Now snow has almost completely melted and it's time to start a new garden season. Two years ago the old fence of my garden had been changed to new one and a dry place for planting appeared. Constantly coming back to this new spot I'd been thinking to create a small Alpine garden, how to better use it. One year has passed and I went to RHS Wisley, visited the Alpine garden, took a lot of pictures of alpine plants that Wisley's gardeners planted there.
I want to show some alpine plants from Wisley's and tell which of them I would like to grow in my 'alpine corner'. Many of them you know well, others are new to me and maybe to some of you too.
Campanula has wavy edged leaves, becomes covered with flowers of a deep violet-blue in late spring. It can be grown best in a light open soil in the sun.
Astra alpinus is a suffrutescent plant, blooms in late May - mid-June, its leaves are oblong, don't die in the winter.
Veronica schmidtiana is one of the most decorative Veronicas, it's undersized compact plant with many blue-mauve flowers, gathered in dense brush.
Viola is well known, it's native to the mountains of Europe, where it grows on calcareous rocks, but not at high altitudes.
Sedum is growing in rocky crevices, I want to plant it on a gravel bed. Rhododendron dwarf is prostrate alpine plant, I grow the variety “Elvira” with deep red flowers.
Сinerariа maritima is an annual, decorative plant. Its leaves are pinnatipartite, covered with silvery felt, therefore the plant has a white and silver color.
Aquilegia saximontana is found at higher altitudes throughout the Northern countries grows in open meadows and woodlands. I have different shades of it.
Primula is a delightful plant, easy in growing and is first in vernal flowering.
Pulsatilla is called 'The Easter flower' is one of the oldest plants in cultivation, and also one of the easiest to grow.
Marguerite is a small herbaceous perennial, it is a nice addition to alpine beds. I love growing it and its propagation is very easy - by dividing roots.
I like the idea of planting a alpine garden. Behind your fence it is dry, but is it not to dark? Most like sunny positions. I hope to see the results. GroetjesHetty
ReplyDeleteThe fence is on the northern side of the garden so it's sunny and warm, dry spot. Moreover it is far from water tank and I hope not to water plants very often, Hetty. The result is unpredictable :0)
DeleteYour garden will look like in the summer just wonderful. Stone The area is really interesting looking! Greetings.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of an Alpine garden, but more suitable in your climate than here I think. I visited the Alpine Garden at Wisley which had a wonderful selection. I like the small Margurite and Campanula. Love the colours of Cineraria too.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the planning and planting!
Cineraria is wonderful, I love touching its velvet leaves, Betty. I wait when the soil is warm.
DeleteWonderful photos, Nadezda. I'm certain your Alpine garden will look lovely.
ReplyDeleteI don't have an Alpine corner, but we do have some native Violas and Veronicas growing here, some Primulas and especially Geraniums (which I love) added. And there's an old Rhodiola rosea that perhaps could be moved into a more suitable position.
Wishing you cheerful and sunny spring days!
Lovely native plants you write Sara. Important that all they are very hardy and suitable for our climate. I love geraniums as well, have 4 varieties and bought one more this spring:)
DeleteI do not have an alpine bed but I certainly do enjoying looking at them. Beautiful plants. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you Judy!
DeleteOur snow was also all melted but it was -12C last night! Fortunately not much was up.
ReplyDeleteThis frost -12 C is dangerous for new shots and buds. I am always worrying about plants when frost comes back, Alain.
DeleteI love little specialty gardens...and this looks wonderful. I don't think I have a dry enough area here to ever start one...but if I did I would plant Aquilegia saximontana, Pulsatilla, and Marguerite. And I would have to have viola, Veronica and a sedum or 2....now you have me thinking....do I have a dry area because I love these flowers.
ReplyDeleteNow as for snow....we have 6 inches and it is cold....heavy snow for 3 days covering my spring flowers that were blooming is not going to be good. Good luck with this new garden!
Donna, if the fence hasn't been changed I wouldn't have a new spot too. Therefore I decided to make something new here. But isn't still enough warm, I need to wait when soil warms and perennials appear. Wish your garden starts spring season soon.
DeleteI'm sure that your Alpine garden will look beautiful, Nadezda !!
ReplyDeleteAlways nice to watch these lovely flowers !
Greetings
Thank you Ela!
DeleteI love the idea of having an alpine garden, but I think it's not a good idea in my very wet and acid garden. Even if I should place rocks and stones with new soil, it should look very unnatural in my area. Wish you a lot of success with the making of your new rock garden.
ReplyDeleteRocks and stones are very heavy and it's hard work Janneke. I want to put minimum of stones, but sand and plants. I'm not sure what my alpine corner will be nice:)
DeleteI like Alpine gardens the smaller flowers, mosses and plants like sempervivums against the rocks and stones look so interesting. We had a very small alpine garden when I was a child, fond memories :)
ReplyDeleteSo do I Michelle, thank you.
