June  14,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  llORTiaULTURb]  AND  GOTTAGF  GMIDRNFJI 
Ttje  Kew  Rockery. 
Tiierk  is  probably  no  outdoor  section  of  tbo  great  national  garden 
at  Kew  that  is  such  a  poronnial  source  of  interest  as  the  channing  rock 
garden.  No  matter  when  a  visit  is  nuido  thereto  many  plants  will  bo 
found  in  tlower,  and  some  of  them  will  have  such  beauty  as  to  warrant 
their  purchase  for  t  he  homo  rookery.  If,  liowover,  the  inspection  is 
made  in  a  time  of  plenty,  the  treasures  will  be  so  numerous  and  so 
varied  ns  to  preclude  the  possibility  of  tho  iuolusion  of  them  all  in  a 
limited  apace.  Tho  varied  intoreat  that  attaches  to  tho  Kow  rockery 
makes  one  wojider  why  more  rock  gardens  are  not  found  on  all  tho 
estates  of  tho  allluont.  It  must  bo  understood  that  by  rook  gardens  is 
here  inoant  a  portion  of  ground  sot  apart  with  ^stones  properly 
arranged,  so  that  the  ]>lants  placed  in  tho  chosen  positions  will 
luxuiiate,  and  not,  as  in  too  often  s(!cn,  eke  out  a  living  death.  There 
J18  a,  vast  difrorenco  between  a  rockery  or  a  rock  garden  construct, c<l  on 
‘rational  lines,  and  with  duo  consideration  of  the  habits  and  reciuire- 
make  notes  of  1  he  plaids  in  llowi'r  than  during  the  spring  and  early 
siiiiimer  moidhs,  and  at  the  jiresent  moment  it,  is  singularly  rich  in  its 
diversilied  charms.  I’lants  of  all  sizes  producing  lloweis  of  all  forms 
and  colours  are  to  be  seen  literally  by  I  he  thousand,  and  the  visitor 
cannot  go  d  feet  without  si'oing  a  do/.en  plants  of  l,lie  choicest  t,ypo 
of  beauty.  First  one  pauses  to  admire  the  stately  spikes  of  Fremurus 
bimalaieus  towering  on  the  summit  of  the  bank,  and  then  st,oops  to 
examine  the  flowers  of  some  miniature  gem  whose  height  may  not 
c.\oeod  a  couiile  of  inches.  A  llowei  ing  shrub  that  demands  attention 
is  Kuhns  delioiosus,  whose  green  leaves  and  chastely  beautiful  white 
(lowers  make  a  most  attractive  picture.  When  it  is  seen  in  such 
excellent  condiiion  as  this,  one  wonihu’s  why  it,  is  so  seldom  grown 
in  ganlens  ;  it  is  certainly  eipially  as  worl,hy  of  inclusion  as  many  that 
now  haveaiilace.  Tho  bright  yellow  of  the  Hpanish  llrooni  shows  up 
well  Irom  the  grey  background  of  the  stones  and  the  green  of  the 
neighbtmring  plaid,s  ;  while  (lytisus  purpureus,  if  less  showy,  is  very 
beautiful  and  meets  wit  h  many  admirers.  Hlanding  up  |)rel,tily  on  a 
cosy  leilge  can  bo  seen  (iaiax  aphylla  ( Itlandfonlia  cordata),  the  heart- 
Fni.  I.'itj.— Tint)  KOtlKICKY  AT  KFW. 
'/rient.H  of  l,)ie  future  occupanls,  and  one  in  which  I  he  si, ones  and  rocks 
are  thrown  up  irrespecl,ive  of  the  wants  of  tlui  pla,rd,s  that,  arc  expected 
111  adorn  them. 
It  will  be  conceded  by  everj  reader  of  the  Jiiurrud  (if  lldrlicull urc. 
who  has  had  practical  ex|ierien(ui  in  the  matter  t,hat  t,hei'e  is  no  phase 
of  gardening  that  is  mare  dillieult  to  niamige  than  the  rorniat,ion  of 
rockery.  Ho  many  details  have  to  be  c.onsidcre.d  wbioh  involve  mtiny 
hours  of  careful  stmly,  that  gardener s  aie,  as  a  rule,  only  too  |ileaae,d 
III  hand  the  (risk  over-  (,o  a  specialist.  This  Is  undoubtedly  the  best 
t  hing  to  do,  but,  it  is,  unfot  I  umdely,  not,  always  feasible  or  desirable. 
Wheii)  such  is  the  caso  intending  rockwork  builder's  will  do  well  l,o 
journey  to  Kew  and  at  ady  closely  t  he  lines  (,hal,  were  l,her-e  adopl,ed, 
and  which  have  proved  so  signally  successful.  If  they  do  this,  and 
lake  copious 'notes,  they  will  lied  the  task  they  have  set  Ihetnselveu 
much  easier,  while  I  h#  results  they  will  attain  to  will  be  far  more 
satisfactory. 
'rherc  is  probably  no  better  (leriod  to  visit  the  Kew  rockery  to 
shaped  leaves  of  which  have  been  so  much  used  in  pac.king  fruit  from 
(.he  United  Hl.ates.  Ur.  Iiindley  included  this  phvnt  witii  the  ryi-olac.eio 
or-  Winlergreens,  but  rnodet  ii  botanists  |ii'efor  (,o  place  it  among  the 
I  )ia|)ensiads. 
In  a  delightfully  cool  looking  corner,  and  springing  fioin  wlial,  at 
llr'sl,  glance  is  ap|iai'en(,ly  t,he  facing  of  stone,  is  Kamondia,  pyrenaica, 
the  flowers  of  which  always  remind  l,he  wiit.er  of  l.luaie  of  Haint,paulia 
ionantha;  t  his  looks  |)arl,iculai  ly  atl,racl,i  ve,  as  also  iloes  It.  p.  alba.  The 
(lowers  of  the  lat.tei-  ai-c  pr  ecisely  similar'  to  (.hose  of  the  type,  except.  I  hat. 
they  am  white  in  colour.  When  l.he  t  wo  var  ieties  are  seen  siile  by  siile, 
as  at  Kew,  their  beauties  can  be  fully  appreciated.  In  those  posit.ions 
suited  1,0  theii'  reijuitemerits  Irises  are  comparatively  nurnei'ous,  but 
(,he  only  one  noted  in  (lower  was  I.  Uouglasiami,  a  d war  I  growing 
plant,,  that  can  sc.arcely  lay  claim  to  universal  cultivation.  Nmir-  by 
some  rnagnitlcent  plants  of  (jypri|iediutii  spectabile  promine  to  produce 
an  abundance  of  llowers  in  due  course,  as  in  fact  do  otliei'  hardy  ( trehids. 
Truly  regal  are  the  great,  clumps  of  (Jsrnundri  r'i'galis,  which  even 
