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In most books on rock gardening, a large part of the space is devoted to the description of plants, and of individual varieties. This is as it should be, and to those who are taking up seriously this fascinating form of gardening, the acquisition of at least one or two of these larger volumes is by all means recommended. Anyone planning a rock garden should conduct more research than simply what this article contains.
Bulbs for a Rock Garden:
To one who thinks of bulbs in terms of Darwin tulips with three-foot stems, and the modern Giant Trumpet daffodils, in the spring garden, or of gladiolus and dahlias throughout the summer months, the rock garden would seem to offer no suitable place of residence for this important group of flowers. Many "complete" catalogs of rock garden plants contain never a whisper concerning bulbs, though often including shrubs, evergreens, and garden fountains ().
It may be argued that the bulbous flowers, even when dwarf enough to merit a place in the rock garden, are not sufficiently similar in habit of growth to other rock plants to entitle them to recognition. This, of course, is a matter of taste and not to be dogmatically settled one way or the other. The contention that bulbs are not legitimate subjects for the rock garden has had more weight abroad among the advocates of alpine gardening, pure and undefiled than it has in the states.
In most American rock gardens, bulbs have been made welcome and are likely to be used more rather than less in the future, as knowledge concerning them becomes more widespread. For one thing, they may be successfully grown over a much wider range of climatic conditions than the true alpines.
But the fact that there are some bulbs which may be welcomed into the rock garden, makes it no less necessary to have them qualify as to size, habit of growth, and character. The first point is easily settled. The most extreme novice at rock gardening would hardly think of including Darwin tulips or gladiolus; in general, 12 or 15 inches will mark the limit in height. These types of bulbs fit well with rock gardens with classical garden features, such as those found in the Williamsburg Collection, .
Failing to pass in habit of growth and character, are such obviously formal things as hyacinths, double tulips, and most of the Early and Cottage varieties—even most of the daffodils are a bit too bulky and stiff and garden-border looking.
But, fortunately, we have left a most gay and companionable little company which includes such things as the smallest of the daffodils, which are lost among their more robust sisters in the garden border, even though they may be grown there; many of the fascinating little tulip species; the trooping company of the brave-hearted "minor bulbs" which come to meet the spring almost before the earliest of the rock plants have opened an eye—the grape hyacinths, snowdrops, scillas, chionodoxas, and dainty little wild crocuses.
One should never want to be without these little treasures in their rock garden, even if located where all the most difficult and rare alpines might be grown. There are many others equally desirable, including numerous native American species which are gradually becoming available, to extend the season of little bulbs in the rock garden from the grape hyacinths, through the later blooming scillas, to the autumn flowering crocuses in the fall.
To make your rock garden pleasing to the eye, you should seek out the greatest variety of plants. At the same time, you have to look at keeping a unified but not uniform effect. It is possible to make the planting too wild and unkempt, but more often a rock garden looks entirely too much dressed and too well tended to represent the moods of nature. There is a certain unity and plan in the arrangement of the wild flowers of the fields, and this intangible scheme should be your guide in planning the placing.
With all this striving for variety in unity, it is a good idea to keep the flower masses of the same date of bloom somewhat apart, getting fewer of the flower combinations than is planned for a flower border. The requirements of finished pictorial composition are less desired here, the effect being decidedly more toward the very uneven and picturesque, with the tenets of the art of manmade pictures as little in evidence as possible.
Further, each plant is to be enjoyed to a degree of itself, and it is distracting to have several adjoining pockets all in best bloom at once. Without making the arrangement spotty, it is better to stage the bloom of any week rather widely over the whole garden area, leaving each flower group set off by stones, wall fountains, garden water features, large waterfalls, and foliage with quite a patch of one plant and then no bloom for a distance, as often is the case in nature.
Yet companion crops, as tiny yellow Daffodils blooming in purple Aubrietia, are always desired and welcomed. It is hopeless to explain in words how to do it and yet not overdo each requirement. Not only do you want the interests of the plants well distributed over the area of the garden, but through the weeks of the year as well. Of course the climax of flower comes in the spring months; therefore, you must put a lot of thought into how you can much to maintain interest at other times of the year.
Many plants of evergreen foliage must be used, more than half the total planting being of this nature. Little bulbs may be added rather freely as second crop in the pockets, the bloom appearing before (or after) that of the major occupant of the pocket (or as companion bloom). Interest of foliage, as of Fern, Sempervivum, or Mossy Saxifrage; of habit, as tufted mats of Diapensia or irregular stems of Cotoneaster; or in fruits, as of Cornus canadensis, can always be employed to carry on the pictures when flowers are absent.
A garden of this nature, when devoid of interest with items such as large water features, outdoor fountains, or garden statuary, indicates a poor play on the part of the planner. Yet, in the zeal of getting a wide distribution of interests both in position and time of appearance, don't forget to produce striking flower effects at times. 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, you can 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.
You can also use the geographic restriction 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. The rock gardener should take advantage of strategically placing patio statuary, a patio fountain, or a garden waterfall in the area of the garden to break up the monotony of too many rocks that look similar.
These water features are also an excellent place to place specialty rocks the gardener wants to bring attention to. 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.