348 
THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 
such a feature is not an easy task even for the profes- 
sional gardener, especially if the rockery is of great ex- 
tent. The details must be carefully mapped out before 
the plants are placed. The characteristics of each plant 
must also be considered with regard to the mature speci- 
mens, its season of bloom, its form and color, etc. It is 
necessary to provide for the planting of the small species 
of hardy bulbs, so that there will be no flowerless gaps 
between earl) spring and the blooming of the first rock 
plants. Then, too, ample space must be given each clump 
of plants to develop and the intermingled spaces between 
should be filled with dwarf annuals the first year or so. 
Only those plants which are harmonious in the color- 
ings of their flowers should be planted in proximity to 
each other. Color schemes in print are altogether orderly, 
logical and appear perfectly feasible, but when it comes to 
transferring them from bonk and paper to the soil, and 
reproducing these ideas in leaf and blossom — it's differ- 
nt. For instance, scarlet must not be planted near rose- 
purple, but scarlet and crimson blend with orange ami 
yellow, while purple and blue merge into pale lavender 
and white. Much of the beauty of the rockery depends 
upon the informality of the plants. A natural arrange- 
ment is the aim, and to bring this into effect, avoid lines 
and forms, arranging the plants in informal masses of 
various sizes and shapes. Single plants should not, there- 
fore, be scattered throughout the rockery ( except "dwarf 
conifers"), as a mottled, unnatural effect will be produced 
by such promiscuous planting. Unless a careful selection 
of species and varieties is practiced flowerless gaps will 
result. The cheapness or fondness of certain species 
should not lead one to planting excessively of it, as a 
monotonous effect is likely to be produced. 
As to the planting time, there is no better time than the 
present. ( In the J. F. Detmer Estate we have planted 
thousands of plants in the fall, and all have stood the 
winter without any covering, although we are situated on 
one of the highest and bleakest points in Westchester 
County (New York). Fall planting has been slow of 
acceptance, because it seemed foolish to begin planting 
when all the earth was preparing to rest. Spring seenic ! 
to be ever so much more seasonable time. Anyone giving 
attention to the structure of plants must realize what a 
severe shock and setback it is for the system of the plant 
to lie dug up by the roots from the earth, shipped for a 
distance without necessary moisture and then transplanted 
in a new situation. After recovery from this experience 
the plant must immediately stretch "forth its roots in search 
of food and begin the tremendous task of readjustment. 
It seems like heaping insult orTfhjury to ask the plant to 
erform still another office for us, yet do we not expect it 
to grow apace and blossom forth in full glory the very 
same season. That is what spring planting demands. But 
if the planting is done in the fall there is a much better 
chance for the plant. It is not retarded just at the same 
time when its growth is quickening, but is dug up when 
the work for the vear is drawing to a close and the plant 
system is preparing to make itself comfortable for the 
winter. If the plant is transferred at this season, it can 
make this adjustment in the new surroundings before 
cold weather sets in and thus be prepared with the first 
days of spring to put all its energy into new growth. 
There is no question of the superiority of fall planting in 
this respect ; it gains for the planter an entire season, as 
the bloom the summer after fall planting will be abun- 
dant. So now is the time to get busy and plan for the 
reception of your rock and Alpine plants. The accom- 
panying photographs taken on July 25 show the rugged 
rock effect, part of the natural stratification of the Det- 
mer Estate. The rock and Alpine gardens are only one 
of the many features of this estate. 
THINGS AND THOUGHTS OF THE GARDEN 
(Continued from page 345.) 
ingly rich colors. It was what one sees in a gorgeous 
scene on the stage of a theatre, but scarcely hopes to find 
in the open air along the public highways. 
The first time I saw Dorothy Perkins used in a de- 
pendent fashion over walls was in Kew Gardens, London, 
where plantings had been made around the walls of the 
ornamental pond in front of the great Palm House. On 
the side on which the planting was made the wall was 
several feet deep, with the soil made up level behind and 
covered with a lawn. The curtain of pink blooms hanging 
over the gray of the cement and having the green grass 
foil behind was remarkable and pleased the many thou- 
sands of visitors daily while it lasted, a period of two 
weeks or more. The reproduction in the mirror of the 
water added to the general charm. 
Another way of using these rambler roses and other 
good climbing plants is to train them to trees in the open 
glades of woodland. Admitted the work is dubious of 
success often, and means very careful preparation of the 
soil at the base of the forest trees and constant feeding 
after, yet much pleasure and interest can be gotten. Yet 
even if such aristocrats as roses were not planted, there 
are other things — Tecoma radicans, Honeysuckle, Clem- 
ati rlammula, Virginia Creeper. ( hi trees that are not 
of much account or worthy of much care, yet which oc- 
cupy a fairly prominent position in or near the residence, 
we can often let Clematic Jackmani scramble, or the 
wild Clematis, too, and another excellent winter that 
will do well and furnish a breezy mass of silvery pink 
panicles in summer is Polygonum Baldschuanicum. 
* * * 
Every time one sees a velvety green lawn, smooth, 
springy, closely mown, weedless and even, one wonders 
how it is gotten. Two words will answer the question, 
"Hard work" — even one word, "Attention." In each 
and every case the head gardener spends no end of pains 
upon this stretch of green sward vou see. Here are some 
of the essentials: covering the lawn with an enriching 
and protecting light covering of clean (seedless) manure 
in the late fall : rolling and sweeping in the early spring. 
and summer ; an early start at mowing, and constant, 
close mowing when growth is very active, letting it grow 
more freely when dryness is apparent or expected; atten- 
tion to weeding; no weeds of any kind must be allowed 
for a moment ; also sprinkling the lawn whenever the 
fresh greenness begins to lessen or the ground begins to 
get "cakey" or dry. On the other hand, if you don't 
fertilize, if you don't roll or weed or water or mow, or 
only do these moderately or intermittently; if you allow 
the grass to get ahead of you and become spear-like for 
a couple or three days the bottom will go out and vou 
have seen the last of your velvety sward for that year. 
Worms are a plague; get rid of them by using corrosive 
sublimate. After all, a good lawn is as desirable as — 
even more so than — a fine flower border, for trees, shrubs 
and lawn can make a delightful place, but flowers alone 
could not. 
% # 3(e 
Those of you who are on the lookout for gems for the 
rock garden should get or try to get, Mazus rugosus. 
Nierembergia rivularis, Nepeta Requieni. Euonymus 
Kewensis. Acaena argentea, Corydalis lutea, Coboneaster 
horizontalis. Ehalictrum minus adiantifolia. Viola cornuta 
caerulea, Dryas octopetala, Gypsophila repens, Ramondia 
pyrenaica. Iris pumila in variety, Platycodon grandiflora, 
— some for fall and some for spring planting. 
