Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Alpines => Topic started by: Nick_the_grief on March 18, 2011, 08:54:11 PM
-
My garden is split into two the top bit is looked after by my daughter mainly and my wife supervises and the bottom bit is mine to do as I please. The top is all gravel with borders and pots, and last years viola.s seemed to hace seeded themselves into the gravel succesfully, so much so that my wife and daughter want to plant some alpines in the gravel to run riot - any suggestions?
Also we have a small border between the pond and the fence thats never really been a sucess with shrubs ( too small for them I think) so Helen (my daughter) suggested a rockery now I know what plants it will have (saxifrages - my wife's favourites apparently) but the question is - how much rock should you have in a rockery? it's probably 12ft x 3ft and on a East facing fence(I'll probable add another 12" gravel board and make the fence panel shorter)
Thanks in advance
Nick
-
Many alpines will happily seed into gravel, and lewisias of the cotyledon type come especially to mind so small plants inserted should make themselves at home quickly. Of course things like thymes and Mentha requienii also love to grow anywhere they've placed themselves. Asteraceae such as erigerons, asters, many others will be happy in gravel and establish by seeding there as well. Try anything that's easy and seeds readily.
How much rock? Any amount from total outcrop with minute planting crevices, to none at all - the billiard table look. While rocks look good if well placed, they can be very expensive and if the space is small, each rock means fewer plants. Good drainage is more important than rocks, great though they may be.