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

[ian mcdonald]

Oh to be able to start again from scratch with a younger body.

[Tristan_He]

Very nice crevice garden. I particularly like the ample bare areas of rock which are so important in a rock garden, and which I never have the restraint to maintain (because, y'know, I could fit more plants in!).

I think it could do with an extension to cover that ugly car park and tennis court though....

[astragalus]

Incredibly, despite repeated frosts, there is still some bloom in the crevice gardens. Some of the flowers such as Astragalus utahensis are darker than normal due to the cold but as the day warms up even that changes. Just the craziest Fall ever - basically no rain, days often far warmer than normal, but still frquent frosts.
1. Astragalus utahensis
2. Phlox pungens
3. Daphne x susannae 'Anton Fahndrich'
4. Path next to crevice gardens continuing to grow.

[Jupiter]

A few photos of my new(ish) crevice bed, getting established and doing very well. I moved more seedlings in today and everything is looking good. Fingers crossed the weather is kind to my babies.

[Maggi Young]

Seems you are fortunate to have some tree cover for your garden which should provide some protection from the hot sun for your little  plants - though the trees will use a lot of water , too. How are you set for irrigation? 

[Leucogenes]

Hello Jamus,

Very nice pictures of your plant. Great colors and fantastic contrasts between rocks and plants. I'll keep my fingers crossed for your new shoots and look forward to more photos.

[Leucogenes]

The game of light and shadow is also noticeable to me. Large trees are often beneficial. For me it is an old plum tree.

[Cfred72]

Very beautiful achievement Jamus. We are pleased to see how plants will evolve.

[Jupiter]

Maggi you're right, there are pros and cons to the trees, but in our harsh climate they are overwhelmingly positive. I am pretty sure you can't imagine the intensity of the Australian summer sun, coming from Aberdeen! It is brutal. The rock garden gets 3 or 4 hours full sun in summer, in winter it's a lot more because the Gleditsia are deciduous. I didn't plant them, they were in the garden when we bought the place, but they really are ideal for the job. They cast light dappled shade, are deciduous, deep rooted and the leaves when they do drop are small and shiny and blow off the garden easily (relatively) and don't smother things. Irrigation is me with a pump connected to the rainwater tank and the hose. I love hand watering. If I don't have time I run a sprinkler for an hour.

[Maggi Young]

As a red-haired girl, living in Libya where it  sometimes hit 40 degrees C was bad enough, Jamus, I'm content to be back in chilly Aberdeen! The prospect of an Australian summer is beyond me!

[Jupiter]

I confess I sadistically enjoy watching Europeans recoil from the Aussie sun.    It's the expression of disbelief that I find funny. The classic are the English tourist who arrive and head straight to the beach, and a few hours later find themselves in hospital with heatstroke. Welcome to Australia!

[Cephalotus]

After years of failures and gaining experience I finally managed to build myself a rock garden that looks somehow nice not just to me. It is basically thanks to photos I found on the beginning of this topic, that inspired. Here is the sweet fruit of that inspiration. There will be a few flowering plants, but basically the rocks and miniature trees are what makes it look nice.

[Maggi Young]

Superb construction, Chis.

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Chris,
that could easily be the top of a mountain somewhere!
Excellent work,
cheers
fermi

[Cephalotus]

I am happy that you liked my construction, I am very proud of it. It filled an empty space with something pleasant for an eye. Today I made some new photos with less unattractive background.