Just finished my first rock garden (minus the plants!)

At least I have just had the pleasure of getting my first bloom from my G. acaulis.....:))

Wow, now that's why I'm trying to grow one!
Very nice. In a few years, you'll have a big cluster of blooms!

I'm trying one also, but don't hold much hope for it...Gentians and I don't seem to be a good mix.I'll cross my fingers for you.
The flower is just awesome.

Here's one scrawny bloom from one of mine yesterday.
But the good news is that the plant has survived a couple years and actually is a getting a little bigger. For me, that's pretty good success for gentians.
You can see it's still a teeny plant!

I love gentian acaulis!!! Glorious. thanks for sharing the pic's of your's blooming.

Yes, that's a nice pic. I think my bloom is a little past its best.
Let's hope they both survive to grow bigger and even lovelier!

Oops, I looked at the tag and see that mine is g. paradoxa Blauer Herald.
Whatever it is, I'm really pleased it seems to be settling in.

That did occur to me but I was reluctant to mention it. I have a few 'Blau Herald' grown from seed but not yet flowered. Similar and fairly easy from seed is G. septemfida....

Spring 2015 update. The rock garden is gradually maturing.
Plenty of Pulsatilla vulgaris (too beautiful to be called 'vulgaris', really!).
Also the smaller, more sheltered, rock garden seems to be the location of choice for Saxifraga x arendesii, which grows only slowly in the main bed.
After flowering quite late last year, Gentiana acaulis has flowered again....
As has Gentiana clusii (the flowers have suffered some slug damage, I fear).

The smaller plants are also coming on...
Globularia cordifolia flowering again....
And Potentilla villosa.
And what seems to be an Erigeron; it should be Erigeron glauca, but the foliage seems wrong!

Very nice. The erigeron is likely one of the many forms of Erigeron compositus.

Oooo.. very very nice! There's a little spot of blue at the edge of the sax. Is it another type of gentiana? You're ahead of us here. I can't wait for the rock gardens to come into bloom.

Alta... yes I did know that, it was a jocular remark, but thanks for pointing it out!
Tammy - yes, an acaulis. I tried that as an alternative spot for some gentians in case the other bed was too exposed. That smaller one is very prone to slugs, though, I lost a lot of small plants last year.

Good morning!! i'm new so please forgive my mistakes. I , too., belong to NARGS..Siskiyou chapter in Oregon. I live at about 2400 feet going into the cascades. I really enjoyed your designing and building your rock garden, cinemike!! Thanks for taking us through your wonderful garden...Hope to see some new events!!
I'm an Iris species enthusiast and Penstemon lover...among many other things... Penstemon davidsonii and Penstemon rupicola are wonderful Penstemons to play with too..you might already be growing them..

Very nice, Leigh. I've been struggling to try rock garden plants in our muggy Midwest climate - unfortunately those choice penstemons tend not to enjoy our climate! I hope you'll keep posting your success so we can enjoy vicariously.