But the peculiar charm of a rock garden is not in plants that are two feet high or more. It is in the plants that grow only a few inches high, for it is a never-ending delight to see them spread out until they carpet a space three to ten feet square. Do not forget that all the plants in the next list really grow on the Alps, and have the true alpine charm: yet you can order the plants from any American nurseryman, either in spring or fall. As a rule, it is not safe to set out newly bought alpine plants in autumn, but you need not be afraid of these:

Common Names

Scientific Names

Colours

Season

Hepatica

Hepatica triloba

white, purple, pink, blue March

Spring Adonis

Adonis vernalis

yellow

April

Wood anemone

Anemone nemorosa

white

April

Yellow fumitory

Corydalis lutea

yellow

Apr.-Oct.

Lungwort

Pulmonaria officinalis

blue

April

Pyramidal saxifrage

Saxifraga Cotledon

white

Apr.-May

Geneva bugle

Ajuga Genevensis

blue

May

Common bugle

Ajuga reptans

purple

May

Snowdrop windflower

Anemone sylvestris

white

May-July

Fringed pink

Dianthus superbus

lilac

May-June

Marsh gentian

Gentiana Pnemonanthe

blue

May-July

Cushion pink

Silene acaulis

pink

May-Aug.

Common Names

Scientific Names

Colours

Season

Mountain speedwell

Veronica montana

blue

May-June

Woolly yarrow

Achillea tomentosa

yellow

June

Alpine aster

Aster alpinus

purple

June

Cheddar pink

Dianthus casius

rose

June

Harebell

Campanula rotundifolia

blue

June-Aug.

Maiden pink

Dianthus deltoides

pink, white

June

Yellow gentian

Gentiana lutea

yellow

June-July

Bird's foot trefoil

Lotus corniculatus

yellow

June-Aug.

Wall pepper

Sedum acre

yellow

June-Aug.

Coat flower

Tunica Saxifraga

pink

June-Aug.

Alpine soapwort

Saponaria ocymoides

crimson

July-Aug.

White stonecrop

Sedum album

white

July

Cobweb houseleek

Sempervivum arachnoideum

red

July