CHAPTER VII 
ANNUALS IN THE ROCK GARDEN 
At first sight one hardly connects annual plants 
with the rock garden, and yet there are some 
that are more distinctly in place there than 
elsewhere, and others that are excellent for use 
in any empty spaces that may occur. And it 
is well to remember that the greater number of 
alpine and other rock plants bloom only in the 
early summer, so that any spring-sown annuals 
for which a place can be found will materially 
help to prolong the rock gardens’ time of bloom. 
Grammanthes gentianoides is a little plant not 
often seen ; it is not more than 3 inches 
high, and has flowers of a remarkably brilliant 
deep orange colour. It is excellent for a sunny 
place in the rock garden, as is also Sedum 
cceruleum, the little blue annual Stonecrop. 
Portulaca is good for the same use. All these 
should be in full sun. Alyssum mantimum and 
the varieties of Iberis umbellata are also exactly 
in place. Thunbergia alata, usually grown as 
a greenhouse climber, is quite at home in the 
sunny rock garden as a trailing plant. San- 
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