February 26, 1898. 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE, 



129 



in 



WATER IN THE ROCK GARDEN. 



[See Page Illustration.) 



Few things are more desirable in a garden than water, and fortunate 

 deed are they who have grounds traversed by a natural streamlet, 

 however modest its extent may be. Whether in the shape of a fountain, 

 a waterfall, spring, pond, lake or streamlet, water-unless it be a stag- 

 Rant pool— adds light, life, and beauty to every garden, provided it is 

 used to the best advantage and with due regard to effect. Unfortunately, 

 the natural presence of running water in a garden is comparatively rare, 

 and in most cases water, if desired, has to be introduced by artificial 

 means, either through water-pipes, by land drains, or sometimes by open 

 rills or gutters connected with a distant supply. But no matter by what 

 means the supply may be obtained, the water visible in our gardens can 

 give the best effects only when it appears to be perfectly natural. I am, 

 of course, not speaking of fountains or fountain basins, but all irregular 

 forms of water can be pleasing to the eye only when they appear to be 

 entirely the work of Nature, and when any artificial means employed in 

 their construction are entirely hidden from view. 



Nowhere, perhaps, is the masking of what is artificial of greater im- 

 portance than in the case of water in a rock garden. Rocks, even when 

 arranged with the utmost care so as to represent Nature's work, would at 

 once lose theirnatural effect if the water seen among them reveals its arti- 

 ficial origin by visible traces of cement work. A case in point is given 

 in the accompanying full-page illustration, produced from a photograph 

 in a rock garden constructed by myself on behalf of Messrs. Veitch and 

 Son, Exeter, for one of their clients in the county of Devon. The picture 

 shows only a small corner of the pond among the rocks, but this is 

 sufficient to illustrate the principle of masking artificial groundwork. 

 Although the whole of the pond had to be formed of cement-concrete, 

 not a particle of that work can be seen anywhere, and in the picture the 

 water margin on the right-hand side appears as grass sward dipping 

 naturally below the surface of the water, while on the left it consists of 

 rocks, also continued below the water level. My method of producing 

 this effect consists in having the unavoidable cement work so arranged 

 as to form a sort of step or shoulder about eight inches wide all around 

 the pond, and not less than six or eight inches below the intended water 

 level. This furnishes an excellent rest for the stones, the turf, or what 

 ever other material may be used to form the margin. Another great 

 advantage of this method is that a portion of the soil covered by turf or 

 enclosed by rocks must obviously be water-soaked without holding stag- 

 nant water, and among the ornamental plants of all sizes which love the 

 waterside there may be found an endless number which delight in just 

 such a position. The large plant seen growing so luxuriantly on the left 

 side is a specimen (over six feet high) of Spiraea gigantea (Spiraea Kams- 

 chatica), and its luxuriance, like that of many other plants around the 

 margin of this pond, is undoubtedly due to the fact that the roots of the 

 >lants have free access to the water. In the pond itself numerous choice 

 water lilies are flourishing, of which one, a specimen of Nymphrea 

 marhacea albida, is well shown in the illustration. 



