By the time a few feet of finished rock face have been laid, the need for walks for access and circulation will be obvious. Theoretically, in a rock garden the careful visitor may leap from rock to rock anywhere and observe every plant at close hand, but since every good garden is open to crowds of visitors at the height of its flowering season, walks must be provided far out of scale to the needs for caring for the plants and the size of the artificial hillside. Many gardeners choose to mark paths with garden statuary.

Where the walking is greatest and the slope steep, it is best to lay down flat stones, often quickly using the available supply of flattened rocks. Minor walks may be surfaced with sand, peat, or pine needles, to be covered by creeping plants like Thyme. On sharp slopes rough steps must be laid, not too irregular, and yet avoiding a finished effect. In the joints all kinds of tiny rock plants will be at home. The walks would normally follow the valleys, but at times run along the ridges.

It is a nice problem to give easy walking service to visitors, access to all plants, and yet make an arrangement pleasing to the eye and not too much unlike natural trails. As the rocks are laid in place, firmly locked and embedded, all freshly broken sides and the faces originally discolored by the soil should be turned in out of sight; and the weathered, mossy, and lichened areas turned to view.

This gives the appearance of age and stability, but calls forth another complaint from your suffering workmen at your continued suggestions. If a stone rests best with broken face outward and mossy surface buried, why change it about? For the first part of the back fill of soil, the original soil of the site can be used (unless clay), but the last six to eight inches of soil below the finished surface should be of the special prepared mixture.

This should be well rammed, pounded, pushed into every crevice, layer, and pocket with stone chips and pebbles put in for further drainage. With so loose a soil (mostly sand, pebbles, and fiber) there is no danger of pounding it too compactly; and rain and frost should not move it about much. A final layer of an inch of sand or shredded peat may be put on as a finishing touch, not so much for the neat effect as to keep out germinating weeds.

If the pockets are to be planted at once, the soil must be well watered, with great care to avoid washing the soil and loosening the rocks. It is best to wait several months from the time of construction to planting (summer construction and next spring planting), giving nature a chance to pass judgment on the new scenery before vegetation is added. Also the weeds which got in during the building will show themselves and may be wholly excavated and eradicated while the pockets are otherwise empty.