Plants for Rocky Crevices
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Lisa A
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Aug-13-2007 at 11:53am
I have small pockets in my rock wall that are just crying out for plants. This is a new world for me to discover and I'm bemused by my possibilities.
So far, I've planted Asplenium trichomanes , Ajuga 'Chocolate Chip' and Euonymus fortunei 'Kewensis' . That latter one has done incredibly well and I can see I'll need to prune to shape to keep it from covering the rock completely.
What are your favorite plants to tuck into nooks and crannies of rock walls? I'm thinking small sedums, ferns and such, more along the lines of foliage and texture than flower.
Has anyone ever tucked Lewisia cotelydon into rock "holes"?
DebbieTT
Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula
Posted: Aug-13-2007 at 1:22pm
Fancy Fronds just did a fern alpine garden that was tucked in with small ferns. I didn't get their names but I am sure she has a great list. I have tucked Lewisia into rock holes because then the crowns are assured to be kept dry.
Oh and don't forget Mt. Tahoma, who has list upon list and plants suitable for the rock wall are marked.
My favorites in my wall are the following:
- Armeria maritima (sea thrift)
- Penstemon rupicola (rock penstemon)
- Kalmiopsis fragrans 'LePiniec Form' (native)(I don't know its common name)
- Saponaria pulvinaris
- Penstemon 'Dragontail'
- Hutchinsia alpina
- Cassiope mertensia (native alpine)
- Aubrieta cf. pinardii
- Aubrieta 'Argenteovariedgata'
- Arabis caucasica 'Variegata'
- Gentiana andrewsii
- Fuchsia procumbens
- Chiastophyllum oppositifolium
- Erodium chamaedryoides 'Charm'
- Saxifraga x urbium 'Variegata'
- Aubrieta cultorum x deltoidea 'Argenteovariegata' (false variegated rock cress)
- Sempervivums and Jovibarbas (Hens and chicks )
And moss in shady areas.
That's not all of them there are a few I can't remember the cultivars exactly and having difficulty locating them in my files. Will find them though.
Most of the above have great texture as well asa bonus of flowers.
silver_ creek
Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills
Posted: Aug-13-2007 at 1:48pm
Lewisias are super in rock walls, especially ones with half day sun. Don't limit yourself to Lewisia cotyledon. Try Lewisia columbiana var. rupicola and Lewisia serrata for very long bloom periods. And Lewisia tweedyi can get very large when planted in rock walls. Also favorites of ours are Asperula sintensii and some of the more refined Delosperma. And Dianthus 'Minimounds' and Dianthus simulans...I second the vote for Mt. Tahoma Nursery. Rick has the greatest selection of cool rock garden plants, and they are exceptionally well grown.
Terry M.
Garden Spider
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Aug-13-2007 at 8:12pm
I second the Lewisias--L. tweedyi is doing fabulous for me, in a rock crevice. The foliage is larger and not as fleshy as other Lewisias. I also like Armeria.
Trailing Rosemary is always one of my favorites.
At the Seattle Aquarium, the Tidepool Exhibit has Kinnikinnik and Beach Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) trailing down a cliff face. They also have some native doune grasses. In the Sandy/Cobble Beach Exhibit, there's a Hardhack (Spirea douglasi, I think)--it's pretty large. They've also put in some small conifers and a vine maple.
I know you wanted mostly foliage, but mini Iris (either dwarf bearded Iris, or I. reticulata) and mini Daffodils sure look purty in the Spring, in a rock garden. So do Muscari.
Barb
Lisa A
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Aug-14-2007 at 10:34am All great suggestions, thanks! My rocky "holes" aren't of sufficient size to accommodate some of the larger plants (bummer) but I'm going to give it a go with some of the smaller plants. And I'm definitely going to plant a few Lewisia in some of the larger spaces I have.
Keep the suggestions coming, please
Next question. As I wrote, my spaces are small and generally accommodate the plant's roots and current growing medium and not much else (these are 4" pots). When I can, I add a mix of 1/4-10 gravel, compost and soil. Parts of the wall were up against hard-pack clay (that's where the Euonymus is). Where we needed to fill in with soil in other areas, we used native soil mixed with 1/4-10 gravel or purchased blended soil. These areas should drain better and this is where I'll be planting selections that require quick drainage.
Am I heading in the right direction? Any other planting tips?
silver_ creek
Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills
Posted: Aug-14-2007 at 2:47pm
Long staples (earth staples)or a wire can help hold the plants in place until they can root in.
Terry M.
Lisa A
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Aug-14-2007 at 5:35pm
Never heard of such a thing, Terry. Is this a specialty item, found only at better nurseries or is it readily available? Will wooden cooking skewers work in a pinch? Those I've got on hand. TIA!
mdvaden
Location: Oregon, Western
Posted: Aug-14-2007 at 6:20pm
May be the staples sold along side landcape fabric or drip irrigation tube to hold the fabric and tube in place.
If so, landscapers use it all the time.
I use spaghnum moss stuffed around ferns and plants stuffed into cavities between rock and boulders, to wedge them in.
Seems best done in fall / winter when moisture is trickling regularly.
M.D. Vaden
Fern
Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills
Posted: Aug-16-2007 at 7:47am
How I would love to have a rock garden! The Lewsias, Dianthus, and Penstomen would be must-haves. Some Saxifrages have very nice foliage, I like Saxifraga primuliodes because I can even grow it flat on the ground. Edelweiss looks ratty in pots but I've heard from some people locally who really like it. Daphnes might be too big but they sure would be fun.
Fern
silver_ creek
Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills
Posted: Aug-16-2007 at 2:56pm
Oh, Fern there are daphnes that just beg for rock gardens. Look for Daphne jasminea, Daphne arbuscula, Daphne petrea, and Daphne x hendersonii. These are all tiny, creeping daphnes that are great in rock gardens.
Terry M.
Lisa A
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Aug-17-2007 at 9:20am
Fern, I bought Saxifraga primuliodes at the HPSO plant sale last fall. Love this little Saxifraga (but I've yet to meet a sax I don't love).
I was at fertility's garden on Wednesday. She told me she used florist hooks to tuck her plants into her broken concrete stacked wall. Must be something similar to what you were talking about, Terry.
Uh, oh, given the long list of plants I could choose from, it looks like I've found another area to feed my addiction.
FloraGardener
Location: Washington, Long Beach Peninsula
Posted: Aug-17-2007 at 9:57am
What about Silene? I planted some at the edge of a garden at my mom's and have been really impressed with it, and the white flowers are pretty. Looking in "Flora", vol 2, I see there are several Silenes, Since mine has white sort of bell shaped flowers and foliage which gives my memory the impression of being grey, I think it must be Silene uniflora. Now, I hope it is not one of those plants that will later pop out of every crevice, even where you don't want it!
Phlox
Location: Washington, Southwestern
Posted: Aug-18-2007 at 1:39pm It all makes me wish I had a place to build a rock wall. I'll have to be satified with planting around the rocks at the edge of my pond and waterfall, lots of rock there.
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton