NOTES ON GARDEN DESIGN 171 



and tiny plants suitable for such positions. Of course care 

 will be taken to plant the smaller kinds in the more easily- 

 accessible places. 



Wholly artificial rockwork requires great skill, backed 

 up by acute powers of observation and some knowledge of 

 geology, to make it successfully imitate, or even suggest, 

 nature. And unless it does so the rock garden will never 

 give entire satisfaction, no matter how well it is planted 

 nor how carefully cultivated it may be. The rockwork at 

 Sandringham is extraordinarily good. It is much helped by 

 natural rock occurring very near the surface. The local 

 stone used is beautiful in colour, soon becomes weathered, 

 and its soft porosity encourages rapid growth of mosses, 

 lichens and tiny carpet plants, such as Arenaria balearica, and 

 many others. There are several rock gardens in the grounds, 

 but the most important is an artificial addition to natural rock 

 near the upper lake. Natural and artificial are blended with 

 such skill that it is well-nigh impossible to tell where one 

 begins and the other leaves off. 



At Windsor Castle, great use is made of the slope below 

 Round Tower to add unexpected, and all the more delightful, 

 features to Norman Tower garden. One part of the hill has 

 been converted into a rock garden. The work is extremely well 

 done ; for not only has a natural appearance been given to it, 

 but it is so built that, notwithstanding the almost precipitous 

 steepness, it is easily accessible in every part. This point is 

 of the greatest importance in rock gardens, since many very 

 choice plants are so minute as to require close inspection. 

 A matter to notice as greatly contributing to the success of 

 the rock gardens both at Sandringham and Norman Tower, 

 is the fact that they are by no means confined to one portion 

 of the gardens. On the contrary, smaller and less prominent 

 bits of rockwork are introduced in many places. The effect 

 of this is to do away with any unpleasing jar of incongruity 

 when the rock garden proper presents itself to view. 



Where the country around is flat, probably the best way 

 to make a rock garden is to excavate a hole of irregular shape. 



