226 JOUENAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



adapted for the purpose, especially so as it was out of sight of all 

 formal and artificial surroundings, and consequently free from all 

 elements of incongruity. 



I think I am not giving away any secrets when I say that sugges- 

 tions for a rock garden were considered by the Council during their 

 earlier occupation of Wisley, but nothing definite was undertaken 

 until the summer of 1910, when it was resolved to invite a few firms 

 to submit plans and schemes for their consideration. Certain 

 necessary conditions were specified, within the limits of which a wide 

 discretion was allowed to the competitors, who were given a fixed sum 

 to work upon. The schemes were to be delivered to the Society by 

 December 1, 1910. One of the conditions laid down required com- 

 petitors to submit samples of the stone they proposed to use in 

 construction to enable the Council to judge of its suitability. 



After mature consideration, the scheme of Messrs. Pulham was 

 selected. The designer of a rock garden should be, on his own lines, 

 as much an architect as he who designs houses, as Mr. Farrar very 

 ably expresses it in his admirable book. Messrs. Pulham kept before 

 them one leading idea^ — viz., that every rock garden must have, above all 

 things, a definiteness of plan and an aim to reproduce with fidelity some 

 particular feature of Nature. Then, and then only, can success be 

 obtained. 



In preparing their scheme, they fortunately succeeded in obtaining 

 the professional advice and assistance of Mr. Edward White, under 

 whom they have constructed many rock and water gardens in the past. 

 Mr. White collaborated with them throughout, and advised as to 

 the landscape portion of the scheme, for it was realized that this 

 important work, being for the premier horticultural society, should be 

 not only an example of what a rock garden ought to be, from both 

 educational and picturesque points of view, but one that might rank 

 among the finest in the kingdom. It was therefore desirable to confer 

 with a landscape-gardener of wide experience, so that no detail, 

 whether from a landscape or rock building point of view, should be 

 overlooked. 



Perhaps at this point I ought to make a slight digression. Many 

 Fellows of the Society have probably seen the rock garden itself, 

 either in its completed state, or during construction, or at any rate 

 remember the site. I am bound, however, to describe it more or less 

 in detail, for the benefit of those who have not seen it. 



The site selected was a fairly wild spot, about an acre and a half 

 in extent, covered at the top, or south-east part, with rough turf, 

 containing bulbs and a few deciduous shrubs, and a number of apple 

 trees, while along the bottom ran some ponds, picturesquely flanked on 

 one side with Gunneras, Osmundas, Bamboos, and similar subjects, ^ 

 while on a portion of the bank rising from the water was a fine group 

 of conifers containing, among others, Reiinospora ohtusa com'pdcta, 

 Juniperus canadensis aurea, Picea pungens glauca, and a large Cupres- 

 sus Lawsoniana. These, it is hardly necessary to say, it was proposed to 



