278 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE, 



April 6, 1912. 



RENOVATION OF ROCK 



GARDENS. 



A rock garden may be thoroughly well 

 constructed in every way, both in the 

 matter of material and plants, but still it 

 requires periodical overhauling and even 

 rebuilding. The latter is sometimes neces- 

 sary as time goes on, owing to the settling 

 of the soil and stones throwing them out of 

 their original positions. For no matter how 

 well a rockery has been built, such displace- 

 ment takes place to a certain extent. Also 

 in course of time the stronger growing and 



vigoi'ous plants tend to occupy more 

 space than was intended for them, and 

 encroach on their weaker neighbours, to 

 the detriment of the latter. Many phmts 

 also exhaust the soil of certain consti- 

 tuents which they require, and gradually 



corners. Then the tree stumps were always 

 undergoing the process of decay, necessi- 

 tating frequent patching, which did not 

 tend to improve the appearance of the 

 rockery as a whole. 



The stone used for rebuilding came from 

 (jiloucestershire, and is of a yellowish colour 

 like sandstone, but is full of lime. The 



strata is quite evident, and in constructing 

 care was taken to place the blocks so that 

 this is running in one direction throughout 

 the whole bank. But although care was 

 taken to make a solid bed for all the stones, 

 it may be noticetl in the illustration that 

 some of them appear to be tilting in a 

 different direction. This fault is probably 

 accentuated or produced by the inequality 

 of the stone, or by the point of view from 

 which the photograph was taken. Such 

 defects as these are easily remedied by 



rocks have all been pulled down, the ground 

 should be thoroughly forked over so as to 

 get rid of all weeds before starting to re- 

 build. If the soil is heavy, plenty of grit 

 should be mixed with it, and where neces- 

 sary ample drainage materials, like broken 

 bricks ox st>ones, should be 

 into the soil. In rebuilding, tbe soil 

 should be well rammed before placing 

 the boulders in position, and in some 

 cases it will be necessary to 

 bury some blocks of stone 



worked 



the 



quite 

 in order 



to have a good foundation for others. When 

 the building is finished, the pockets may be 

 prepared for planting by taking out un- 

 suitable soil, putting in plenty of drainage at 

 the bottom, and then filling «p with a suit- 

 able compost necessary for the paiticular 

 plant which is to occupy the position. 



Where rebuilding is not necessary, l)ut 



L. 



EEMADE AND NEWLY-PLAXTED PORTION OF THE KEW EOCK GAEDEN 



become so weak that they do not produc e 

 the amount of bloom given by a younger 

 plant. Of course, there are many plants 

 which will grow and flourish year after year, 



only requiring a little top-diessing in the 

 shape of grit and leaf-soil once or twice 

 annually. Such a plant is Saxifraga sancta 

 w^lien plant^l in a half-shady position, 

 where it is nob likely to be burned by the 



The reason for the rebuilding of the 

 rockery shown in the illustration was that 

 originally the material used for retaining 

 the soil of the bank consisted of tree stumps, 

 round boulders of sandstone, and various 

 other kinds of material little suited for the 

 choicer plants which one expects to find in 

 a rock garden. Tree stumps may be pic- 

 turesque enough, but they afford a favour- 

 ite harbour for mice and other vermin, and 

 it is only possible to grow coaiser subjects 

 ;)s geraniums and such-like plants on the 

 nu)i'e sunny portions and ferns in tlu^ sfiady 



means of wedges of stones, and by ramming 

 in soil till the block of stone is in its 

 pr()[)er position. 



The best time for reconstruction is in the 

 autumn, so that if possible the plants may 

 be back in their places well before the win- 

 ter sets in. But if the alteration is too 



extensive for this, and it is impossible to 

 finish the Mork before the winter, then 



the planting shoidd be deferred till early in 



the spring. When commencing to rebuild a 



portion of the rock garden it is necessary 



to carefully lift all the smaller and choicer 



2>lants ; and if the alteration is likely to 



take some time, they should be potted up 



temporarily and placed in some sheltered 



position or in cold frames till the ]>lace is 



readv for them again. The larger and 



coarser growing plants may all be packed from time to time, 

 close together in large boxes, or even on 

 the ground in some sheltered ])laco, with 

 leaf-soil or other light material in l>etween 



some of the plants are out of hand or a e 

 exhausted, they should l^e lifte^l, and tJJ 

 old soil taken out. The new soil may 

 put in the pocket, ami the oUl pl'^^^^'J 

 preferably a younger stock, be replant*^- 



If 



a little replanting be done every seabO^^ 

 then the rockery will not suffer m . 

 effect, and it will be easier to keep up ^^^^ 



the work of renewing and ^'^^P'^^^J^J'^^i^o^e 

 necessary from time to time. Ihe <^ 

 remarks apply to such things as ^^^'^^^^V^j 

 arabis, arenarias, and such '^^.^ Pj^^J^from 



removal, like gentians of the septemfida a^J^, 

 asclepiadea type, and in these <-ases < y 



top-dressing of rich soil show 



1(1 



he Si^'*^^^ 



Plants like Saxifi;^; 



()l)p()sitifolia and others wliich ^orm 

 ing carpets are benefit.Ml ;\*J'"^^^^„g 



to keep tlieni from beoomingdry. When the 



and leaf-soil worked in liciwecn ^Jl^ g^^mg. 

 points and covering up the trailing 



