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Alpine Plant
Rock Garden And Planting Suggestions. Part 2
This has taken slightly longer to put in writing than I had planned, but I do believe it truly is worth waiting for. In my last article I finished by talking about raised beds. So here's part two about rock gardens and planting ideas beginning with "Sink or Troughs" as rock gardens.
Sink or Trough:The idea of growing alpine plants in troughs and glazed sinks caught on in the 1930s. Using a container shows that rock garden plants can be grown almost anyplace, including on your balcony or patio, the plants are also raised above the ground, putting them into easy reach. There is a less obvious virtue however, some difficult alpines which often rot outdoors can survive the winter in the exceptional drainage provided by a deep trough.
Many attractive reconstituted stone troughs are available today - the main feature to watch for is definitely an adequate drain in the base. Old glazed sinks can be covered with hypertufa which is the product of of 1 part cement, 1 part sand and 1 part fine peat blended to a moist mix with water. Place the sink or trough on firm supports in a sunny spot and cover the drainage hole with pieces of rubble and fill to within 2 inches of the top with a standard planting mixture. Allow it to settle for a couple of weeks and then plant up, aiming for a mixture of shapes, sizes and colours. Here you can use choice and delicate types to maximum advantage, but avoid rampant carpeters. Place some rocks between the plants and cover the suface with a 1 inch layer of stone chippings. Water on a regular basis during the growing season.
Dry-Stone Wall:This is among my favourites. A dry-stone wall is formed without using any mortar. In northern rural areas of Britain you'll see mile after mile of dry-stone walling built by bonding flat stones together, In the home garden, soil or planting mixture is needed to fill the gaps between the stones. In these cracks, a wide range of rock garden plants can be grown.
There are two types of dry-stone wall, the free standing double-faced one with a central core of soil, and also the retaining type used to support a raised bed or face a bank. Building a free-standing wall ought to be left to a professional, but to build a retaining type is well in the scope of the normal home gardener. Use limestone or sandstone - a better-to-handle alternative is the dry-walling variety of reconstituted stone block. A wall above 1ft. will require a 6 inch foundation of rubble or concrete. Lay large, flat stones for the lower layers, pushing them together tightly with a fill of planting mixture between the sides and layers of stones.
Each stone should slope downwards and backwards, a 10 degree slope is satisfactory. Plant as you go, placing the specimens sideways. Rooted cuttings are generally easier to use than plants which are pot-grown. Pack the mixture all around the roots. When constructing a wall against an earth face, planting mixture should be packed n firmly to fill the space between the rear of the stones and the front of the bank. Spray the wall with water when planting is finished, also water during dry weather until the plants are established. Recommended plants include Alyssum, Aubrietia, Dianthus, Phlox and Thyme for a sunny face and Arabis, Campanula and Saxifraga for a shady face.
About the Author
There are a lot more ideas coming in my next article. A great amount of my time is spent in my garden but, I am getting older and things are getting harder to do. I have decided to use a company called Gardener London. Up to now they've given me all the help and advice that I have requested.
What do I do with my container grown Alpine Strawberries to prepare them for Winter?
This summer I've been growing Alpine Strawberries in pots and they've produced a really good harvest. Now that autumn is approaching and the leaves are starting to die, what do I do with the plants to prepare them for winter and make sure they grow again in spring?
Do I cut the dying leaves back or leave them to die? They're in a very sheltered semi-shaded spot down by a wall. Can they stay there all winter (we live in the Home Counties so it's mild)?
Thanks in advance!
Alpine Strawberry plants are usually grown new from seed each year and started in Feb/Mar but if your plants are healthy they can be left in place for a second season. They like rich soil so give them a good 2" mulch with garden compost and remove yellowed leaves to stop them touching the floor and rotting (a haven for slugs and suchlike). They are very hardy and can withstand frost OK especially with the mulch around them. I have some that are in their third year but they didn't produce much of a crop this year so I'll start again in Feb. Good luck 
The Snowbell - David Attenborough's "The Private Life of Plants"