DeleteI'd love to create a square rock garden like you have shown in one of your pictures of Wisley. I also have a somewhat unsuccessful rock garden at the side of the house. I want to redo it and improve the drainage. Right now the soil is not free draining and plants fail to prosper. I just love all Alpine plants!
ReplyDeleteInteresting Jennifer that you have your experience in Alpine garden, I didn't think about drainage. Thank for your idea.
DeleteI have never had an Alpine garden Nadezda but I think its a good idea and could imagine getting right into it. Actually my neighbour who is not in very good health at the moment was just asking if I could do something with her very bland front garden, may even consider an alpine corner, good luck with yours. I think your blog has a new look, very smart looking.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked the new header of my blog, Alister. I'm sure you will do pretty alpine corner for your neighbor.
DeleteI've been thinking of growing an Alpine or semi-Alpine, more rock-garden type of garden in one corner of my garden for the last 1.5 years but anything is yet to be materalized. All I'm doing is collecting rocks!!
ReplyDeleteLovely photos and information. Most plants are unknown to me. but each of them is gorgeous.
This idea is enough difficult to materialize. You have to collect many rocks, I decided to combine them with sand.
DeleteI really like alpine flowers and I love the colour of that pulsatilla.
ReplyDeleteSo do I Sue!
DeleteYour photos of the alpine garden are gorgeous Nadezda. The look of the stone with the colorful plants pocketed in between is lovely. Have fun with your project!
ReplyDeleteI do want to have fun, Lee :)
DeleteEstará precioso Nadezda. Esas flores creo que son más resistentes además de muy bonitas. Aquí la primavera está está llegando llena de vida por todos lados.
ReplyDeleteBesos.
Que buen tiempo, Laura, todo se vuelve a la vida.
DeleteWhat a nice idea of having an alpine garden! I'm not familiar with alpine plants, so, it was very interesting. I think the combination of alpine plants and stones is nice! Unfortunately, our place cannot have alpine plants due to hot climate. Look forward to seeing your alpine corner!:)
ReplyDeleteIt's not a fast process, creating an alpine corner, Keity
DeleteI am a big fan of alpines sadly I have nowhere suitable for a true alpine spot in my garden. I love many of the plants you have featured Nadezda.
ReplyDeleteI recently visited the Royal Botanic Garden here in Edinburgh purely to see the Alpines. They have erected a massive tufa wall and are growing many beautiful plants on it. As they spread and mature it will be a sight to behold. Great post.
What a nice idea to visit Botanic garden, Angie. I'd like to go to our Botanic gardens to see how gardeners maintain the alpine garden there. So I have to wait when soil is dry in Botanic.
Delete༼❀ه° ·.
ReplyDeleteEsse jardim é um paraíso.
Gostei mais da delicadeza das campanulas da terceira foto.
Bom fim de semana com tudo de bom!!!
Beijinhos
╰✿‿⎠
Gracias, Ines, buen fin de semana!
DeleteHello Dear Nadezda!
ReplyDeleteGardens and flowers rock always impress me.
A beautiful relationship and fantastic images.
Greetings:)
Thank you Lucja, happy weekend!
DeleteSuch wonderful little jewels! I love the small Columbine and the Pulsatilla. Campanula too, but it does not grow well for me.
ReplyDeleteI agree Jason, campanula disappear on third year, I need pick up its seeds if I want to grow the next year.
DeleteHello Nadezda, nice to see your wish-list, many of these plants are on mine too. I used to grow Сinerariа many years ago, it was a perennial and evergreen plant in my garden, I think I will have it again here in my new garden. And pulsatilla is definitely one I want for my Woodland Bed – especially a variety called ‘Røde Klokke’ which is a Danish variety. My plan is to have an alpine corner at the edge of my Woodland Bed, as many of the alpines are happy in the same setting and on the margins of the bed where there is more sun - which the alpines will want. I just need to get some more plants in - Hepatica nobilis in many colours, Sedum 'Dazzleberry' and Sedum 'Dragon's Blood' are also on my wish-list!
ReplyDeleteYour wish-list is longer than mine, Helene :0)
DeleteNow when the soil is dry in my garden I will collect suitable stones or small rocks. I think to set them at first and then to plant flowers.
I've never planted an alpine garden, but I always love the alpine flowers that I've seen in the mountains. Their colours are so bright and as Jason says in his comment, they are 'little jewels'. Good luck with your planting, and happy spring.
ReplyDeleteI was having trouble using my old blogspot site in the weekend so gave up and posted on my newer wordpress site. You can visit me there at http://www.julietbatten.co.nz/saying-goodbye-summer/
I've seen your new blog and have written the comment Juliet. Happy autumn!
DeleteI have seen several examples of Alpine gardens, and they are so lovely, especially all the flowers you have pictured here. I just don't have the proper place here for such a planting or I would try it. Looking forward to seeing what you decide to plant in your new garden area!
ReplyDeleteRose, firstly I want to find some boulders and stones, place them nicely and then planting. This isn't easy work, stones I've decided to move today were very heavy.
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