Understanding Garden Plants -Alpine And Rock Garden

Question 1

Rock garden - summer

Answer 1

Thymus silver queen 
Sempervivum red Ace / red beauty / red heart 
Saxifraga x urbium 
Helianthus nummularium 
Dianthus alpinus

Question 2

Rock garden - spring

Answer 2

Sedum acre
Pulsatilla vulgaris
Aubrieta astrolat

Question 3

Characteristics of true alpine

Answer 3

Low growing

Adaptation of leaves - small/hairy/succulent/silvery

Question 4

Other plants suitable for rockery

Answer 4

Dwarf conifers and bulbs

Question 5

Soil requirements for alpine plants/rockery

Answer 5

Free draining
Low nutrient content
Free from weeds/pest/disease

Question 6

Preparation of an area for rockery

Answer 6

Get rid of weeds
Get good drainage maybe by digging out topsoil and adding a layer of rubble/hardcore. Sand for heavy clay.
Place rocks irregularly starting from front and working up tilting them slightly backwards

Question 7

Creating an alpine trough

Answer 7

Made from stone/ reconstituted stone/ cement / hypertufa
50%compost 50%grit
Layer of grit in the bottom then compost then plant then mulch with layer of grit or gravel

Question 8

What is hypertufa

Answer 8

Mixture of sand/cement/peat

Question 9

Maintenance of rock garden

Answer 9

Watering not really necessary except in long periods without rain
Trim in autumn to keep compact
Keep weeds down
Look out for pests such as slugs and snails
Diseases such as grey mould