Small Gardens, and How to Make the Most of Them

Ro

on-Aspect and soil-A list of

not one gardener in a hundred knows how to make a rockery, though he does not like to say so! An artistic mind is needed to construct one that will be pleasing to the eye, besides a knowledge of draining, water-supply, and so forth. An e

le in a small garden, a corner rockery built high in the form of a triangle and facing south-east, can be made extremely pretty, as I k

lly bricks spoiled in the baking, having all sorts of excrescences on them which unfit them for ordinary building

ry is that many plants which quite refuse to thrive in a border will grow and flourish there, and the attention they need is less troublesome to give; in fact, it is a delightful form of gardening, especially for a lady, as there is no fear

f greyish-green leaves, and a perfect sheet of mauve or lilac bloom about April. The effect is greatly enhanced when planted so as to fall over a stone or brick;

left out, as it is a trifle coarse. Such a term could never be applied to the androsaces, which may be numbered among the élite of rock plants; they

e and shade, and will not do at all if subjected to much hot sun. These and many similar plants can often be planted on a rockery facing south-east (which aspect suits so many sun-loving plants), by arranging bricks, stones, or small shrubs, so as to shelter them from its hottest rays. Aquilegias, mentioned in t

smaller varieties looking better on a rockery than anywhere else. Some of these tiny bell-flowers have, however, the very longest of names! C. portenschlagiana, for instance, is only four inches high, and a charming little plant it is, and flowe

es high, and, though each individual plant is biennial, they seed so freely that they are practically perennial. A light, dry soil a

n a very quaint manner; this plant blooms the whole season through. Plants of this character should be noted carefu

uld be burnt up, the cistus flourishes, for it requires no particular depth of

en; it is not a climber, as its name might lead one to suppose, for it only grows two feet high, and generally trails along the ground; the flowers are curious i

profusion amongst the finely-cut foliage, which, the whole summer through, is a bright clear green. With one plant of corydali

he cotoneasters are evergreen, and when about a foot high are very suitable for such a position. C. horizontalis and C. micicrophylla bear scarlet berri

but in a cosy nook of the rock-work, planted fairly close together, and in a "pocket" surrounded by bricks, they find a happy home, and can be inspected without any difficulty. Personally, I do not care for crocuses in a line; one cannot see their pure transparency, and only get an idea of a broad band of colour; close at hand, their dewy chalices, exquisitely veined and str

ed border. C. neapolitanum has marbled foliage and pretty pink flowers, and C. europeum (maroonish crimson) is also we

how handsome some of them are; they like shade and moisture; indeed, through the summer the p

reen, and produces its pink fragrant flowers every spring; it will not do in

own gardens; they flower nearly all the summer, and are not part

an most alpines, loam suiting them best. Water should be generously

ously, and have dull green woolly foliage, which sets the flowers off well. They need a light, well-drained soil. Geum chilense, or coccineum plenum, is a good kind, and so is G. mi

, which are freely produced all the summer. They may be had in white, yellow, pink, scarlet, and crimson, and ei

the early spring, and very beautiful the flowers are, being rich violet-purple, with gold blotches

e, they are a bright full blue, and each petal is slightly veined with red, it is not difficult to grow, a dry, sunny position being all it requires; it is of trailing habit and an ever-green. Everyo

habit; its flowers are the true pink, shading off to white, and of

dead flowers are picked off. The dwarf kinds are the most suitable, such as Oenothera marginata, missouriensis, linearis, and taraxacifolia. The last-named, however, is only a b

a warm red-brown colour, and the sweetest little yellow flowers imaginable; they are borne on very short stalks, and only come out when the sunshine encourages t

a dozen, and it is needless to say they require plenty of sunshine. The word phlox conveys to many people the idea of a tall autumn-flowering plant, with large umbels of flowers, individually about the size of a shilling. But these are not the only species; the alpine varieties are just as beautiful in a differe

. nepalensis is a good one, but the merits of p. fruticosa are much exag

izoon compactum is one of the best rosette species, and S. hypnoides densa of the mossy tribe; other kinds well worth growing are S. burseriana, which has pretty white flowers on red hai

unt of poor soil in which they are often seen growing. The cobweb species, called arachnoideum, is most interesting, and invariably admired by visitors; it has greyish-green rosettes, each one of which is covered with a downy thread in the

le, has been improved upon, and the novelty is called S. s. rosea. Another novelty is shortia galacifolia; it is a native of North America, and has white, bell-shaped flowers supported on elegant, hairy stems, the leaves are hear

ilmy heads like purple foam; S. gmelini and S. limonium are two of the best. When cut, the

ance to the maidenhair fern. T. adiantifolium and T. minus are very pretty; their flower-heads should always be

ets of purple, pink, and white blossom during summer; to thrive they must be exposed to full sunshine, when they will attract innumerable bees. The new kind, T. s

ese are somewhat tender, but if V. incana, V. longifolia-subsessilis, and V. prostrata are obtained, they will be sure to please. The first a

be amiss: the winter aconites are most appropriate so placed, and show to greater advantage than in the level border.

flowers having a conspicuous white eye. If left undisturbed they will spread rapidly, and come

and may be placed close to the chio

rk-blue colour, on stalks about five or six inches high; they flow

in bloom. They are very easy to manage, and rarely fail to make a good sh

n the open border is apt to get splashed, but amongst stones in a sheltered position on the rockery they

bulbs may be had of Messrs. Barr & Sons, 12, King Street, Covent Garden. Their daffodil nurseries at Long Ditton, near Surbiton, Surrey, are famous all the world over, but they also go in a great deal for hardy perennials and rock plant