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

American Rock Gardens

The great difference is in the plants used. In the main, an entirely new list of plants must be procured. Lovers of sun or alkali will never thrive, and we bring our treasures from the woodland flora. Many are the native American plants suited for this treatment, and dealers in wild, flowers usually indicate those that are shadepreferring. Any hardy fern, not over a foot in stature (unless this area is very large), will grow wonderfully well here, even too well in case of Hayscented and Lady Ferns. The flowers will be mostly of the spring season, but foliage will be luxuriant throughout the summer.

Very pleasant it is as contrast and variety to have this woodland garden adjoin the true rock garden, and a new plant which dies in one area may thrive in the other. Or this planting may be built anywhere in the woods where rocks can be placed under trees, and nature will take a large part of the burden of the after-care. There is no winter protection, for frost heaving is impossible. This is, then, the simplest kind of rock planting, but the difficulty comes in making special choice of the plants.

Many of these woodland plants may be dug from the woods of our northern states, but it is cheaper and easier as a rule to buy from dealers in native plants. From our southern forests or the Rockies the list would be quite different.

WOODLAND ROCK GARDEN PLANTS
Anemone apennina, Apennine Anemone
—blanda, Greek Anemone
—nemorosa, European Wood Anemone
—*quinquefolia, American Wood Anemone
—ranunculoides, Buttercup Anemone, etc.
*Anemonella thalictrioides, Rue Anemone
*Asarum canadense, Canadian Wildginger
—*caudatum, Longtail Wildginger
—europaeum, European Wildginger, etc.
*Asclepias quadrifolia, Fourleaf Milkweed
Asperula odorata, Sweet Woodruff
*Chimaphila maculata, Striped Pipsissewa
—*umbellata, Common Pipsissewa
Cimicifuga japonica, Japanese Bugbane
—simplex, Kamchatka Bugbane
*Claytonia caroliniana, Carolina Springbeauty
—*virginica, Springbeauty
*Cornus canadensis, Bunchberry
*Cypripedium californicum, California Lady-
slipper
—*candidum, White Ladyslipper
—*montanum, Mountain Ladyslipper