Plants flowering in the open rock garden.April May '09

[Sinchets]

There were about 5 seedlings in the pot- and seed was set last year so I suppose both sexes. 

[Sinchets]

Flowering today and happy for having had some rain:
Paeonia mascula mascula
Dracocephalum grandiflorum 'Altai Blue'
Penstemon pachyphyllus congestus
Campanula sp (saxifraga group)
Aquilegia canadensis 'Corbett'

[Sinchets]

On the shady boundary wall at the back of the garden:
Geum rivale + rivale album

[Sinchets]

As promised, some general views of the rock gardens.
View 1= From the xeric area at the bottom to the back wall and boundary fence. The top left of this area will hopefully be weeded this year for a planned alpine meadow.
View 2= The original rock garden (now 2 years old) where the majority of the bulbs live. This was built on top of the gypsum plaster removed from the house and is fiercely well drained.
View 3= The original bulb beds which were converted into xeric areas last summer.
View 4= From the woodland garden across to the xeric area and then on into this years new landscaping for an area of 'pseudo-maquis'.

[Rodger Whitlock]

No crevice garden in sight!

There are a few here.  From what I've seen, they provide ideal growing conditions for true alpines that can be so difficult in the open garden. If there's a source of sedimentary rock that is easily split into flags anywhere near you, it's worth building one as an experiment.

[Sinchets]

Thanks Rodger. There is actually a 'pavement' area of fragmented rock at the transition between the xeric and upper rock gardens. It is built up on top of rubble and is extremely free draining. I am currently experimenting with Ipomopsis and Delphinium cardinale in there just now.
My tiniest plants are mainly in troughs and seem quite happy. This summer we will build a larger bed for them in an area in the shade behind the barn. I hope this will be suitable for higher Himalayan alpines and gentians, which have proved not to like the sun here too much.
Which true alpines were you having problems with in the open garden?

[Rodger Whitlock]

I don't have a crevice garden myself, and if I try any real alpines, they go into pots of pumice because I'm in a low spot (a former marsh) with heavy damp soil.

But one of the enthusiasts here as a crevice garden. Wow! everything in it looks like it's growing great guns.

It seems to be ideal for, say, Campanula piperi, which is a fairly difficult plant (to say the least).

[Sinchets]

I am having a lot more success so far growing alpines here in the mountains, than I ever did in my gardens in Britain. Conditions here are much more amenable to a wide range of plants. There are plants, which I know I will not succeed with here- due to the long, hot and dry summers and possibly also the 3months of snow cover in winter. However these conditions do present me with the possibilities, and challenges, of growing a whole new range of plants, which I would not have tried outside, without protection, in a British rock garden. 

[Sinchets]

Flowering today on the rock gardens:

Aquilegia caerulea ochroleuca
Onosma alboroseus

[Ragged Robin]

I am having a lot more success so far growing alpines here in the mountains, than I ever did in my gardens in Britain. Conditions here are much more amenable to a wide range of plants. There are plants, which I know I will not succeed with here- due to the long, hot and dry summers and possibly also the 3months of snow cover in winter. However these conditions do present me with the possibilities, and challenges, of growing a whole new range of plants, which I would not have tried outside, without protection, in a British rock garden. 

I completely agree, Simon, the conditions you describe are very similar to here in Valais and I only grew a few token alpines in troughs in the UK.  Here once alpines are established they flower like mad but establishing them takes much longer - they just have to find their feet!  For me the foliage aspect in my raised rockery/bulb bed it equally as important    I have gained a lot of information from your postings and am very pleased to see your garden views and areas.  More rock moving this afternoon!

[Lori S.]

What a fantastic place you've made, Simon!  Thanks for showing it!  How much land do you have?  It looks like quite a large expanse.

[Sinchets]

Thanks Lori and Robin. the parcel of land is about 4000square metresand most of this is still meadow, which I am slowly chipping into. The area furthest from the house is closest to being a real hay meadow and has a wide diversity of plants- so this area will be kept. Closer to the house the grass was overgrazed and is very rank, so i feel no giult digging this up and doing 'something more interesting' with it.
I must say I do envy your altitude over there in the Alps Robin, but I think winter here is long enough for me with 3 months of snow. How long does the snow last with you? I know Lori's seemed to last forever!

[Lori S.]

We've had two whole days without snow flurries now!  Break out the champagne!

[Sinchets]

  Sorry Lori, I thought you had finished with the snow!

[David Nicholson]

I envy the space you have available Simon. Is land cheap to buy in Bulgaria, don't suppose the Bulgarian economy would welcome an influx of retired old Brits (or did I mean 'gits'!!)?