Rock-Rose

THE ROCK-ROSE, Helianthemum vulgar

A ROCK-ROSE may be more properly called a sun-rose, for a Helianthemum must be a flower of the sun. The plants of this class known to gardens are very beautiful and thoroughly useful. The rockroses belong to the Cistus family, which love sunshine, and produce gay flowers. The best of the group is Cistus ladanifera, a hardy shrub in the south of England, and one that makes an impression when seen at its best, and very often it is in the tiny front garden of some old-fashioned house in a sleepy country town that this gay cistus will be found in perfection. From thence to the grand rockery is a great transition, but having made it, we see the cistus again and amid grander surroundings. But in the many gardens where such plants are wanted to illustrate the variety and splendour of true garden vegetation, we shall scarcely find any cistus or any sun-rose.

To begin with sun-roses is easy enough, and it is easy to go on with them. The best place for them is the sunny ledge of a good rockery, on a sandy or calcareous soil, where they will take care of themselves, spreading and flowering in the most delightful manner. But as we never know what we can do until we try, it remains to be said as regards the general subject of growing sun-roses, that they thrive fairly well on heavy soil and under the shade of large trees. In the arboretum at Hermitage a considerable collection of Helianthemums, generously supplied by Mr. Ware for experimental purposes, were planted on the margin of a mound consisting of heavy loamy soil, beneath the shade of ash and chestnut trees. The rock-roses stood the trial well; they grew with vigour, flowered with freedom, were altogether delightful, and occupied their shady mound for the space of nine years. The plants were very small indeed when first put into the ground, but they spread to the dimensions of many feet before their race was run. They were not in completer shade, because the morning sun reached them from open meadows skirting their side of the garden, and with the sunshine came sweet air from the east, which we may suppose they fully enjoyed.