Gardening Notes

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 3, 12 June 1930, Page 9

Gardening Notes

MORE ABOUT ROCK GARDENS

During tie winter months when gardens are dull ,and lifeless, and the paMi of winter has settled aver everything, there is much that the enthusiast may do in formulating new schemes and making alterations, but- perhaps there is nothing •to which his attention eoiiM be nioro pleasuraWy and profitably turned than the making of a rock gar-den. Considering the ease with which alpine plantsmay be grown, and what a charm there is about them, it is a matter for regret that so few rock gardens dxist, as they can ho made in quite a limited space, and the owner of a small garden obtains :m immense amount of pleasure from its flowers. v One point in favour/of-a rock garden is that once it is constructed it requires much less attention than an ordinary border, and involves very imioh less labour to keep 4t- going well. There is. no*' tying up to be done, no staking necessary, and no digging up each autumn. Moreover, weeds* are nrueh more easily kept down than in an.ordinary bed, and, as a rock; garden is usually raised above' the ground level, it is much less back-aching work than ordinary gardening. There.is, i$ is true, something to be done each year in the way of toj)-dressing the plants,' and this is ■very necessary to keep them in good •health; also many rack plants, such as Helran/themnms, Alyssixm, etc., require judicious trimming after flowering, in order to prevent them from getting • < leggy,'' but these are neither difficult nor laborious matters.

An ideal position for a Tq&kery is in the open, yet sheltered from cold winds; in f uli sun, yet so arranged that shadeQioving plants may be aecoinmbdated. A site away from a wall affords the best choice of exposures; toy means of all positions is under trees, botih. siiaded and exposed to drip in .wet weather. Fox even such an undesirable site plants can be selected, but they will never groiw so well as t^ose in more. congenial position. The^ size and height of the rookery are determined by local conditions and oireumstanices. A small1 Toek bed will grow most alpines as well as the most expensive roekwork, amd :nany a garden raised not more than two or t&ree fecit above the surface, and set yith large stones, will produce plants which -wiM.he the envy of owners of costly rock

gardens

Drainage is a matter that should receive much attention. It is a good .plan to dig out the soil on the site to a de*ptlt of a-boTiit a foot, and fiMmg up the Tiole with broken glass, bricks; etc.

■:■ In the actual of the rock#ery one. of two metillods is usually followed. One is to lay the stones'of; the first layer in the manner-desired, and -t^en to fill" up with soil behind,' proceeding In a similar way'until the work is comploteil. A simpler plan, and one especially suited to a small rockery, is to make fho mound of soil roughly of the shape and fi-elght desired, and then to arrange, the. stones as may. be required. The ' earth " s-hould be made '.thoroughly '•ftmi between, the stones; many plants are lost owing to the soil shrinking and leaving crevices in which the roots perish. The former mcthosl of ibuiMin-'g is the better one where good stones are available, bu/t in some cases it is necessary to combine the-two plans and to work as'-the'.■construction proceeds in the most-',"convenient manner. If a drain is laid it can be led inilo a small ai-tifieia.l. bog or little '- pool-^-a rpleasing addition, oven to the smallest rock garden;