The background of the picture shows a cave which answers the 



PUrp £n e ° f * C ° o1 and shad y summerhouse, and the fissures of the rocks 

 are filled with choice mountain plants from various parts of the globe 

 bbady recesses are given up to Ramondia pyrenaica, Linn^a borealis, 

 primulas in variety, &c. Above the cave are seen Lotus peliorhynchus, 

 nrctostaphylus Uva-ursae, Tropasolum tuberosum, and many more, while 

 special positions have been allotted to the smaller mountain gems, which 

 nere are enabled to grow as they please without the danger of being 

 overrun by plants of coarser growth. As it is, however, not to the rock 

 arden generally, but to the water garden, that I wish to devote thi 



beholds them. Natural streamlets in our rock gardens are things often 

 desired but seldom met with. In most cases, therefore, art has to supply 

 the deficiency. The size of such a stream in the rock garden must of 

 course depend on the volume of water at command, but no matter what 

 may be the extent of the supply, we must shape our artificial brook in 

 such a way that no one would suspect its artificial origin. Only by 

 observing Nature can we acquire the ability to impart a natural appear- 

 ance to our own handiwork, and according to the laws of Nature we must 

 therefore proceed. One of the most apparent of those laws is the 

 approximate parallelism of shore lines in streamlets. When flowing water 

 meets with a rock, or any other obstruction which might divert its course, 

 the immediate result is that opposite such an obstacle the shore or bank 

 is encroached upon, and if it be of a soft or yielding nature, a com- 

 paratively large hollow in the bank will be washed out. In other words 

 a shore line which is convex on one side will be concave on the other. 

 When streamlets are formed artificially and on a small scale, this law 

 has to be well observed. In nine cases out of ten cement concrete will 

 be the only practicable means for forming the sides and bottom, as such 

 work is practically everlasting, and can easily be made to appear natural 

 work. Even when good impervious clay might be used to prevent waste 

 of water, it is nevertheless easily washed away by a moderately strong 

 current, and moreover, the water would not be clear, while the banks 

 would be subject to the attacks of water rats, and would soon crumble 

 away. On the other hand, cement work can easily be covered, at the 

 bottom by round stones and river gravel thrown in while the cement is 

 wet, and at the sides by rocks and turf arranged in a similar manner to 

 that already described. This method will allow irises, Astilba rivularis, 

 and other moisture-loving plants, to send their roots into the water as is 

 their wont in the case of a natural streamlet. 



Waterfalls. 



Waterfalls are, perhaps, of all forms of water, the most effective, and 

 the nearest approach to that wild character which is at once so charming 

 and yet so imposing among natural rocks. But in the sense of a water- 

 garden, such falls do not afford the same facilities for floral embellish- 

 ment as the sides of ponds or streamlets. I will, therefore, abstain from 

 giving elaborate details regarding the construction of waterfalls. Suffice 

 it to call attention to the general rule that waterfalls in unbroken sheets 

 are more or less monotonous, and that it is chiefly in a broken fall that 

 picturesque effects attain their greatest perfection. When water can be 

 had in abundance and waste does not matter, boulders of rock irregularly 

 distributed are the best means of producing that effect. But when water 

 is scarce and supplied artificially by a small waterpipe every drop of 

 water becomes of value, and it behoves us to use it to the best possible 

 advantage and with due regard to economy. One of the best means of 

 showing the water at its best in this case is to let it descend in front of a 

 cave when, in consequence of the dark background, every drop of water 

 will reflect the light and form such a contrast against the dark background 

 as to be clearly visible even if only a modest dripping fall is attempted. 

 It goes without saying that in every waterfall the actual source of the 

 water should be carefully concealed. 



Ponds in the Rock Garden. 



Ponds will, as a rule, be of limited extent, and unless a naturally 

 copious supply of water can be had it will nearly always be best to use 

 cement concrete, and mask the same in the manner already described. 

 With regard to the shape of a pond, it has to be borne in mind that a 

 pond in most cases is a form of widened streamlet, and Nature's hints 

 with regard to the banks of the latter must, therefore, in a broader sense 

 apply also to the pond. A depth of two to two and a half feet is 

 enough to grow some of the choicest aquatics, and will, as a rule, be 



article, I will hrieflv C Hfp *kZ 'JmZZu ? ' * tw ugvuic , llliy sufficient tor most ponds in connexion witn a tock garaen. When pian- 



first oi alm^ with water gardens, nin ^ a d care s F hou i d be taken to introduce it into the naturally lowest 



and lake* Z I 1 1 connection with rocks and then with ponds Dar ^ of \ he L oun d. For the concrete a thickness of six inches, consist- 



anc I lakes on a larger scale, and the plants most suitable for their adorn- f^7l !^T^ wi™ .tones to one Dart of Portland ceme.nL should 



ment. 



