Planting the Alpine or Rock Garden 
By George H. Chisholm, New York 
GARDENERS generally denominate all plants 
Alpines that are of very humble growth and that 
require some protection during winter whether 
they are really natives of alpine situations or not. To 
these they add many species that are of difficult cultiva- 
tion. In considering, therefore, the Alpine or rock garden 
we will suppose it to contain all such plants which, from 
their minute size, rarity, or difficulty of propagation or 
culture, are excluded from the other flower gardens, and 
look upon it as a garden of vegetable curiosities rather 
than as one in imitation of rocks and mountains, of 
which man at his best is but a puny imitator. 
In the alpine garden a small pond or a large cistern 
should be made for those aquatic plants which are curious 
or minute, and, connecting, a small bog garden should 
also be made for the cultivation of many plants extremely 
beautiful in themselves, but which require a degree of 
humidity at their roots, not convenient to be applied by 
any other means. This beautiful and interesting assem- 
blage of plants requires to be viewed closely before their 
The stones are partly covered with Veronica repens, Campanula 
Carpa'.ica, blue and white, Iberis Cibraltariea. Aubretia deltoidea, 
arabis, Sedum Stolonifera, etc., while Cotoneastcr horisontalis, 
Juniperus procumbens. Juniperus tamariscifolia, German Iris, etc., 
help relieve the flat effect. 
real beauties are discovered, and, therefore, the nearer 
they are brought to the eye of the observer the more 
readily their beauties are seen. Plants of such humble 
growth, and liable to so many accidents, are not in many 
cases fitted for the borders of the flower garden ; neither 
are they found to succeed well if planted out. 
In choosing the situation of the rock or Alpine garden, 
it is important that it is exposed to a free circulation of 
air and containing either naturally, or artificially, por- 
tions fully exposed to the sun, as well as others com- 
pletelv shaded. As regards the stone to be used, sand 
stone would perhaps be the best, but it is seldom that a 
choice can be made, and almost any kind of stone will 
do. The stone of the neighborhood should be adopted, 
for economv's sake, wherever the natural rock crops out ; 
it is sheer waste to create artificial rockwork instead of 
embellishing that which naturally occurs, which was the 
case on Mr. J. F. Detmer's estate in Tarrytown, N. Y., 
where nothing was necessary but to clear the ground and 
add here and there a few loads of soil, with broken stones 
The stone steps have planted between them, Arenaria montana, 
Dianthus superbus, and Sedum acre, dotted each side at intervals 
with Dianthus deltoides, Alyssum saxatile compactum, Saxifraga 
jncgasca, Sedum Aizoon, etc.. the empty spaces are tilled zvith the 
annual Dwarf Crimson Coreopsis. 
to prevent evaporation, the natural crevices and crests 
being planted where possible. 
Never let the rock garden appear as if it had been 
dumped out of a wagon. The rocks should have their 
bases buried in the ground. No vacuum should exist 
beneath the surface of the soil, or surface stones, and 
the broken stone should be so disposed that there are no 
hollows. Numerous Alpine plants have been destroyed 
from want of observing this precaution, the open crevices 
and loose soil allowing the dry air to destroy the plants 
in a short time. 
The soil in which most Alpine plants will succeed is 
generally of the most primitive nature. A soil composed 
of half light sandy loam and half leaf mold will be found 
to suit nine-tenths of the plants entering into this species 
of garden. Manure seldom enters into the composition 
for growing Alpines ; indeed, in general, it is injurious 
rather than beneficial. A pure air, exposed airy situation, 
which is kept cool during the excessive heat of summer 
In'rnducing the taller growing plants such as Veronica spicata, 
Archillea, Aquilegias, etc., tapering with Phlox sublata, creeping 
wallflower, and Pyrethrum aureum cristatum. 
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