OUR GARDEN FORUM 



Dear Mrs. Harde: 



Do you kuoAV that when one owns a small city yard and longs 

 for a garden, I think no arrangement is so satisfying as a rock 

 garden. This I discovered a few Summers ago when, far from 

 home,I beheld an enchanting hillside rock garden, and returning 

 to my small lot I pulled up my Chrysanthemums, Hardy Asters 

 and Eoltonia that made such a fine Autumn showing and started 

 to build a rock garden. 



Of course I could not duplicate the extensive garden I had 

 seen, but I was not disheartened, as I presently learned a won- 

 derful collection of Alpine plants could be grown in my small 

 space. 



It was fascinating to work with these tiny mountain plants 

 that appeared to need such mothering, and their appeal com- 

 pletely won my heart. 



As my experience widened I found that the gTowing of 

 Alpines was not at all difficult; moreover, one does not need to 

 have all Alpines, many a border plant, bush, fern or bulb lends 

 artistic variety. 



Do you recall as a child the delight of making houses and 

 gardens in the sand? This love of creating with our hands is 

 inherent in all, so in the building of a rock garden we are copying- 

 Nature — building precipices, mountains, chasms and meadow 

 lands. 



Back of our house the ground was low and flat. I decided to 

 dig out all the center of the yard, piling and shaping at the back 

 and sides, hills, mountains and valleys. Can you see the finished 

 garden ? 



Tall shrubs, close to the rear of the house, make the garden 

 background; then an oblong pool, at either end of which are two 

 formal evergreens; between these on each side are steps leading 

 down through rose-covered arches into the garden. Here, little 

 flagstone paths radiate and wind up the six-foot slope and down 

 into the lowly dell. These walls of stone, erected on three sides 



/in ' ' 



