186 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING-. 



distances of regular isolation. What, for example, 

 could be less artistic, or less likely to commend 

 Rooteries to those possessed of culture and taste, than 

 four-and-twenty tree-stumps all in a row along the 

 sides of a main walk, each stump as like as may he 

 to another, and each nodding across the walk to its 

 brother ? Only the peculiarly grotesque character of 

 some of those tops and bottoms protected them for 

 some years from being swept off to the wood-shed. 

 But had these so-called roots been grouped into 

 masses, and employed to crown prominent knolls, 

 or stand out boldly at the sides or summits of banks 

 or dells, the effect would have been as picturesque 

 and effective as it was tame and monotonous. 



It is needful, however, to distinguish between 

 Rooteries and what are called wooden pots in some 

 parts of the country. These may be useful enough 

 in their way, and are often made out of trees with 

 regular boles and hollow centres. The trunks are 

 sawn into regular lengths, set up on end, and filled 

 with earth ; and, if tastefully furnished with Ferns, 

 climbers, or creepers, they often become useful, and 

 even highly ornamental. Such pots, or wooden 

 vases, are admirably adapted for growing such plants 

 as Nasturtiums, Canary Creepers, Verbenas, Tea and 

 other Roses. 



Plants like Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, 

 and many others, are very effective in such wooden 

 pots, even when placed at regular or irregular dis- 

 tances on the sides of walks, or on the verdure of 

 closely-shaven lawns. A large root, too, may often 

 be used for the centre of a bed, the centre being filled 

 with a bold mass of Yuccas, Pampas Grass, or 

 having even the sides draped with Clematis, Ivy, or 

 scrambling Roses ; and the sight of such plants at 

 unusual elevations, and so boldly contrasted with the 

 leaves and flowers of other and many distinct plants 

 at lower levels, gives novelty of form and colour, 

 which seldom fails to please. In a similar way pol- 

 larded, gnarled, or knotted trees, and those already 

 undergoing decomposition, can be utilised and trans- 

 formed into things of rare beauty. With or without 

 very slight manipulation, the heads and creviced 

 sides of many old trees may be planted with striking- 

 plants, and others wound round, or made pendent 

 from their rugged branches, and storm-rent or time- 

 worn trunks. 



These, and many other combinations, in which 

 dilapidated trees may form the leading features, how- 

 ever beautiful, are outside the boundaries of the 

 Rootery, and have little more relation to it than the 

 prim sculptured or rustic vase has to the Rockery, 

 on which — oh, horrible taste !— it is occasionally set. 

 The true Rootery-maker scorns regularity. To set up 

 roots in line is fatal to success in Rootery-making ; 

 neither can that be achieved on a level without an 



enormous waste of force that is material. Accident 

 often reaches a perfection almost beyond reach of art. 

 It was thus that several loads of roots piled formed 

 an outline of surpassing quaintness and picturesque- 

 ness. The number of roots used was prodigious, and 

 it took many loads of soil to fill up the huge inter- 

 stices betweea them, thus hiding three-fourths of 

 the roots. Planted chiefly with a collection of Ivies, 

 Periwinkles, plain and variegated Clematis for 

 colour, the white, many-scented one for odour and 

 contrast with the others, the common and Yeitch 

 variety of Virginian Creeper for drapery, Furze, 

 Yuccas, Pampas Grass, Arundo donax, Foxgloves, 

 Common Berberries, and B. Daruini, Spiraea, &e., 

 the effect after a few years was free, rich, and 

 magnificent in the extreme. But this choice group, 

 though a success, paved the way for rendering future 

 efforts much more easy and successful. 



Conditions of Good Effect.— This is to be 

 found less in the roots than in the site. This 

 should either be uneven at starting, or be made 

 so before any roots are set. It is astonishing how 

 tamely many landscape gardeners accept the natural 

 form and contour of the ground. Of course, in many 

 cases this cannot be bettered, and in all such it would 

 be folly to change it. But in not a few instances a 

 little labour and a slight expense on the ground or 

 base-line pays better than the cost of piling together 

 material, or planting it with the most suitable and 

 valuable collection of plants. Each spadeful of earth 

 moved, in point of rugged results, or picturesque 

 effect, also does double duty. Each foot lowered, 

 may be so ordered as to add one, it may be two feet 

 to the height. 



So soon as the germ of future result is partially 

 developed, some of the larger roots and blocks 

 should be placed in position. This enables the 

 earth to be placed around them to varying heights, 

 the result in this way being as if the roots, tops, or. 

 blocks cropped out naturally. Proper soil for the 

 growth of suitable climbers and other plants can also 

 be placed contiguous to the roots as the work proceeds. 

 Heavy, massive blocks are thus also placed without 

 smashing down banks or mounds, so that labour is 

 economised, and the work infinitely better done, 

 alike for artistic effect and cultural purposes. The 

 lighter and more picturesque roots can be reserved 

 for posting on coigns of vantage as the work ap- 

 proaches completion. If judiciously massed and 

 grouped, the result when finished will be as natural 

 and appropriate as if each mass or group had grown 

 and decayed just where it was found. 



Variety. — Covering the ground too thickly, not- 

 withstanding the erratically varying base, results in 

 a certain degree of uniformity, which is wholly to 



