The English AGS Bulletin featured Peter Erskine recently "A treasury of English Gardening" made me think of his magnificent rock garden and stone trough area behind his house, so I dragged out a few photo's and here they are.
Ramonda myconi in a little crevice beside the troughs, with a cool root run in the rock crevice.
It seems early to me, but I guess its the warm start to winter that we have been experiencing, that the first of Galanthus elwesii are out. Surrounded by falling Beach leaves.
Grey foliage plants always come into their own during winter, full sun does not worry them but they do not like to dry out, they need moisture under their foliage in the summer months. Easy from cuttings taken most of the year provided they are looked after, hormone powder on the ends of the cuttings and into perlite. It is best not to cover grey foliage with a plastic bag over the pot, they like the air around them and if you take your cuttings now leave in a sheltered position with the winter sun on their leaves, and they will be ready to plant out in early spring.
Artemisia genipi a ground cover not reaching hugh proportions (above).
Raoulia lutescence in one of my troughs, covers itself in yellow flowers in spring. It has the smallest of foliage of the Raoulia's that I grow. Not liking too much sun in summer it will just die on you. Not easy to grow from cuttings either, its a bit of hit and miss with it.
Raoulia parkii tight grey mat forming like R. lutescence but larger rose bud foliage yellow flowers also.
From the Eastern part of the South Island of New Zealand at 900-1600m in the loose open grey wacky rock. In Australia it likes a bit of high shade in summer and sun in the winter to keep its foliage tight.
Another of my troughs filled with Saxifraga 'White Hills' it is years old and is still very tight.
Tanacetum densum syn. Chrysanthemum densum which is probably what you will know it as, but has a new name now, it has had a lot of name changes over the years. But is a lovely old favourite shrub never growing too big but may get lax over the years so will need to be propagated every so often (above).
Artemisia scopulorum? another little Artemisia that doesn't take up too much room and stays a lovely mat.
Artemisia schmidtiana on the edge of a rock wall in full sun all summer, from Japan rocky mountainsides and seashores very hardy.
Euphorbia myrsinites my favourite of all the Euphorbia's loves all the hot sun that you can throw at it and has those asymmetrical leaves, that look their best at the moment, with buds ready to burst with their lime yellow flowers, all the Euphorbias can be grown from cuttings before they flower in perlite.
A beautiful Hepatica 'Millstream Merlin' photographed at Blackthorn Nursery UK a seedling that had come up in their Nursery.
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