Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Alpines => Topic started by: David on November 11, 2020, 10:13:16 AM
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Good morning, i am just starting in to the world of keeping alpines.
Could anyone advice me about growing alpines outside in containers. I understand about the compost and correct drainage. My question is, will they need overhead protection from the rain and what is the best position in the garden, ie sunny and full light? or are they best kept in a greenhouse?
Thanks for reading this and i am looking forward to being a member.
Best regards David
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Hello David, and a warm welcome to you!
There are a few alpines that do prefer to be protected from winter wet ( and some that resent summer wet too - a bit like most of us!) -but those are not in the general run of alpine plants that you are likely to buy. If you are buying from a good specialist nursery they will be able to advise you if a plant is better given some cover. By and large though, alpines are immensely hardy little things that will cope with all sorts of weather. As you get some experience in growing them you will discover that the odd one will be a bit fussy about its position, but most will grow well and give you great pleasure whether grown in a rock garden bed, trough or raised bed or in pots.
If you plan to grow a lot in pots it may be a goo idea to get some sort of cold frame so you can put the pots in it over winter- to give that bit of extra protection to the plants and the soil they're in if you are in an area where you get very cold/severe winter weather. Most troughs can provide enough protection to the soil in them except in deep freeze weather.
( see our list of some of the very best nurseries here: http://files.srgc.net/journals/NurseryListSRGC.pdf )
You are entering a world of plants with an amazing array of features- from all sorts of places around the world, where they survive in what we would think of as impossible conditions- Enjoy!!
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Thanks for your reply Maggi. I bought the plants from RHS Harlow Carr and are lovely looking plants.
I have put them in planters and i think i will keep them in my cold greenhouse for the winter.
And i have big problems with a b....y blackbird that keeps hoyking my young plants out,
Thanks David