402 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
May 13, 1905. 
The Rock Garden. 
Plants in Bloom. 
A Tufted Violet (Viola pedata). 
The habit of this dwarf American species is always neat and 
not likely to overrun the most low-growing neighbour, as it 
produces no runners, and increases slowly. The leaves are 
deeply cut, somewhat in the form of a hand, and form a little 
tuft from amongst which the purple flowers rise to the height 
of only a few inches. Many growers prefer the variety bicolor 
on account of the greater effect or more conspicuous character 
of the flowers. The top petals are plum-purple', while the 
lower petals are pale blue, often fading almost to> white. It 
flowers during April and May in full exposure on the rockery. 
The Two-flowered Violet (Violet biflora). 
Although yellow is a colour of frequent occurrence amongst 
the Pansies, it is much less common amongst the Violets. It is 
truly an alpine species, but is of easy cultivation upon the 
rockery, provided a cool situation is selected for it. those 
who have not the convenience of a bog garden might use a 
considerable quantity of leaf-mould in the soil, and that will 
prevent the soil from decaying or getting dried up in summer. 
The leaves are kidney-shaped, light green, and produced in 
small tufts. The flowering-stems are also leafy and carry one 
or two flowers, as the name indicates. They are of a bright 
yellow with brown rays on the lip, and make the plant an in¬ 
teresting and uncommon one, although it cannot be described 
as conspicuous. 
The Vernal Gentian (Gentiana verna). 
So long as alpine plants are cultivated, cultivators will 
always attempt to grow this beautiful, though somewhat 
troublesome, species. The intense blue flowers have a small 
white centre, and only rise 11 in. to 2-1 in. above the soil. 
Some Gentians have only four lobes to the corolla, though this 
one has usually five, but sometimes varies with four. Those 
who attempt its cultivation should select a. cool and moist 
situation, and make the soil quite firm in which it is to be 
grown. If verv much exposed to sunshine during the whole 
day, such a soil would be liable to bake. It must be remem¬ 
bered that Gentians grow amongst the grass, and this selves to 
keep the ground about the roots cool, though it may be as well 
to remember that the soils favoured by this little plant are 
usually moist in character. A situation might be selected for 
it facing any quarter rather than south or west, and this under 
artificial conditions would serve to secure cooler conditions 
than when exposed to' heat on a long summer s day. 
The Rock Candytuft (Iberis saxatilis). 
To enthusiastic collectors of alpine and rock plants this is 
fairly well known, but to those who' are not' ardent collectors 
it is practically an unknown Candytuft. Where the rock 
garden is only moderately extensive, it is more than likely 
that, the desire would be to secure dwarf or pigmy forms of 
other species than to get this tiny shrubby species, which is 
naturally of dwarf and compact habit. In mild, open winters 
it is one of the earliest of flowers to commence blooming in 
the open, and is ; worthy of a place on the rockery on that 
account. The leaves are very small, and the white flowers 
produced in a close raceme about 1 in. long. The stems are 
altogether slender, short, and not likely to over-run their 
neighbours. Propagation may be effected by means of cut¬ 
tings, every little bit of which will grow if inserted firmly in 
sandy soil and placed under a handlight or frame. 
The Scalloped-leaved Cyclamen (R. repandumb 
At first sight the leaves of this species recall those of C. nea- 
politanum, which flowers in the autumn. The leaves accom¬ 
pany the flowers, however, in this case, and the flowers are 
similar in size to those of the wild form of the greenhouse 
Cyclamen. The segments of the corolla are 1 \ in. long, more 
or less twisted, purple and intensified to carmine at the base. 
The natural time of flowering is March to May, earlier or later 
according to the nature of the weather. The flowers are pro¬ 
duced freely, and the leaves are also abundant and ornamented 
with a grey band, so that, cultivators might well give this one 
more attention than it has hitherto' received. Improvements 
might even be effected by cross-breeding or hybridisation with 
the object of getting larger flowers. Already they are twice 
or three times the size of those of C. ibericum and C. Coum. 
These Cyclamens are best propagated by means of seeds, which 
are usually produced in abundance. Leaf-mould should be 
freely used in their cultivation. 
A Himalayan Primrose (P. involucrata). 
The white flowers of this Himalayan Primrose are always 
acceptable on the rockery, notwithstanding the large number 
from the European Alps with which it has to' compete. It has 
a neatness and beauty all its own. The dark green leaves vary 
from orbicular to oblong on long stalks. The flower-scapes 
are usually about 8 in. high, standing quite clear of the foliage, 
and being pure white and produced in umbels appeal to the 
eye amongst other competitors at this, season of the year. It 
is usually propagated from seeds, though occasionally an offset 
or two may be obtained. 
The Arctic Bramble (Rubus arcticus). 
Some of the species of Mountain Bramble or Rubus do not 
thrive well, or certainly bloom only sparingly when their cul¬ 
tivation is attempted in the rock garden at low elevations. 
This is evidently an exception, for it is of the easiest cultiva¬ 
tion in a peaty soil, forming quite a. patch of short, leafy stems 
only 2 in. to 6 in. high. The plaited leaflets, three in number, 
are quite like those of a Bramble, and each tiny stem pro¬ 
duces a carmine-rose flower, fading with age, but certainly 
pleasing amongst the foliage and distinct from everything else. 
The Prophet Flower (Macrctomia echioides). 
The Borage family is now represented in gardens by a large 
number of quite interesting subjects. It will take some time 
yet before taller kinds come into bloom, but the early flowering 
ones are usually of dwarf habit, including the Forget-me-Nots, 
Eritricliium, the Prophet Flower, Lungworts, Mertensias, and 
others of that character. The plant under notice is better 
known, perhaps, as Arnebia echioides. In fairly deep, rich, 
and friable soils it grows strongly, producing straped-shaped 
leaves about 6 in. to 9 in. long. The flower-stems are freely 
produced, and forked at the top, giving one to three steins of 
clear yellow flowers, marked bv five brown or black spots, 
which entirely disappear by the time the individual bloom has 
reached its full growth. The same plant thus carries spotted 
and unspotted flowers, and the mixture is interesting and 
pleasing. After flowering, the plant, may be propagated by 
lifting the crowns and carefully dividing them, retaining as 
many roots as possible to each piece. If the cultivator does 
not care to disturb an established plant, a few of the crowns 
might be carefully removed by means of an old knife. These 
may be inserted in pots of sandy soil and placed under a hand- 
light until they are rooted, when they may be potted off singly 
and kept growing until fully established. This plant frequently 
makes very fine growth in the autumn after the advent of min, 
and at such times propagation is easy. Alchemilla. 
Characteristic Outlines of Trees.— In a paper by Mr. C. 
Crossland, F.L.S., read before the Halifax Scientific Society, 
lie said, referring to the appearance and characteristic outlines 
of trees viewed from a distance, that the oak, for example, when 
typical had a broad oblong rugged outline, gjenerally broader 
than tall. The conspicuous feature in the appearance of the 
common Elm was its random outline, caused by enormous lower 
branches striking out any angle or in any direction regardless 
of uniformity. Then the Beech, he remarked, had a distinctive 
feature in its graceful, tapering, acutely-pointed branches, the 
points of which extended to irregular distances beyom ie 
general outline. One might know the Sycamore when naked J 
the many equal forks among the branches; the Ash by the 
numerous terminal head branches shooting straight up , u 
Conifers by their cone-shaped tops ; 'and the graceful Bnc i. c 
lady of the woods, which was easily recognisable by its delicate 
tracery of drooping terminal branches. 
