The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
Rockweler Rockgardens
Time available for taking care of the rock garden is another consideration. If its construction is simple, and the plants in it are such that they will largely care for themselves, the rock garden will require very little time. A more elaborate scheme and the inclusion of varieties which easily perish or must be protected from more rampant growers, require quite as much care as any other kind of a garden.
Personal Taste. The most important thing, however, is to plant a rock garden which will please you. Before starting your own rock garden, you should by all means make the effort to visit several rock gardens so as to see firsthand for yourself the results which are possible. A number of the leading parks now have excellent rock gardens. Some of the nurseries specializing in rock plants have been wise enough to create small gardens on their own premises illustrating in a practical way what may be done. The various garden magazines, from time to time, illustrate good examples of rock gardening, and, almost without exception, the owners of these gardens are glad to welcome as a visitor any one who is interested in making a rock garden.
From whatever source you may get the ideas for your own rock garden, the important thing is to get them before you begin construction.
The Essentials Of Success
IN rock gardening, as in any other type of gardening, there are certain elemental requirements which must be provided before success is to be achieved.
For the great majority of plants which are suitable for use in a rock garden, there is nothing in the way of cultural peculiarities which may cause the beginner to hesitate. Some subjects, especially among the true alpines, are admittedly difficult to handle, but there is no occasion to try these at the beginning; and even in sections where they may not be grown at all, there are so many others which will do nicely that their absence is not a serious handicap.
CLIMATE
As in other types of gardening, so in rock gardening we have taken much of our garden lore from Europe, especially from England. The English climate is entirely different from that in most sections of the United States. So for many years the supposition prevailed that rock gardening was not adapted to American conditions. The reason for this supposition was that many rock plants and alpines which thrive in the English climate were not so well pleased with the environment they found over here; but no notice was taken of the fact that there are just as many plants suitable for rock-garden work which thrive better in our American climate than they do in England!
