Crevice Gardening ......in defence of rock.....

[astragalus]

More in the crevice garden.  The dianthus is planted in a steep crevice on the back of the cliff in full sun.

     Dianthus arpadianus
     Eriogonum umbellatum ssp porteri

[astragalus]

This is certainly becoming dianthus time.  They seem to like full sun in the natural crevices on the back of the cliff.  The labels were lost to deer.  A couple of them are even fragrant.  It's also convolvulus time.  The one shown is in a crevice on the back of the cliff and looking happy.  This site gets sun all day long and a lot of wind as well.

  Dianthus sp.
  Dianthus sp in cliff crevice
  Dianthus sp.
  Convolvulus suendermanii

[Tim Ingram]

The convolvulus is astonishingly beautiful. I bought this plant last May from Ota Vlasák but unfortunately haven't kept it - it will be top of my seed list next season! Isn't it a problem? Once you see plants growing where they are so well suited you just have to make a garden that gives them the same. We have a dream project of removing an old leyland hedge and replacing it with a tufa (or hypertufa) and/or crevice garden, and this would be just the place for such plants.

[astragalus]

Sounds like a plan, Tim.  Hope you can get started on it soon.  I really like all the convolvulus, especially C. boisseri, the foliage is so beautiful and the flowers are the whitest white possible.

[krisderaeymaeker]

I really like all the convolvulus, especially C. boisseri, the foliage is so beautiful and the flowers are the whitest white possible.

Oh yes me to Anne . Here they like the most sunny places in the tufa -crevice garden. The smal crevices between the tufarocks I filled up with a mix of sand and grit. No other stuff ............

[astragalus]

The convolvulus seem to like things very lean so you have the perfect idea, Kris.

Arenaria is pictured growing in a trough but it is also in bloom in the crevice garden.  It's very interesting how this starts growing in cultivation.  In its native haunts, it forms a dome.  Some of them get sizeable and must be at least 50 years old.  In the garden, it often starts out life with a lumpy shape (sometimes almost a mat).  After a few years it starts to bulk up instead of spreading and it will form a small dome. It's very floriferous.

[Lesley Cox]

Luit, could you make use of a piece of root of Carduncellus rhaponticoides? Mine is doing very nicely and it is easy from root cuttings, as is C. pinnatus of course. Let me know. I admit to some small experience now of sending small plants around the world successfully.

[Lesley Cox]

Delighted to see Penstemon spathulatus in such gorgeous bloom. I have really good mats of it, even to about 30cms across and maybe 4 years old but never a flower yet. Maybe it's soil is too rich? Any suggestions Anne?

[astragalus]

Lesley, I grow it in a very lean mix that's fairly rich in minerals, no humus.  I've seen it in the Wallowa Mountains and it's beautiful there.  In the garden it seems relatively easy.  Maybe your mix is just too rich.

[Lesley Cox]

Thank you Anne, I'm sure you are right. I have several small potted plants - I think they were originally from Ratko seed - so I'll try a couple potted in a harder mix and at least one in a biggish trough with a scree-type mix. I can't resist that super blue.

[astragalus]

Lesley, if you can't resist the blues, try Penstemon nitidus and Penstemon uintahensis.  I think those blues could fairly be described as electrifying.  When you see them bloom, you can't tke your eyes away.

[astragalus]

The crevice gardens are continuing to please.  Every day's morning tour finds something to photograph.  You can't photograph much beyond 9 a.am because the sun is so bright the photographs are totally washed out.  Lately, of course, we haven't seen much sun - just too much rain.  The potentilla and helianthemum are in a crevice at the top of the cliff - nice size for distant viewing.

1. Campanula betulifolia in newest crevice garden
2. Potentilla davurica mandschurica and Helianthemum num. 'Annabel' (maybe)
3. Helianthemum num. 'Annabel'?

[astragalus]

Some more at the top of the cliff - Moltkia petraea starting and Acantholimon sp.  Also Centaurea bilkevensis, Moltkia petraea and one flower of Leontopodium nivale (very disappointing).

[astragalus]

A few more at the top of the cliff.
1. Bolax glebaria
2. Moltkia petraea

[Tim Ingram]

Just seen Moltkia petraea growing and flowering in profusion on the crevice planting a Wisley. And really like the centaurea - both of these are plants we must grow. (But we can't provide such beautiful rockwork!)