This 1914 work is a comprehensive source of information on all aspects of creating a rock garden, still useful today.

Excerpt from Rock Gardening for Amateurs To have written a book on rock gardening for amateurs a few years ago would probably have proved futile, since comparatively few amateurs were interested. They were indifferent because ignorant of the charms and the possibilities of rockeries, and of the adaptability of alpine plants. The present popularity of rock gardening, and its wide appeal to all classes of flower lovers, are due to the fact that amateurs have begun to realise that the miniature plants from the high mountains and it is for their accommodation that rock gardens are made are intensely fascinating, and, on the whole, easy to grow. This result is doubtless owing in great degree to the discovery of new and beautiful kinds, and to the prominence given to rock plants at flower shows throughout the country. However this may be, rock gardening enjoys far greater popularity now than ever before, and garden lovers have found that a simple rockery can be just as delightful as an elaborate one. Alpine flowers should make an especial appeal to the possessor of a small garden, for it is possible to grow so many of them in a restricted area. Quite a small rockery will accommodate from one to two hundred alpines, and the more kinds one grows, the greater is the enjoyment; they vary so remarkably in growth in form and colour of leaf and blossom, and in their needs, as to afford unending delight to the gardener. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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AHS Book Award winner Rock gardening —the art of growing alpines and other miniature plants in the company of rocks in order to recreate the look of a rugged mountaintop—has been surging in popularity. Time and space constraints, chronic drought in the American West, and a trend toward architectural plants are just a few of the reasons for the increased interest. Rock Gardening brings this traditional style to a new generation of gardeners. It includes a survey of gorgeous rock gardens from around the world, the techniques and methods specific to creating and maintaining a rock garden, and profiles of the top 50 rock garden plants.

Table of Contents A Beginner’s Guide to Rock Gardens Introduction Wrong Way Of Placing Rocks The Right Way to Place Rock Stones Good Rock Work- Flat Ground Wall Stones on Slopes Choosing the Best Soil Building Your Rock Garden Planting Your Rock Plants Maintenance Conifers Bulbs List of Rock Plants, depending on the Particular Conditions and Places Rock Plants For Walls Crazy paving plants – Conclusion Author Bio Publisher Introduction Rock gardens have been part of landscaping and gardening lore for millenniums. In the East Japanese rock gardens or Zen gardens have been places where people could meditate in serene and harmonious surroundings. Why are more people designing their own gardens incorporating at least one rock garden in the design? Even if the rock garden is quite small, it is going to add a touch of distinction to the landscaping of your garden. In Japan, rock gardens were normally built as dry landscape gardens, where a number of landscapes were made up of natural compositions made from natural products incorporated into a landscape. These natural items included bushes, trees, Moss, water, rocks and sand. One believes that the concept of rock gardening originated in China, especially when the ancient religion of Shintoism spoke about places of harmony where one could commune with nature and the spirit in serenity. These were normally made in monasteries, where they could be seen from one focal point, like say the porch of the head priest of the monastery. These dry Landscape gardens which you call a Zen garden in Japan were built to be seen from one viewpoint, with the walling closed around it in ancient times. Nowadays they stretch on for miles incorporating all the natural features available and present in the area to make up harmonious surroundings. Japanese Zen gardens go back to 784 BC. Chinese gardens have been around for even longer. The incorporation of gravel and white sand in a Zen or rock garden was an important feature. These were the symbol of distance, emptiness, purity, white space and water. All these symbols were supposed to aid in meditation. White sand and gravel used harmoniously together were also used around temples, shrines and palaces.