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

[Maggi Young]

I showed the construction of this covered rockery in my Ardivachar blog, but it's probably better suited here.

To recap: the base was filled with sandy soil with 20mm chippings worked into the upper surface for extra drainage. Rocks were then laid, contours and raised areas were filled with sand. The surface was treated with a thin layer of John Innes compost with 50% extra grit. As planting progresses, a top dressing of grit will be applied.

   Chris' Arivachar diary is here : http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=11519.0  and the post mentioned above is reposted back there : http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=11519.msg338386#msg338386

[Chris Johnson]

   Chris' Arivachar diary is here : http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=11519.0

Thanks Maggi. The relevant bit is at the end of page 8.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Progress.

Plants settling in well: Dianthus myrtinervius in bloom.

[Tristan_He]

Plants settling in well: Dianthus myrtinervius in bloom.

John, I fear that may be an imposter. It looks awfully like maiden pink. Seed of D. deltoides has been doing the rounds in the seed exchanges  wrongly labelled as D. myrtinervius for a while now. See also
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=13443.0

True myrtinervius should look something like this
http://www.greekflora.gr/el/flowers/0843/Dianthus-myrtinervius

I think Plant World Seeds sell it.

Sorry! Tristan

[johnralphcarpenter]

I got it from Rob Potterton, so if it's not D. myrtinervius he's selling a wrongly described plant.

[David Nicholson]

It really is time we had a modern Dianthus monograph, isn't it?

[Maggi Young]

True myrtinervius should look something like this
http://www.greekflora.gr/el/flowers/0843/Dianthus-myrtinervius
Sorry! Tristan

 Please note that the link given above is to  is to photo of  Dianthus myrtinervius subsp. caespitosus

For Dianthus myrtinervius -  a pic from Leif & Anita Stridvall   ex Macedonia : http://www.stridvall.se/flowers/gallery/Caryophyllaceae_1/342_27
and
http://www.botanickateplice.cz/foto/foto/4302.jpg

[Tristan_He]

Thanks Maggi. You're quite right. I couldn't find a reliable photo of the type form, or a description.

Do you think the two pictures in your links are the same species? Hard to tell I know but the Czech one is more deltoides like. Certainly they don't look the same.

I really think we need that monograph!

Best, Tristan, finally enjoying some warmth in Wales.

[Maggi Young]

Ralph's plant is a lot more compact than all the Dianthus deltoides  I have here. I mostly have the darker forms, which I prefer, but  they are all taller plants  in flower and with the foliage keeping more close to the stems.

[Tristan_He]

Hi Maggi, yes it does look more compact than deltoides usually is. But the foliage and flower shape are very similar, and it's only just coming into flower. Would be interesting to see when it's fully out.

Tristan

[Maggi Young]

Constructing a home for alpine plants  - cross posting this here
Film with Christoph Ruby about how one can make an alpine garden at home.
 I am very pleased to  have been sent,by Hans Joschko, this link to a short film  from German TV - it is about the construction of a garden for rock plants- a project to bring the alpine home of these plants into a private garden. The piece films Christoph Ruby ( familiar to some from his pieces for the IRG e-magazine) who is director of the Botanic Garden of Hof, making and planting a fine little crevice garden. 
It is  less than 6 minutes long and cleverly produced. Using time-lapse  we see the construction and is  you watch it a couple of times you will get the drift, even without knowing any German! 
Here is the link :
http://www.br.de/mediathek/video/sendungen/querbeet/querbeet-felsspaltengarten-alpinpflanze-100.html

[astragalus]

Thanks, Maggi, a very enjoyable video.  (If only building with rock could really be done that quickly.)

[Jupiter]

I photographed this lovely natural rock outcrop in the Barossa Valley North of Adelaide on the weekend.

[Lesley Cox]

Jamus, your lovely natural outcrop reminds me (slightly), of my own not at all natural outcrop on Mt Clarendon (an old concrete washtub). The Saxifraga grisebachii 'Wisley is one of 15 plants on the mountain at present but there's room for about as many again, including some tiny bulbs. I'm going to Hokonui Alpines tomorrow to remedy that!

[Lesley Cox]

I don't know why but in the processing to bring down the size, the first image went from colour to black and white. I can't get it back again, except perhaps by reprocessing the original?