Fountains, Springs, and Brooks. 



fouml L W T V m a r ? ck garden can P° ssi bly be worse than a 

 H i f g t i he 2 eometrical surroundings of a formal flower garden 

 bu in ^ rnnnl a , regU la ' terra ^ a fountain may be made an attractive feature, 

 it is no iX™™ WUl ? I° Cks 11 is ^ethev out of place, because there 

 should ^ r^.^ kT 01 ^ WUh , Its su ™>dmgs. A well-arranged rock garden 



wh^^ a wa ^- s ^ of g any kind Long 



^ snouid be wild and picturesque scenery would be absurd. 



its ^SmnK! thC ^ Cks is perhaps the sim P lest form of wa *er, and 



one it will 



It would f beiiSili 5 - 1 * ™ de m ° St attractive ! th e ground around 

 home for all k?nH? SlZ ,th ™°\ stur e> and would furnish an unrivalled 

 an.fi,; f mds .of beautiful plants. But if the spring should be an 



^.s,sto D hce t^ g,n i mUSt be - concealed - A ca Pital way of effecting 

 or small cave Vn n~ ™ SUCh a P osit,on as to form a deep cleft 



*ill not fail tA ima£ g at l tS end Cannot be seen > for uninitiated 

 e ncL If the S r a great d ? pth of fissure where they cannot see the 

 t° Ml into a small' .? i re e ™ er g in S from this miniature cave, is allowed 

 delightful „ lur „ ' n P „° o1 n °t less than one or two feet deep we get that 



min d. If in addit of f U %? S ^ ple , asing t0 the ear and so nothing to the 

 surroundings are «S. S plants chosen to embellish the immediate 

 K^ce and beautv aS WOuld im P art to the scene a character of natural 



pict ure, full of life o S ? nng *? on % the rocks wiU furnish a charming 

 fastidious. ' 0ne that cannot fail to please even the most 



The b k 



roc k garde°n° a i S anot her form of water most suitable for the 



sIo _*'ly meandering V™' whe . the , r , ra P ,dl y leaping from rock to rock or 

 refreshing, both to til ? g boulde rs and recesses, is at all times most 



ing of five parts of broken stones to one part of Portland cement, should 

 be sufficient if the surface is afterwards smoothed with a thin layer of 

 cement and sand in equal proportions. A pond receding into a cave is 

 very picturesque, especially where in shady recesses ferns and other plants 

 abound ; but in every case the cement work must be finished before the 

 work of arranging the rocks is begun. 



Bogs. 



Boggy beds can often be formed by the overflow from a pond. Where 

 it is not advisable to let such overflow filter away gradually in well- 

 drained peatv soil I often construct an underground watertight basin, 

 which can be' filled with water or emptied at will by the simple turning of 

 a tap Layers of broken stone, peat, leafmould, sand, &c, are filled up 

 to the required height, and can thus be kept saturated with water or 

 drained dry according to the requirements of the plants employed. 



Exeter. ' F - W - MEYER. 



Marguerites. These beautiful plants seem to grow rather than diminish in 



popularity. The quantities now grown for market are enormous, and this in spite 

 of the fact that home cultivators have taken up the plant widely. Their free 

 flowering, graceful character, and easy culture are largely responsible for their 

 great popularity. Healthy bushes well furnished with flowers are delightful 

 objects, and they look equally well in conservatories, windows, boxes, and on 

 balconies. Like geraniums, they may be propagated at almost any season of the 

 year, sturdy young side shoots three or four inches long, severed just below a joint 

 and inserted very firmly, being suitable. If it is particularly wanted to bring them 

 along quickly they may be placed in a propagating case or otherwise be afforded 

 the benefit of bottom-heat, but this is not at all necessary for insuring rooting. 

 They will do that in a greenhouse, if possible with a hand-light or bell-glass over 

 to keep them close, or in a frame. If stopped so as to cause them to branch freely 

 and potted firmly in a fresh, fertile, porous mixture they will soon develop into 

 handsome flowering plants. — W# 



