Alpines
Until recently, it was not common to find alpine or similar dwarf and miniature plants at the local nursery. Rock garden enthusiasts or those with similar tastes in diminutive plants often acquired their stock through seed exchanges and specialty mail order growers. Renewed interest in gardening over the past several years has created a gardening public less staid in their tastes and open to new ideas. Plant growers in turn, have done much to accommodate this new sophistication. And while growing alpine plants does present certain challenges, many of the cultivars available today are relatively forgiving of gardeners who are not well acquainted with the vagaries of these miniature beauties.
What they like:
Alpine plants are often described as garden jewels - a characterization which refers to their size as well as their typically abundant habit of bloom. Because of the harsh climates in which many of these plants originated, they are often early bloomers, having grown accustomed to an abbreviated growing season. Owing to their unique origins, it is particularly important to pay attention to the medium in which they are grown. Ordinary garden soil is generally not porous enough to keep some of these plants from rotting, particularly during the winter months. The best kinds of soils for alpines are gritty, and fast draining, created from a combination of coarse sand, peat moss or compost, and soil. Top dressing for alpines typically consists of a covering of pea gravel designed to keep the foliage from coming into contact with the soil mix.
Where to plant them:
Since many alpines are relatively small, they often require a place unto themselves. They are ideal for planting in the pockets of stone walls, where voids in the wall can be packed with soil mix and fitted with plants. They are also good for working into patios, pathways and stone steps, where cracks and crevices are common. In recent years, container gardening with alpines has become very popular. This method makes them easy to enjoy wherever one wishes. In Europe, where the containers of choice consist of old stone farm troughs, demand for these troughs has made them prohibitively expensive and hard to find. A contemporary substitute for these antique troughs is called hypertufa, a lightweight material made from a blend of concrete, peat moss, and perlite or coarse sand. Hypertufa troughs are easy to make and after a few years in the weather, they begin to take on the look of old stone. Of course, alpines are equally suited to terra cotta and look great popping and spilling from the holes of strawberry pots.
If the thought of using alpines in your garden sounds intriguing, the following is a list of plants available for 2010.
