Alpine house 2011

[Jozef Lemmens]

Rudi, I also like the yellow L. tweedyi very much. Where did you obtain this plant?
Do you collect the seeds of your Townsendias?
Here are 2 from my alpine house.
Anemonella thalictroides 'Double Pink' (or is it Thalictrum thalictroides now). Maybe I keep this plant better in the open garden.
Townsendia ?spathulata 'Cottonballs' lost its original character, probably because lack of sufficient light.

[ruweiss]

Luc and David, thanks for the friendly comments.The yellow Lewisia tweedyi was raised
by Rudolf Duchac, husband of Olga Duchacoca from Czech Republic. Both were were well
known in the world of alpines, but now they must reduce their gardening activities because
enormous health problems. They are so sorry about this fact, their garden was always a
botanical paradise and they were so generous with good advice and plants.

[ruweiss]

Jozef, of course I try to collect all the seeds of both Townsendia species, but at
some years the number of good seeds is rather low. 

[Kristl Walek]

i have been busy using the search mechanism today trying to find an old discussion of the practical details of the alpine house.
A new greenhouse here has me wanting to devote a large section of it to an "alpine plunge".....i feel very stupid, but what is different/unique about an alpine house vs. a greenhouse? is it the structure itself, or the fact that alpines are grown inside in a plunge?

mine is not a serious/permanent structure---a hoophouse in effect and will be unheated, with good air movement as well as fans. i would like to devote one or more "rows" of benches to alpines.

also, i see various construction ideas of the "plunge" ---can members please share what they have used that is both economical and easy for an arthritic lady to construct herself. does one just build "boxes" a barrier underneath to keep the plunge material in, and then "sides"---how deep? does it matter what you use for the plunge material? (i assume sand???)

any other comments would be appreciated, as the house is being constructed now.

[Maggi Young]

Traditionally an "alpine house" has had glass only on the upper portion of the sides and the roof with the lower area sometimes being entirely closed off, as support for the plunge area above and made of brickwork.
A glass house is all glass of course, but  for those of us who can only afford to buy the widely available and cheapest contstructions, many of us have an "alpine-house" that is a standard, off the peg, glass "greenhouse" that becomes and alpine house by simple dint ogf growing alpines in it.
Naturally, with the brick based versions it is easier to build a much deeper plunge for greater insulation or just to accommodate bigger pots but many have great success with a bench frame type plunge arrangement and with the chance to use the under bench area for resting plants, those needing more shade etc.

Plunges can be made from wood, metal, just about anything. Some materials are easier to work with than others and may last longer, but in our case availability and cost are the primary considerations.

You can get very fancy with watering systems ( plunges that can be flooded and drained at will) or just have a container that is strong enough to hold the combined weight of pots and sand... always sand, for the plunge. A slight gradient and/or some drainage holes are all that are needed in the simplest of set-ups.
Is this helping?
 

[annew]

Hi Kristl - it's easy, even a child could do it!

[annew]

Seriously though, the staging was constructed like a bench first, then the box on top of that. This was lined with pond liner, trimmed with a strip of wood on the edge to neaten it. The 25cm deep boxes were filled with sand, into which clay potted plants are plunged. This staging was originally constructed for the part at the back of the house to be used for direct planting. The end bed was 30cm deep in the centre rising to 15cm deep at the sides and a drainage tube placed at the lowest point so the bed could be part-flooded then drained to ensure thorough watering.
The ground level boxes are also used as plunges for shade loving plants.

[annew]

The mug of tea is an essential accessory.

[Michael J Campbell]

Chrysanthemum maresii

[FrazerHenderson]

Androsace jacquemontii

Dodecatheon pulchellum

D. clevlandii

[arisaema]

D. clevlandii

Stunning!

Kristl and others;

Would a raised plunge be sufficient in areas with cold climates? I've sometimes forgotten potted bulbs and perennials on the greenhouse floor over winter, and the majority have been dead the next spring... True alpines may be an exception, but a setup like Ian's would never work for bulbs here in Norway.

[Jozef Lemmens]

I have the Sax as Saxifraga pubescens ssp. iratiana, but is probably wrong.
Ramberlea (x) 'Inchgarth' is an intergeneric hybrid of Ramonda and Haberlea.

[Lesley Cox]

Jozef your Sax looks pretty much like what I have as pubescens 'Snowcap' though it's hard to see the foliage. There were several pictures of that form among the Conference photos so you could have a look there. when I first bought 'Snowcap' (from the man at Pershore whose name escapes me for the moment) he said it and irratiana were "Much of a Muchness." (I keep thinking Ron Leeds and Rob Potterton, but neither of those. Who was that? I don't think he is still selling.)

[Diane Clement]

Jozef your Sax looks pretty much like what I have as pubescens 'Snowcap' though it's hard to see the foliage. There were several pictures of that form among the Conference photos so you could have a look there. when I first bought 'Snowcap' (from the man at Pershore whose name escapes me for the moment) he said it and irratiana were "Much of a Muchness." (I keep thinking Ron Leeds and Rob Potterton, but neither of those. Who was that? I don't think he is still selling.)

Lesley, I'm guessing you mean Ron Beeston.

[Lesley Cox]

I surely did, thanks Diane.