planting in tufa-noddy questions

[anne gibson]

Not been posting for ages as too busy with allotments!
Anyway finally summed up the courage to start planting in the tufa garden.
Two questions in my mind if anyone can assist please.
First I notice some people plant amongst the tufa, but I have placed mine in a sort of snake through the garden and want to plant in it. Why do people plant amongst it not in it is the the first question?
Secondly I intend to have themned rocks with one saxifraga in one at present so in a piece 30 cms by 15 cm how many saxifrage shall I plant so do not eventually become overcrowded?


You may think this is all in such bad taste that it doesn't matter what I do
I'll post some pictures later to show!
Thanks Anne

[Lesley Cox]

Far from bad taste, it sounds very interesting to me, and a tufa snake running through the garden will give a whole different landscape within a landscape, even if it's quite small. I'm looking forward to the pictures when you're ready Anne.

We don't have tufa here, or not available for planting, but I think the Brits for instance, DO plant IN their tufa. We've seen many minigardens and rocks in various places even in show pots where holes have been drilled and the little plants carefully inserted, and then gradually growing over and around the hole to meld with the rock surface. Some gardens such as the late Roy Elliott's cliff garden were planted in as well as among the tufa rocks.

Edit: I mentioned the Brits as such because for some reason I thought you were from the USA and now I see you are from Derbyshire. I guess that's quite British.