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

American Rock Gardens

Yet in the zeal of getting a wide distribution of interests both in position and time of appearance, forget not to produce striking flower effects at times and use special plants for accent and attract attention to these by their own charm and their placing. A patch of Gentiana verna is a magnificent solo requiring no orchestra of other spring flowers, nor do Primula luteola, Cyclamen count, or *Viola pedata need any helpers in presenting their message. *Iris cristata may walk about and mingle its bloom with that of *Phlox douglasii. Yellow Alyssum, White Iberis, Pink Arabis, and Purple Aubrietia may fall down a cliff and bloom together. In this planting, man may take a mean advantage over nature in that geographic distances can be overcome and flowers of Patagonia, Oregon, Finland, and Japan may all grow happily on one small mound. Or the geographic restriction may be used to a degree, and only wild flowers of one's own region be allowed, or of one major mountain range, as Caucasus, Alps, Rockies, or Andes. Soil conditions may always be made a control of plants to be used. Botany may become a major factor, and certain families or genera may dominate, as Primrose, *Pentstemon, or * Phlox; or definite flower shapes or foliage habits, as bell-like flower or grassy leafage, may be made the main motive. All kinds of intricate schemes can be thus elaborated. No other kind of gardening has such possibilities of variations.

The plan here presented indicates the working out of some of the ideas of rock construction and plant grouping, in so far as plan can demonstrate the theory. This is a corner of a garden of several sections, but shows certain characteristics found in any of them. The soil is acid or neutral. The limelovers are eliminated, as this soil is not suitable for many of the herbs of the Alps or our Western plains. It is in full sun all day long; the surface slopes to northeast.

Our present lesson is the placing of the planting in the pockets. Evergreen foliage is well distributed, yet omitting Heartleaf Saxifrage and Snow-in-Summer as too robust. The higher spots are further elevated by dwarf shrubs, which are nearly as bulky as the largest stones. Low hollows are kept sunken by planting only the lowest of creepers (Area A on plan).

FIG. 11.—PLAN OF BED