The Rock Garden

For over 30 years Clarence Hay maintained an extensive index card file in which he meticulously noted scientific name, cultural information, source of plant material and field observations for the 600 different species and cultivars of rock garden and alpine plants that he tended. He noted, for example, that in 1928 two Gentiana acaulis were transplanted from the original Old Garden to the Rock Garden. The plants were moved again in 1935 when the Gentian section was established. He attributed the demise of the last specimen to the anti-mole gas he had used to combat an invasion. Renovation and maintenance of the rock garden is an important objective and the garden now features many of the original plants augmented with over 600 distinct species introduced during the first two years of reconstruction.