My rock garden.

Some homeowners design rock gardens to (1) … rocky slopes in their yards. Others, like me, import rocks into yards that are flat and rockless.

Another consideration that can (2) … the design of rock gardens is space. I am allotting a small space for my rock garden. In larger spaces, the (3) … is often to create sprawling, naturalistic rock gardens. But as my space is restricted, I'm satisfied with what amounts to a round raised bed made of select rocks. This design fits neatly into the nook I have chosen for it. My small rock garden won't be in the way when I (4) … my lawn, nor will it (5) … much maintenance.

Yet a third design consideration is color. I have a collection of (6) … red sandstone pieces; they will provide the structure for my rock garden. This choice will influence my plant selection. I want a color scheme that will work well with the red sandstone. I would like some plants with a hint of red in them, but also some plants displaying (7) …, yellow and white.

The sandstone with which I'm working is hardly the most (8) … of materials. Indeed, many of the pieces are (9) …, well on their way to becoming soil! But (10) … was my goal, not longevity.

Task 16. Read the text and translate it in the written form:

adherence – приверженность

specimen – образец

percolate – просачиваться

compatible – совместимый

Choosing plants for the rock garden.

But the use of color schemes in landscaping projects differs markedly from their use in, say, painting, in at least one important respect. And that is that plants, as living things, have growing requirements to take into consideration. So adherence to color schemes in landscaping can never be as single-minded as it can be in the art world.

We have already looked at one growing requirement: drainage. I want specimens for my rock garden that will grow best when water percolates readily through their soil. It would be a mistake to add a plant that prefers wet soil to this mix, no matter how much it does for my color scheme. Only plants with similar growing requirements should be grouped together, unless you're willing to sacrifice longevity for temporary "good looks."

Besides drainage, other considerations are light requirements and amount of water needed. I want plants that will thrive in full sun, making them compatible both with each other and with the spot I chose for my rock garden. I would also prefer drought-tolerant plants, although, as I'll point out later, I did make an exception for one particularly handsome specimen, which I'll treat as an annual.

I'm also seeking some variation in plant-height and leaf-texture.

To summarize, before going to the nursery to shop for rock-garden plants, I've established certain criteria. My rock-garden plants should: fit into the desired color scheme, prefer good drainage, prefer a sunny area, exhibit some variation in height and texture.