Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Alpines => Topic started by: mark smyth on June 04, 2011, 07:05:30 PM
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I have a 'trough' that badly needs an update. The down side is it faces south and is sheltered from the rain by the sun room. Our rain mostly comes from the west so this only gets rain when it comes from the south or straight down. There is enough moisture that keeps Androsaces and bulbs happy.
What, if any, small plants would be happy here?
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Some of the tiny Dianthus? sempervivums? Heaps of other stuff if you were willing to give it the occasional can of water. Maybe the very tiniest bearded irises?
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oooh never thought of Iris and Cayeux has a new range of miniature bearded Iris ::)
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The small penstemons, like Penstemon caespitosus, should do nicely.
The small bearded iris are excelent. The more austere the conditions, the better the arcing of the foliage. And there is always cactus for troughs, too.
Shown here:
Iris suaveolens (yellow form)
I. suaveolens var. rubromarginata
Coryphantha vivipara
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Suaveolens is evergreen.
Iris suaveolens var. rubromarginata
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This was sold to me as Iris attica. I'm not sure it is, as it does not go dormant in summer, but I am in zone 4. The flower height doesn't concern me, as this is its maiden flower and it grows in dry but rich soil. It will be shorter next season. Whatever the identity, it has very nice foliage.
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If you are not afraid of prickly things why not try some acantholimon
Dwarf dianthus was my first choice too
And a last one:Teucrium ackermanii
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If you are not afraid of prickly things why not try some acantholimon
Dwarf dianthus was my first choice too
And a last one:Teucrium ackermanii
Thanks John
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Also Teucrium polium, a nice combo of woolly grey scented foliage and yellow/limegreen flowers. In T. ackermannii, the foliage is deliciously scented but the flowers smell of sewage.
You could try Erinacea anthyllis.
You need more troughs. ;D
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I have about 12 polystryrence fish boxes in the shed and the urge is building to do something with them
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Do you like succulents?
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THanks but no thanks. They dont excite me.
What were you going to suggest?
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THanks but no thanks. They dont excite me.
What were you going to suggest?
Lots of possibilities for dry areas, depending on your preferences. Cacti if it is really dry and warm. More traditional hardy succulents like Semperviviums, Sedums, or Delospermas. Or plants that would hardly be considered succulent certainly love dry conditions, like Lewisias
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How could you not be excited by the Jovibarba pictured in the Wisley Crevice Garden thread?
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Eriogonums, including E.ovalifolium and E. kennedyi love the combination of sun and dry (and some heat).
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Eriogonums, including E.ovalifolium and E. kennedyi love the combination of sun and dry (and some heat).
I've never seen Eriogonums for sale. I must email Tim Aberconwy
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They're actually quite easy from seed. Try Alplains.
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I was just about to say they are easy enough from seed if you get good quality material, and to try American sources. :D
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The things we do for love.....and charity!!!
I have been invited to give a practical hypertufa trough construction demonstration this evening in Lexington for the Gardening Angels (sic)...a group who do charitable work for one of the local hospitals. It is currently 35 Celsius (95 F) and rising. The demo is outside. Talk about "dry" troughs.
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The things we do for love.....and charity!!!
I have been invited to give a practical hypertufa trough construction demonstration this evening in Lexington for the Gardening Angels (sic)...a group who do charitable work for one of the local hospitals. It is currently 35 Celsius (95 F) and rising. The demo is outside. Talk about "dry" troughs.
All in a good cause, Alan.... just be sure to pack several flasks of cool lemonade in your kit of trough making accessories!
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....... or a couple of cold bottles of the stuff that passes for beer on that side of the pond ;D
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Oh I will Maggi !!!! Iced Tea, Water, Lemonade. I shouldn't need any water for the hypertufa mix....the sweat will be enough ;D
I don't know about you but I get more pleasure out of doing things for causes like this than I do getting paid. Just hope I don't require their services before the talk is over !!!
David...there's nothing remotely passes for beer on this side of the pond >:(
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A nice drop of Thwaites at the end of your demo Alan? ;D
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.....and during please David ;D
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;D ;D ;D
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Back to the Eriogonums....There is a new Eriogonum Society in the States that have a seed exchange for members. See http://www.eriogonum.org/
The eriogonums do really well in dry positions, especially if you cover them for winter to keep off winter wet. You could try some of the dryland castillejas - Castilleja applegatei and Castilleja integra have done well for us. (The latter at least is available from Southwestern Native Seeds http://www.southwesternnativeseeds.com/ ).
Cheers
Paul
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thanks Paul
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At Denver Botanic Gardens we have a rather expansive plaza with many dozens of hypertufa troughs (and a smattering of stone troughs--from India of all places! They were used originally as Mortars there, and somehow transported to Denver where we obtained them from a local pottery dealer!): since our climate is extremely sunny and dry, I suspect most anything we grow in this plaza would adapt to your conditions. I describe the contents with each image in its label, ending with a succulent (egads!): I am so offended that you do not approve of these chubby xerophytes! You better watch out, you do get stuck on them (especially cacti) if you don't watch out!
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I mistakenly posted this twice (not realize the first time it had been printed)
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I mistakenly posted this twice (not realize the first time it had been printed)
Not to worry, PK, it's probably the effects of that dry heat! ;) ;D Happens to me all the time, though in my case it's caused by too much cold water. :-X
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At Denver Botanic Gardens we have a rather expansive plaza with many dozens of hypertufa troughs (and a smattering of stone troughs--from India of all places! They were used originally as Mortars there, and somehow transported to Denver where we obtained them from a local pottery dealer!):
note to self: Contact administrator of "Stolen Antiquities Department" at the Indian High Commission when next in Canberra.
;D ;D ;D
Actually we saw a few ourselves on a visit to Goa but couldn't fit them in our baggage allowance!
cheers
fermi
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what are the yellow composites below the cacti?
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Mark,
Forgive me for not logging in lately: I've been traveling this fall and it's taken a while to get back into the groove...the yellow composites around the Echinocereus trough are Thelesperma filifolium an abundant native daisy from the high plains around Denver that blooms virtually the entire growing season. While each plant is short lived (two or three years average) they sow around and make quite a showing.
Thelesperma is a small genus with three or four species in our area. It is closely allied to Coreopsis, but rather more delicate altogether.
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Hope the subject is not yet too stale, but here are two pix of Eriogonums in troughs: the first is E. ursinum from n California and the second is either E. gracilipes (e California) or E. kingii (w Nevada), which are hard to tell apart.
They are in the wonderful garden of Bill Adams, current Treasurer of NARGS.
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No PK, this subject will always be fresh and intersting - to me at least. That is a stunning species , the first of these two. Beautiful tight and compact habit with amazing colour. I like Eriogonums very much indeed and we have a few here. They like our hot, dry summers. E. thymoides is doing well for me in a trough at present, from Ratko seed.