26 



ROYAL GARDENS 



which are extremely beautiful, many of the Aizoon and 

 Kabschia sections being veritable gems. Like a great many 

 more of the true Alpine plants they prefer a fair amount of 

 moisture at the root, but resent it standing on their foliage, 

 consequently they are best planted in fissures and cracks in the 

 rocks where there is plenty of moisture for their roots, but 

 where it passes freely away from their leaves. It is in such 

 positions I grow many of the Aizoon section in a good depth 

 of loam, liberally charged with small stones, and a plentiful 

 supply of old mortar rubble behind the rocks for them to root 

 in. The Kabschia section are grown in like manner, in a deep 

 root run of gritty, stony loam. I usually make the compost 

 half loam and half grit and stones, and find they do well in the 

 mixture. Plenty of moisture is essential during their season 

 of growth. The mossy section of Saxifragas as a rule do well 

 in almost any position, and form great masses and mounds of 

 greenery which are very beautiful when covered with flowers 

 during the spring months. S. longifolia I grow in the 

 boundary walls, where its huge rosettes look very striking. 



Of the Sedums, Sempervivums, Silenes, Violas, Wahlen- 

 bergias and others, space forbids mention. Suffice it to say 

 many of them are grown ; some do well, others the reverse. It 

 seems to me that one of the chief results of cultivating Alpines 

 is that one is frequently only learning what not to try to grow. 



Close under the boundary wall, at the bottom of the 

 garden, is a border in which are grown very many of the 

 plants termed herbaceous. Delphiniums, of which some of 

 the best hybrids of the day are found here, do well, forming 

 huge clumps and flowering profusely. These are also grown 

 on the Fountain Terrace in a border which, with the excep- 

 tion of some tulips, is entirely devoted to them. Here are 

 to be seen such fine varieties as King of Delphiniums, Duke of 

 Connaught, Rev. E. Lascelles, belladonna grandiflora, Lamar- 

 tine and others. Between each pair of plants is a group of 

 Darwin or Cottage Garden Tulips, which make a fine patch 

 of colour when they are in bloom. 



In the herbaceous border Anchusa Italica, Dropmore 



