Create an Alpine Corner. Guide to choosing the right plants
If you have a free space in your garden and are not sure what to do with it, why not consider an alpine garden? In an alpine garden you can create different habitats in even a small area. Alpines are high altitude plants that like good drainage and can handle cold winters. For our gardens here in Ireland we consider rockery plants in with the alpine gardens and these can include perennials and small shrubs giving us a lot more choice. More plant choices arise when using rocks that can be placed in a sunny space creating a sheltered micro climate for the sun loving alpine on one side and a perfect spot for the shade tolerant plant on the other.
Spring is a great time to plant your alpine garden because there are more plant choices available in garden centres and these plants have the whole season to establish.
Choose the most open site available away from the shadow of trees and their roots. Drainage is so important to the success of this type of garden that if your area doesn’t have it, consider building raised beds (with a base 15cm deep of coarse rubble, broken bits etc) or digging deeper to create a better drainage situation.
Decide on the shape and size you want and mark it out either with a long garden hose or with a bottle filled with sand. Keep an eye out for any suitable rocks either lying around or source them in natural stone rock suppliers. For a more natural look choose local stone if possible and get a range of sizes. Make sure the area is weed free and again, to ensure excellent drainage.
For the stones, use the large ones as ‘keystones’ and place starting with the largest and finishing with the smallest, propping them up with smaller stones or bricks as needed. These need to be at least a third of their size in the ground. Rocks should have a slight lean backwards and the lines on them should all run the same way. Work top soil in under and around stones to set them in. Soil based media with 30% added grit will be great. RHS recommends equal parts of loam, grit and leaf mould or coir for alpines but measurement can be changed to suit individual plants. Once planted top dress with gravel or grit.
Here are a few suggestions for plants you can use in your alpine garden but there are many more choices out there! Oxalis, Pulsatilla, Arabis, Iberis, Armeria, Artemesia, Lewisia, Lithodora, Sempervivum, Alyssum, Campanula, Felicia, Sedum, Corydalis, Dianthus.
There are a lot more choices here in our garden centre so come down and take a look!
Enjoy your garden!
Spring is a great time to plant your alpine garden because there are more plant choices available in garden centres and these plants have the whole season to establish.
Choose the most open site available away from the shadow of trees and their roots. Drainage is so important to the success of this type of garden that if your area doesn’t have it, consider building raised beds (with a base 15cm deep of coarse rubble, broken bits etc) or digging deeper to create a better drainage situation.
Decide on the shape and size you want and mark it out either with a long garden hose or with a bottle filled with sand. Keep an eye out for any suitable rocks either lying around or source them in natural stone rock suppliers. For a more natural look choose local stone if possible and get a range of sizes. Make sure the area is weed free and again, to ensure excellent drainage.
For the stones, use the large ones as ‘keystones’ and place starting with the largest and finishing with the smallest, propping them up with smaller stones or bricks as needed. These need to be at least a third of their size in the ground. Rocks should have a slight lean backwards and the lines on them should all run the same way. Work top soil in under and around stones to set them in. Soil based media with 30% added grit will be great. RHS recommends equal parts of loam, grit and leaf mould or coir for alpines but measurement can be changed to suit individual plants. Once planted top dress with gravel or grit.
Here are a few suggestions for plants you can use in your alpine garden but there are many more choices out there! Oxalis, Pulsatilla, Arabis, Iberis, Armeria, Artemesia, Lewisia, Lithodora, Sempervivum, Alyssum, Campanula, Felicia, Sedum, Corydalis, Dianthus.
There are a lot more choices here in our garden centre so come down and take a look!
Enjoy your garden! 
