into one. This is 

 done in many places, and adds immensely to the 

 interest, as there need then be no limit to varieties. 

 What will not succeed in one house, will in the 

 other ; and by having the cool fernery at the end 

 near the dwelling, it may at times be open to the 

 room it adjoins. In towns and cities views from 

 windows are anything but cheer}^, as the outlook is 

 generally into yards or on to bare bricks. If these 

 spaces were covered in so as to get a more pure atmos- 

 phere and keep out smuts and dust, they might be 

 rendered ornamental and pleasant to the eyes of 

 those who have so little that is tempting to look on. 

 A small portion of rock skilfully piled, with a few 

 plants growing out and over, would soon change the 

 scene, and make that which is ugly and dismal a 

 fairy glen and something to care for. 



Preparation for Planting. — In preparing 

 for the planting of ferns the great thing is to 

 .start with suitable soil, the best being about equal 

 parts of fresh-cut turfy loam and peat, both of 

 which should contain plenty of fibre and be well 

 mixed up together. This may be done by chopping 

 the two up with a sharp sjpade, and turning them 

 over several times, when they will become incorpO' 

 rated and ready for filling the pockets. This is a 

 work that requii-es great care, as, owing to their 

 irregular, rugged shape, cavities are apt to be left, 

 and these hollow spaces drain off the water too 

 rapidly, and thus starve the plants. To prevent this 

 the way to manage is to ram in the soil piecemeal as 

 the filling up goes on, making sui^e all the time that 

 it is well against the sides, till the holes are quite 

 full ; and even then there will be shrinkage after, 

 which must be seen to when it occurs, by using a 

 flat-pointed stick and ramming fresh soil in again. 

 With the pockets tilled in the manner referred to, 

 all will be in readiness for the planting, but before 

 doing this it ^ill be necessary to study closely the 

 features of the rock and the general look of the 

 place, as the great point is to make the projections 

 appear more prominent and bold, which may easily 

 be done by a judicious and right selection of plants 

 to put in them. In the Fernery at Wolverstone 

 Park there is in most of the projecting parts 

 some noble fern' or palm standing out conspicuous 

 beyond all others, thus not only forming striking- 

 features in themselves, but thi'owing back, as it 

 wc:e, and giving greater depth to the recesses or 

 fissures behind, and making the fernery look much 



larger and more telling than it otherwise would. Ao 

 regards choice of plants, there are so many suitable 

 that it is almost invidious to make a selection, and 

 yet I would specially notice a few, and give a brief 

 description of them, as it may aid some in making 

 choice of what will associate and look well together. 

 For a cold house, from which the frost is excluded, I 

 can recommend any or all of the following more 

 striking varieties : — 



For standing out by themselves nothing looks 

 more noble than the tree-ferns and palms, and 

 among the former Cyathea Diedullaris is one of the 

 most striking, as it has tall huge fronds of great 

 length, with black ebony-like stems and a stout dark 

 trunk, that render it very distinct in appearance. 

 Cyathea dealhata, though less lofty and bold, is a 

 most beautiful fern, having a tall tree-like trunk, 

 from the crown of which rise regularly spreading 

 fronds of a delicate glaucous-green above and silvery- 

 white beneath, which makes them highly orna- 

 mental and pleasing to look at. Blcksoma antarctica 

 is another desirable kind tht.t fox.ns a fine sym- 

 metrical head, and is a grand object when it attains 

 size and age. Cihotium regale, as its specific name 

 implies, is a right regal fern and very distinct, the 

 young stems and fronds being remarkable from 

 having a thick silky covering of pale yeUow hair- 

 like scales, which show up in great contrast to the 

 polished black of C. medullaris mentioned above. 

 Bickionia Culcita, though not a tree-fern, has grand 

 fronds on long thick stalks rising from a densely 

 hair-covered slow-creeping crown, and attaining, 

 when fully grown, to a height of over six feet. 



Some of the palms and cycads are equally strik- 

 ing and quite as desirable as the arboreal ferns, 

 and like them should be used in certain prominent 

 places, to give boldness and character to outlying 

 rock or parts that want bringing out, or are suitable 

 for a plant of large size and dimensions. One of the 

 finest upright growing palms is Areca sapida (pro- 

 perly Rhopalostylis sapida), a New Zealand species of 

 grand aspect suitable for a low temperature. Latania 

 lorhonica (the correct name is Llvistona chuicnsis) is a 

 magnificent thing, with widely-spreading fan-shaped 

 leaves, and Tracliycarpus {Chamcevops) Fortunii is a 

 very fine kind, so hardy and enduring that in favour- 

 able situations it will stand well in the open. C/iama:- 

 rops humilis somewhat resembles the last-named, but 

 is a much more dense, close-growing plant, sending 

 out numerous suckers or young ones from its base, 

 Thoenix dactylifcra, the Date-palm, and the other 

 varieties of Fhcenix, succeed in a cold house, as does 

 also Seaforthiaelegans [Ptycliospevma Cuniiinghaniiana), 

 but this being large-growing requires plenty of room. 

 The Macrozamias, coming mostly from temperate 

 climes, also do well in a cool fernery, where they 



