Saxifraga 2018

[David Sellars]

Very nice display Jan.  I like that you have achieved good flowering all at the same time.

[suesimpson33]

A trio of Saxifraga ‘Coolock Kate’

[suesimpson33]

Part of the saxifrage Alpine house today

[suesimpson33]

Saxifraga ‘Allendale Jinn’

[Maggi Young]

Great to see these Saxes looking so fantastic.  Once more weather here is of the sort that makes an alpine house an absolute treasure!

[David Sellars]

Sue: Your Saxes look amazing!  Outside I have a much much smaller Coolock Kate planted into an overhanging tufa block a few years ago and it hasn't grown much. The Tysoe Burgundy was recently planted in tufa. Marianna and Your Smile are in crevices between tufa blocks.

[kris]

David they are absolutely beautiful. When you grow into the tufa rock do you make a hole and insert the plant or grow in between two rocks. Do you fertilize them?
The reason I am asking is here it takes awful lot of time  to bulk up saxes.

[David Sellars]

Kris: I do both - drill holes into the tufa and grow in the crevices between the rocks. Some growers drill small holes and some prefer large holes. What works best for me are holes sized for small plants, 1-2 years old. I drill holes ⅝ inch (16mm) in diameter and to the depth of the roots, typically about 1.5 inches (38mm). I have found that it is critical to make sure the plant is well seated into the hole and I press rock chips around the rosette to keep it in place.  I do not use fertilizer for saxes in the open garden.  They do quite well with the available mineral nutrients.  I have built a number of tufa beds and my latest bed is designed specifically for kabschia saxifrages with lots of overhangs and plants protected from the full glare of the sun in summer.  Here is what it looks like today:

[kris]

Thanks David. Once the saxes  fill the rocks will look fantastic.
Kris

[odvdveer]

Sax. 'Hanicka' in the crevice garden. I love the leaf color and red stems on the flowers. The flowers are huge in comparison

[David Sellars]

Here's a closer view that shows the Saxes in the tufa better:

[Leucogenes]

Sue...your collection is very impressive and beautiful. My admiration.

 David... your wall of tuff stone is great. Very well designed and structured.

Inspired by your pictures, I became aware that I still have far too little Saxifraga...yesterday I was on a small plant market for alpine plants. So I immediately bought some small young plants.

Who can resist the fascination of the world of Saxifraga? Nobody...when they see your pictures.

Thomas

[Michael J Campbell]

Saxifraga 'Sissi'

[Leucogenes]

I particularly like these three newcomers...

[odvdveer]

Saxifraga x poluanglica



Saxifraga "Allendale charm" has suffered a bit in the winter but produced 1 flower



Lots of other plants are also showing green shoots. Since they have been planted in october on the new crevice garden I am very pleased.