78 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL UORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 
ROCK-GARDENS, PONDS, AND STREAMLETS IN OUR 
PLEASURE-GROUNDS. 
By Mr. F. W. Meyer. 
[Read June 13, 1899.] 
Inteoduction. — Among scenes of natural beauty there are, perhaps, 
none more attractive than those of the mountains, or at least such parts 
of the mountains as consist not merely of bleak and barren waste, but 
which are composed of the most essential constituents of all picturesque 
scenery, viz., rocks, vegetation, and water in various forms and combi- 
nations. 
No traveller to Switzerland would fail to become deeply impressed 
with the glorious pictures unfolded to his gaze. It is the combination 
of sublime grandeur with delightful charms that fascinates us and 
draws us again and again to such scenes of beauty, which hold us spell- 
bound in admiration. 
It is no wonder, therefore, that we should make an attempt at least 
to introduce into our own gardens that which we appreciate in nature, 
and, as a consequence, rock-gardens in our pleasure-grounds are deservedly 
becoming more popular every day. 
It is true we cannot transfer to our gardens that majestic grandeur 
which fascinates us when we visit the mountains, but many of Nature's 
most pleasing scenes may nevertheless not only be introduced success- 
fully, but might be permanently adorned with a wealth of lovely flow^ers 
selected from the gems of the mountain flora, not only of one particular 
locality, but practically of all parts of the world. In fact, such are the 
capabilities of the much abused British climate that some kinds of 
Alpii. plants will thrive in this country even better than in their native 
home. 
One of the chief advantages of a well arranged rock-garden is that 
by a careful selection of the plants used it can be made a most interest- 
ing feature of our pleasure-grounds almost all the year round. 
On the other hand, it must be confessed that few things look more 
repulsive than a rockery which has not been arranged with due regard 
to effect. 
Unfortunately we still find only too often so-called rockeries consist- 
ing merely of a heap of soil on the top of which stones have been 
stuck endways, and on which none but the coarsest and roughest plants 
could possibly thrive. 
Another frequent fault even of better rockworks is that the latter are 
often too massive, and not sufficiently broken up. 
Sometimes elaborate pains are taken to imitate natural strata by 
piling flat stones on each otlier in a more or less horizontal position and 
connecting them by cement throughout the work. 
This kind of arrangement becomes very monotonous, and is, moreover, 
not suited to most of the choice alpines. It may be argued that such 
