n
between the stones. Such a path will be found more than worth while, and
not as much of an undertaking as it may seem.

Obvious considerations are that plants with a decided hankering after
moisture or shade should be favored in the matter of location, though it
is astonishing how adaptive many of them are.

Do not plant the weak next to the strong. Unless you are a gardener of
eternal vigilance, the weak will have the worst of it before you realize
what a mistake you have made.

Finally, do not forget that planting is not the end; it is only the
beginning--of planting. So long as the rock garden exists there will
always be planting. Normal mortality will necessitate some, there will
be thinning out, and time will suggest additions and more or less
rearrangement.

And with the planting goes on the continual care, much of which can be
done in the course of the daily walk in the garden, and therefore the
loss of time will not be felt. Water in case of a real drought, but use
a sprinkler, and do not stop until the ground has been soaked to a depth
of a few inches. Mere surface watering is bad enough in the ordinary
garden; in a rock garden it is a fatal error, as the growth of roots
near the top of the soil leaves the plants in no condition to stand the
full force of the summer sun.

Go over the garden thoroughly once a year and all the time keep a sharp
lookout for weeds. If the soil is heavy, top-dress with grit in the
fall. Grit is good for rock plants. Stone chips placed around a plant
will prevent too much dampness lodging about the collar in winter. Watch
out for weak spots after very heavy rains.

PLANTS FOR A ROCK GARDEN

So many plants are suitable for a rock garden that the range of choice
is bewildering. In this, as in the laying out of the garden,
advisability takes precedence over pure personal desire, though, very
fortunately, it is often not difficult to make the two go hand in hand;
a little intelligent thought helps a lot.

To the beginner, no better advice can be given than that which applies
to the picking out of the rocks--use the material which is close at
hand. This is not, by any means, a mere suggestion to follow the lines
of least resistance. It is far more. In the first place, there is always
an endless amount of beautiful and suitable plant life to be had
without going far afield. Then again, natural harmonious effects in your
immediate neighborhood are pretty sure to be appro