Cyril Lafong's new crevice garden

[Staale]

Super plants and very well displayed, Göte.  Did you ever exprience any problems with your Epimedium acuminatum? I lost my plant in a very wet winter, but will try it again. I find the mottled spring leaves of this species are some of the best in the genus.

[gote]

No Mark,
They grow in the same place as the others do under the hazels. That position has practically no sun as soon as the leaves are out on the hazels.
Göte

[gote]

No Ståle,
none whatsoever. You probably do not remember but it used to sit on the slope of nearly 45°. I have now moved it to be more on the flat but still on my sandy soil. I wanted it to be closer to a yellow one of similar shape. (I have forgotten the name at the moment). It survived there the last winter with zero damage. I think I grow most of my things in a more shaded situation than you do. Could that be a cause?
Göte   

[Staale]

Göte
Yes, I agree that too much light - and particularly in late winter/early spring - could well be a major cause to its demise. I envy you your shaded wood lot for growing plants, wich I liked a lot! Must seek a better place for my next try on this plant.
If I may digress into another subject; I really should tell the forum members that Nymphaea Colossea holds up to your praise in a earlier thread. My plant bloomed continually from mid june til end september. Never many flowers at one time, but always at least one.

[gote]

If I may brag?!
He got it from me
Göte

[Maggi Young]

Friends, I have been shown this delightful correspondence about this thread and have been asked to post it here.... I think it will please you all to read it!

Rudi Weiss wrote to the King of Crevice gardens, Zdenek Zvolánek, to tell him of this enterprise to build Cyril's crevice garden, which he thought would interest ZZ.....he got  this reply from ZZ, which, you will see, ZZ suggests be posted here........
I will begin with Rudi's note to me......

 Hello, dear Maggi, I have sent this topic to ZZ, his reply is probably
 interesting for you and the other forumists:

Topic: Cyril Lafong's new crevice garden (From ruweiss)
 " Dear Zdenek,this article is probably interesting for you.
I want you to check out "Cyril Lafong's new crevice garden" on Scottish
 Rock Garden Club Forum.
Cheers
 Rudi "

And so ZZ replies:

> > Rudi, it is very good work for the  beginners (in skirts) of this art or
> > craft. It has all important changes of elevation, good returns back to
> > the ground, places for access (to see small plants in an intimate
> > distances) and not too sharp erosion of layers.It is offering many
> > lovely nooks for plants. Also the light sandy body inside will have its
> > superb effect in wet Scotland. I am sure that in the hands of the
> > plantsman Cyril it will be planted with superior alpines and will be one
> > of the best manifestation  of this  new growing technique. This is
> > more bold (better erected) than the finest Danish crevice gardens.
> > Congratulation and GREEN BLESS from the highest priest of this kind of
> > religion (sitting in Prague).   Please, publish  this  Bless  under your
> > name in the gallery. Zdenek.

Praise indeed! And isn't the comment about "beginners (in skirts)" funny? A fine way to describe a Scottish gardening hero!

[mark smyth]

I love ZZs humour. He emailed me last week to say he is off to Canada soon

[Carlo]

Very interesting that Zdenek should describe it as a "new" form of rock gardening. Seems to me I just read an account of a description of what we know as a crevice garden from a publication that goes all the way back to 1937 or so...

[Maggi Young]

Very interesting that Zdenek should describe it as a "new" form of rock gardening. Seems to me I just read an account of a description of what we know as a crevice garden from a publication that goes all the way back to 1937 or so...

Well, shall we say a new "fashion", then ? That would be nearer the truth.... nothing really new in gardening or anything else, is there? It's one of the things that tickles me so much about reading the early Rock Garden Journals and AGS Bulletins...... all these plants we get so worked up about and desperate to have as the "latest" thing....all been grown , loved and killed a million times before!

And so the world turns........

[ichristie]

Hi to all, I thank ZZ the high priest of crevice gardens for his kind words and Cyril is over the moon, he did build quite a bit of his new creation and i found it very rewarding to work with him and share ideas. Cyril informs me that the rain has cleaned up some of the stone and the sand is now being washed down into the crevices. Everything is frozen solid here and our thoughts turn to all our friends around the world via this forum. we look forward to  continuing posts from you all and wish you A Very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,  cheers Ian the Christie kind.  I shall be wearing my'skirt' at New year the tartan is ancient Christie,    The picture is all Scottish Rock Garden Presidents taken at RBG for our 75th birthday, the clubs 75th that is not mine.   Right to left we have Harley Milne, Peter Semple (back) Ian Bainbridge Glassford Sprunt (back) Elizabeth Ivey ( wee Bette) Ian Young Sandy Leven and Me Ian the Christie kind,cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[Anthony Darby]

I think Cyril's crevice bed is terrific. I'd like to see ZZ top that!

[ranunculus]

I think Cyril's crevice bed is terrific. I'd like to see ZZ top that!

Love that one, Mr Darby! 

[David Nicholson]

Cor blimey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Maggi Young]

It occurred to me that some readers might not be aware of some other threads in the forum which show other wonderful crevice gardens...... here  is a link to start with which shows the lovely garden of Jiří Papoušek....   
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=500.msg12237;topicseen#msg12237


 There are other threads about ZZ's constructions, and other Czech gardens with similar features.... I recommend them all to you!

a few examples: http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=1385.0

 and from the Old ( archived) Forum: http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/4/6011.html

http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/4/3647.html   

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Any chance we might see pix of how things are developping ??