Blog of the construction of a new tufa mound in the rock garden

[astragalus]

So gorgeous!  The jankaemonda is awesome.

[tonyg]

Fabulous to see the success of the project.

We were talking about tufa at an AGS conference yesterday.  It is very hard to get hold of in the UK ... and very expensive.  You talked about collecting it from your local alpine nursery when you started this thread.  Is it still available?  How much does it cost?  ...... Could you bring a load over next time you come 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Thanks for the comments everybody !
I will be making some further entries with plant details shortly.

@ Tonyg : It is still available, Tony and in different sizes.  The nursery is near Bruges... so why not visit Bruges and go home with a load of Tufa...  
The cost is 0,60 € per kilo... it pays to go after a dry spell.... tufa rock is a lot lighter than ! 
  We might consider bringing Tufa when coming to collect our next supply of John Innes...

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Time to havez a more closer look at the plants.

In flower at the moment :

Aethionema kotschyi - in full sun

Asperula daphneola starting to flower.

Ramberlea 'Inchgarth' (ramonda x haberlea) on the shadow side

Viola cazorlenzis x delphinanta in full sun

All these are in their 3rd season now and are NOT planted IN the rock, but in the crevices between the rocks.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

5 more that flowered a couple of weeks ago :

Aethionema subulatum : in a tufahole, 3 years old.
Alyssum propinquum : between the rocks - 2nd year
Asperula arcadiensis : between the rocks - new
Daphne petrea grandiflora : in a tufahole, 3 years old
Daphne petrea 'Tremalzo' : between the rocks - 2 years old

More to follow.

[astragalus]

Luc, such wonderful plants.  I didn't know there was a cross between haberlea and ramonda, it's beautiful.

[ranunculus]

Wonderful blog, Luc … super plants and gorgeous images.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Another year gone by since the last entry - this is how the Tufa mound looks at the moment.

Saxifraga x 'Tumbling Waters' dominates.

A self sown Aquilegia bertolonii at the foot of the mound also attracts the attention.

Another work of nature is this self sown Hypericum cerastioides at the front of the mound.

Viola cazorlenzis x delphinanta (front center) is still flowering it's heart out.

The rhododendrons form a welcome background.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Some plant details :

Aethionema kotschyi... I love it.

The same Aethionema with it's neighbour Edraianthus dinaricus

Aquilegia bertolonii

Campanula dasyantha superba - a giant bell !

[Luc Gilgemyn]

A hybrid Dianthus - seedling of "La Bourboule" but clearly larger in all its parts - does very well in the tufa hole.

Edraianthus dinaricus seeds freely in and among the tufa blocks.

Saxifraga x 'Tumbling Waters'

Viola cazorlenzis x delphinanta

[Steve Garvie]

Very impressive Luc!!!

An informative and enlightening blog with wonderful images!
Makes we want to have a go. Unfortunately there seems to be no source of tufa over here (nor peat blocks).

[astragalus]

Luc, I've followed this since the beginning and your plantings are so impressive.  Loved seeing the Hypericum cerastioides which never seems to have a problem, lasts for many years and over here seems to be ignored.  The background of flowering rhododenrons is spectacular (and not possible in a windy, dry garden like mine).  Please keep posting pictures of your success story.

[ebbie]

Great! Please more!

[ranunculus]

Looks WONDERFUL, Luc!!

[Tim Ingram]

Such a great way of growing plants Luc! Like Steve says the lack of availability of tufa in the UK is so frustrating. It turns up every now and again and gets snapped up like golddust  . An enterprising stonemerchant would surely generate specialist interest amongst all that fine polished stone that comes in for all sorts of other uses. Once you start using it to grow alpines you are hardly likely to stop!