Crevice Gardening ......in defence of rock.....

[Maggi Young]

That's odd , Anne. Just tried it again and it's fine for me.
Try this approach.. http://flora.of.turkey.pagesperso-orange.fr/
http://flora.of.turkey.pagesperso-orange.fr/Indexgenres.html

[astragalus]

Thanks, Maggi.   This one worked fine.  Too hot and muggy to work in the garden so I'll be spending some time perusing the astragalus section of the site.

[Tim Ingram]

What an incredible website Maggi. This will just encourage us to want to grow a whole lot more peas! I hope Anne is able to get seed on her plant.

[astragalus]

Tim, the mystery astragalus is trying to set seed right now.  Unfortunately, we are in the middle of unseasonable heat and "mugs".  This is usually death for the seeds forming.  I opened one pod and it was empty and I looked at another and could see the condensation inside the pod, not good.  I'm just assuming this is a drylander since so many of the astragali are.

[astragalus]

Work continuing on the crevices behind the cliff.  Over 100 plants placed in the prepared crevices and now working on the next part.  An earlier post shows the same area over a month ago.  Many of the huge slabs of rock are now buried and will be part of underground crevices, providing cool root runs and excellent drainage.

[astragalus]

And this is the same area on April 20th.

[ranunculus]

Getting better and better and better ... please invite me back to take more pictures!!!   

[astragalus]

Cliff, the welcome mat is always out for you and Sue.  Work has been almost too fast.  I finally outstripped my supply line.  Leaving for the Dolomites in a few days so resupplying  will probably have to wait until we get back.  Too bad, I was really on a roll!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

A truly amazing garden you're developping there Anne !!  Fantastic !
Have fun in the Dolomites ! 

[astragalus]

Here in my "other home", the Dolomites and I tried to post a couple of plants growing in crevices.  I'm using a bare-bones little laptop with no way to size the pictures.  Will post pictures when we get home.  Was hoping to escape the extreme heat back home but it's unseasonably warm here and you have to go pretty high to find a cold spot.

[Maggi Young]

Have a great holiday, Anne. If it gets too hot, come to Aberdeen and get chilblains by the seaside!

[ranunculus]

Can Sue and I publicly thank Anne and Joe for visiting our chalet in Pedraces last evening to present a superb lecture to our lucky 'Wildflower Special' guests on 'Alpines of the Americas'. Our fortunate party (including Martin and Joan Rogerson and David and Judy Charlton) have enjoyed wildflower walks of the highest quality in glorious weather, superb food and wine and excellent evening lectures.
The meadows have been at their very best and the high alpines are just coming into their own. Life is exceptionally good in the Dolomites!!!!

[Maggi Young]

Lucky, lucky people!

[ranunculus]

Lucky, lucky people!

I agree totally, Maggi.  Today we took the cable car out of Arabba to Porta Vescova with seven guests and saw Eritrichium nanum, Ranunculus glacialis, Linaria alpina, Androsace alpina, Geum reptans, Gentiana verna, Gentiana acaulis, Senecios, Geum montana, Soldanella minima and alpina, Arenarias, Pedicularis, Thlaspi, Veronicas, Semps and Sax's in profusion.  The sun shone dutifully for the fifteenth day on the run (just two thunderstorms at night) and life is as sweet as it can get.
Yesterday we took the chairlift out of Pedraces and saw meadows of indescribable beauty - swathes of Ragged Robin turning the hillside pink, Arnica everywhere, orchids by the hundreds of thousands (no exaggeration) and kaleidoscopes of colour at every turn.

[astragalus]

Back home from my "other" home, the Dolomites.  Cliff and Sue were there at the same 5time and we managed a hiking day together.
It was a vacation of wonderful plants, people and weather.  We were hailed on one time coming down on a lift - an adventure to be sitting on an open lift clutching backpack and poles while being stung by ice pellets.  Photographed marvelous crevice plants and hope it gives some ideas.  Surely the Calamintha alppina would be incredibly easy to try. (Maybe it's now Acinos alpinus?)

    Androsace alpina
    Arenaria sp.
    Eritrichium nanum
    Linaria alpina.JPG
    Paederota bonarota + Calamintha alpina
    Saxifraga paniculata
    Saxifraga aizoides
    dolomites 2012 2 066 -