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Author Topic: Sand beds  (Read 12372 times)

Peter Korn, Sweden

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Re: Sand beds
« Reply #45 on: January 02, 2012, 05:12:34 PM »
Buy the field and build your own mountain range...

ranunculus

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Re: Sand beds
« Reply #46 on: January 02, 2012, 05:47:24 PM »
Buy the field and build your own mountain range...

... If you need any Alp!   :D
Cliff Booker
Behind a camera in Whitworth. Lancashire. England.

Peter Korn, Sweden

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Re: Sand beds
« Reply #47 on: January 02, 2012, 06:15:28 PM »
Everybody needs a alp.

Tim Ingram

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Re: Sand beds
« Reply #48 on: February 07, 2012, 06:03:04 PM »
Well the garden is covered in snow at the moment - time to tidy up the greenhouses and sow lots of seed (even if a little late for some to get a long enough cold spell). Couldn't resist posting this image of Silene hookeri on the sand bed last year, having got it out for another reason. I probably won't be building a new Alp, but do intend to start extending the beds in the spring - our garden may change in the next year or two!
Dr. Timothy John Ingram. Nurseryman & gardener with strong interest in plants of Mediterranean-type climates and dryland alpines. Garden in Kent, UK. www.coptonash.plus.com

Tim Ingram

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Re: Sand beds
« Reply #49 on: April 09, 2012, 07:36:37 PM »
I have enjoyed making the small sand bed in our garden so much, and it has been so much more successful at growing some of the more choice alpines, that extensions are underway! This is only a small part of our garden but holds such an inordinate amount of interest. Because I cover the bed in winter (from November to March), I have invested in 50mm Metposts to hold the supports for the dutch lights, and this has made a vast improvement to the look of the bed, even though quite costly. Many of the plants on the bed are familiar and not too difficult to grow, but the sparse growing conditions (just like a scree) keep them slow growing and more in character.

Some examples:-

Polygala calcarea 'Lillet'
Androsace laevigata and its wonderful hybrid idahoensis x laevigata (both from Aberconwy)
Primula marginata 'Clear's Variety' and 'Shipton'
Pulsatilla ambigua from Desirable Plants in Devon
Woodsia obtusa, one of several small rock ferns that do well on the bed
Dr. Timothy John Ingram. Nurseryman & gardener with strong interest in plants of Mediterranean-type climates and dryland alpines. Garden in Kent, UK. www.coptonash.plus.com

Maggi Young

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Re: Sand beds
« Reply #50 on: April 09, 2012, 07:40:45 PM »
This (the Metposts) seems like a good idea, Tim. This way you need only have the actual posts in place when the covers are needed. How will you stop the post bases getting clogged in the meantime?
Margaret Young in Aberdeen, North East Scotland Zone 7 -ish!

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ranunculus

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Re: Sand beds
« Reply #51 on: April 09, 2012, 07:55:39 PM »
Metpost make plastic and steel caps that fit snugly over the posts, Maggi.
Tim, your garden and images are equally beautiful.
Cliff Booker
Behind a camera in Whitworth. Lancashire. England.

Maggi Young

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Re: Sand beds
« Reply #52 on: April 09, 2012, 08:06:41 PM »
Metpost make plastic and steel caps that fit snugly over the posts, Maggi.

Ahhh, that makes sense.  :)
Margaret Young in Aberdeen, North East Scotland Zone 7 -ish!

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Armin

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Re: Sand beds
« Reply #53 on: April 09, 2012, 10:01:45 PM »
Tim,
that P. ambigua is stunning and not often seen!
Very lovely. 8)
Best wishes
Armin

Tim Ingram

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Re: Sand beds
« Reply #54 on: April 09, 2012, 10:08:16 PM »
That's new to me - thanks Cliff. The bottom of the Metpost slots do have holes for water run off, so smaller grit etc will get washed through.

Armin - yes I am very taken by pulsatillas and try to grow as wide a range as possible, some less well than others. Species like alpina and vernalis I don't find easy, ideally needing cooler and moister conditions. I don't know how variable ambigua is in colour - really the only form I have seen is the lovely soft pink variety which is often exhibited.
Dr. Timothy John Ingram. Nurseryman & gardener with strong interest in plants of Mediterranean-type climates and dryland alpines. Garden in Kent, UK. www.coptonash.plus.com

Maggi Young

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Re: Sand beds
« Reply #55 on: April 09, 2012, 10:13:06 PM »
I don't know how variable ambigua is in colour - really the only form I have seen is the lovely soft pink variety which is often exhibited.

That soft pink form is a beauty...a photo by Liam McCaughy of it featured on the cover (and inside in a piece by Harold McBride) of IRG issue 14 February 2011........

http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2011Feb241298591020IRG14_Feb_2011.pdf
Margaret Young in Aberdeen, North East Scotland Zone 7 -ish!

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Paul T

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Re: Sand beds
« Reply #56 on: April 10, 2012, 02:14:00 AM »
Tim,

I've only just discovered this topic.  Impressive! (to say the least).  I'd have to build a sand bed on top of the ground here.... our clay subsoil would just make a lovely sandy swamp were I to dig a sand bed into it.  ;D  You have so many lovely jewels growing in yours! :o
Cheers.

Paul T.
Canberra, Australia.
Min winter temp -8 or -9°C. Max summer temp 40°C. Thankfully, maybe once or twice a year only.

Armin

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Re: Sand beds
« Reply #57 on: April 10, 2012, 09:19:28 AM »
Species like alpina and vernalis I don't find easy, ideally needing cooler and moister conditions.

Tim,
I agree, difficult to please. Beside cool conditions P. vernalis & P. alpina (ssp. apiifolia) like calcareous free soil.
I wish you a good seed set on the P. ambigua.
Best wishes
Armin

Lesley Cox

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Re: Sand beds
« Reply #58 on: April 10, 2012, 09:39:30 PM »
I'm glad you menmtioned the line-free soil Armin. I have young plants to go out and probably would have added some lime as P. vulgaris likes it. ::)
Lesley Cox - near Dunedin, lower east coast, South Island of New Zealand - Zone 9

Armin

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Re: Sand beds
« Reply #59 on: April 11, 2012, 08:41:10 AM »
Lesley,
if you have seedlings P. alpina ssp. alpina (white flowering form) they grow in nature over lime stone and should not make troubles.
Best wishes
Armin

 


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