INTRODUCTORY 
UT FEW PEOPLE are familiar with the beautiful wild 
flowers of the Rocky Mountain region, Nature’s own 
C Ly rock garden. What a wealth of floral beauty is to be 
seen in the low foothills, the rich, green valleys of the 
mountains, the shaded, deep canyons along the rushing streams, 
and on the very mountain tops, the habitat of numerous vari¬ 
eties of Alpine flowers; all forming an aggregation of rich 
possibilities for the botanist, who may discover many rare or 
unknown species. It is a veritable storehouse for Nature’s 
floral treasures. These exquisite flowers, found growing upon 
the crags and in the forests of the Continental Divide, while 
but little appreciated at home, are highly prized and treasured 
as exotics in other lands. Wlitli the advent of spring, the snow- 
crowned mountains gradually discard their w r hite mantles, 
assuming instead the rich, vivid green coloring which proclaims 
the coming summer, when the plant enthusiast can roam with 
ecstatic delight in such an enchanted land. 
This is an age when the beautiful rock garden is much in 
evidence, and when ^artistically made, it is the maximum of 
floral beau|ty. The dainty Alpine plants, ranging in height 
from one inch to a foot or more; some forming tiny rosettes, 
others winding in promiscuous, riotous abandon over the rocks, 
form a scenic spot which is the acme of fairyland itself. 
There is a pardonable pride in being the possessor of plants, 
which, aside from their exotic beauty, add a degree of interest 
and knowledge not attainable in any other manner. The en¬ 
vironment of rocks together with a certain amount of gritty 
soil, forms a suitable combination which enables these hardy 
little Alpines to feel thoroughly at home. A few small shrubs, 
if judiciously chosen, add an integral, realistic background as 
if designed by Nature herself. 
All flower lovers should appreciate the opportunity they 
now have of becoming familiar with the beautiful wild flowers 
of the crest of our continent. There is no practical reason why 
our most beautiful native flora should not be much in evidence 
in cultivated gardens; combining as they do, ease of culture, 
with an airiness and grace, and beautiful, soft, refined colors, 
which places them in a class entirely by themselves. 
We endeavor to give sufficient cultural instructions to 
make success reasonably certain, so that our patrons will ex¬ 
perience no difficulty in attaining satisfactory results. As 
many wild flowers die down to the ground after blooming and 
forming seeds, care should be taken not to disturb the roots 
which are still alive, but dormant, and put forth a new plant 
the subsequent season. With many varieties, the best time 
for transplanting is after blooming, when some of the plants 
remain dormant until the following spring, while others will 
make some growth in autumn. For such plants as cypripedi- 
ums, dodecatheons, irises, lewisias, mertensias, delphiniums, 
fritillarias and many others, the best time for transplanting is 
June, July and August. 
One of the prime essentials in raising Alpine plants is 
