The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

Rockweler Rockgardens

Then too, something may be done towards protecting them from being beaten down and soil spatted in the onslaught of March and April storms, by providing them with a ground cover of some sort, or if there has not been time to provide that, stone chips and peatmoss, which will not spatter like soil. For the sorts with fairly large foliage, such for instance as the Heavenly Blue grape hyacinth, one must take into calculation that the leaves will occupy some space for several weeks after the flowers have departed; so do not put them where they will be in the way of choice small things, or where the space might be used more advantageously for something else.

Below is a brief list of some of the species and varieties of bulbs suitable for planting in the rock garden; while not complete, it yet presents a considerable range from which selections may be made, and indicates the type of bulbs which may be used if one cares to experiment further in this direction.

Alliums: Small heads of mauve and reddish flowers on stems 6 to la inches tall; Cyaneum, dwarf and blue, and Moly, bright yellow, are two of the most satisfactory.
Bulbocodium: Cheery little rosy purple flowers two weeks ahead of the crocuses.
Chionodoxa (Glory of the Snow) : One of the joys of early spring; Sardensis gives us the first note of blue in the spring 'garden; there are other pale blue and white forms flowering later.
Calochortus: The "Butterfly-tulip" of delicate shades of rose, white, lavender and primrose; grows to 18inches tall; full sun and gritty soil; hardy with protection.
Colchicum: Autumn flowering bulbs, excellent for the rockery, especially with sedums, saxifrages, arenarias and other low growing rock plants; will do well in partial shade.
Crocus: The ordinary bedding varieties, if used in small groups will answer, but the species are better for the rock garden; these include the early crocus (C. imperati) and C. tommasinianus, blooming in March or even in February; the Scotch crocus (C. bifiorus) ; and Cloth of Gold (C. susianus) a few weeks later.
Eranthis hymenalis (Winter Aconite): One of the very earliest to bloom, and a bright pure yellow; prefers moist soil even in partial shade; long season of bloom and beautiful foliage; most satisfactory.
Erythronium (Dogwood Violets or Trout-lily): Excellent native plants for shade spots; several species, all good; dens-canis is earliest; give leaf mold soil and mulch during summer.
Fritillaria meleagris (Checkered-Lily) : These queer and quaint little checkered, nodding bell flowers, growing about a foot tall and blooming in April, breathe the rock garden spirit and are easy to establish; pudica is a yellow variety, doing well in gritty soil; recurva is a good variety for the rock garden.