Rock Garden Plants

Rock plants are so numerous that only the best of the different families can be mentioned.

Acaena - Dwarf plants for carpeting. Only the New Zealand variety (A.microphylla) should be grown, and that for the sake of its crimson spines.

Achillea - The best of the rock garden kinds are Umbellata, with silver foliage and white flowers, and Tomentosa, bright yellow. A fairly dry soil suits them best.

Adonis - Pheasant's Eye. A very precious plant. A.vernalis (Ox-Eye), forms dense clumps of fern like foliage, from which rise large yellow flowers. It blooms in spring, and is suited to a good loamy soil. Division or seeds.

AEthionema - An Alpine sub-shrub. A.grandiflorum, forms dense spreading masses of foliage, covered with stout racemes of rosy flowers. Owing to its prostrate habit it is useful for mantling the edges of rocks. Well drained loam. Seeds. This is quite one of the loveliest of Alpine plants.

Alyssum - Madwort. A charming spring flower. A.saxatile (Gold Dust) with its brilliant corymbs, blooms in autumn as well as spring.

Androsace - The best kinds are : A.carnea, Glacialis, and Helvetica.

Anemone - Wind-flower. A.apennina, A.blanda, A.pulsatilla.

Antennaria - Cat's Ear. Dwarf plants, of which A.tomentosa forms a silver carpet of foliage. A.dioica, with pink flowers, is worth growing. Simple culture.

Anthemis - Rock Camomile. A.aizoon forms pretty tufts, with daisy like flowers.

Anthericum - St Bruno's Lily. The lily of the Alpine pastures. A deep, sandy soil suits it, and the roots may be divided in autumn. A carpeting of Saxifrages or other dwarf plants look charming as a groundwork for a clump of St Bruno's Lily. A.liliastrum.

Arabis - Rock Cress. Well known and invaluable. A.albida (White Rock Cress) and rosea a deep pink form, should be grown. Succeeds in any soil.

Arenaria - Sandwort. Beautiful plants, with compact masses of foliage, and myriad blossoms. A.balearica (Creeping Sandwort) and the Mountain kind (A.montana), should be in every rock garden. Seed or division.

Armeria - Thrift. Dense tufts of grass like foliage, with rosy flowers. A.cephalotes (Great Thrift), and A.caespitosa (Tufted Thrift) are suitable for association with tall and dwarf plants respectively. Poor sandy soil. Seed.

Aubrietia - Purple Rock Cress. Though common rock plants, they are of the utmost value. A.deltoidea and A.groeca are among the best. Any poor gritty soil will grow Aubrietias, and they are readily increased, either by seeding or division.

Bulbocodium - Spring Meadow Saffron. Among the spring flowers in the rock garden, the deep, rosy flowers of B.vernum are very beautiful. Warm, sandy soil. Division of the bulbs.

Campanula - Harebell. One of the most beautiful families for the rock garden, The Carpathian Harebell (C.carpatica) bears light blue flowers at midsummer. C.caespitosa (Tufted Harebell) is excellent for rock steps and the edges of stone flags, the American Hare­bell (C.pulla), a lovely kind, does best in slight peat and sand.

Other good varieties are Cenisia and Garganica, the latter suited to rock ledges, over which its pale blue flower racemes hang in great profusion. Campanulas are so charming that in their case we cannot have too many species.

Cerastium - Mouse-ear Chickweed. Dwarf, silver­leaved Alpines, bearing numerous white flowers from May to July. The variety Biebersteini is easily grown and is one of the best.

Cheiranthus - Wallflower. For rock garden grouping, the bright orange variety Marshalli is the finest. The Alpine Wallflower (C.alpinus, syn. Erysimum ochro­leucum) is valuable for the joints of rock walling. The perennial Wallflowers thrive in poor soil and a dry position in winter. Cuttings.

Colchicum - Meadow Saffron. Drifts of the rosy flowered C.autumnale look exquisite in the grassy approaches to the rock garden. The leaves die down before the blossoms appear, hence the necessity for a carpeting of grass or dwarf Alpines. They are easily grown, increase freely and brighten the garden at a time when flowers are scarce.

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