Most rock plants are open to full light of the sky, though not to full power of the sun all day. Many a site is in full or partial shade from buildings or tall trees. Such is not a proper place for a rock garden, for this is merely a shaded wild garden with rocks added for appearance. No special skill is needed in placing the rocks or garden statuary, for these are not necessary to the growth of the plants, as the shade helps to keep an even temperature and unvarying moisture in air and soil.

If the natural soil is clay or pure sand, or very hard, it should be removed to a depth of at least a foot, and the usual rock garden soil recipe used, with extra measure of vegetable fibre and leaf mold. In planting a rock garden you are imitating conditions in rocky woods where Maidenhair Fern or Hepatica is found, and merely compressing in a small compass the flowers of many leagues of woods.

As summer rain may not be plentiful and the poor plants become quite dry in this manufactured dale, it will be well to soak thoroughly with the hose twice a month in July and August. This and necessary weeding are all the after-care, and compared to a high power rock garden this is childishly easy to make and to operate. 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 prefer shade. 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 their foliage will be luxuriant throughout the summer.

It would be very pleasant to add 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. You can dig many of these woodland plants 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. Suggested plants to use near woodland and water areas are:

• 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 Ladyslipper
• Candidum, White Ladyslipper
• Montanum, Mountain Ladyslipper