Hi, everybody--thought I would add the link to the Bulb forum thread that talks about rock garden bulbs http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/440503/ just to get it over here...and...post some pictures of some of my little narcissus bulbs that have come up around my rocks...
It's fun to try to grow plants in a rockery...but I think it takes time to understand the limitations!...
muscari, creeping phlox and miniature narcissus
muscari and n. 'hawera', a division 5 triandrus.
while looking for bulb companion plants, I came across this article by Nancy Wilson in Garberville, CA, who specializes in bulbs for rockeries and alpines...
http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/pbs/2004-February/016971.html
Here's a little Rip van Winkle narcissus--it would show off in the rockery...
I love Rip Van Winkle and I grow it. I've never thought of mixing it with rock garden plants, but you're absolutely right. It would look great in there because it's so little. Thanks for a good idea.
Hi, zuzu--- I don't know if you are like me, but I like to plan for the bulb season next year while this season's bloom is in the garden-- so I found this great article from Broadleigh
http://www.broadleighbulbs.co.uk/months/usingsmalldaffodils.htm
that gives a lot of detail on the merits of both 'tiny' and 'little' narcissus bulbs and their appropriateness for rockeries and troughs, etc. I found several that I will want to try for next year--and I think most of the ones mentioned are available in the states through VanEngelen and Mitsch, for instance.
I am going to try n. 'petral', and 'canaliculatus' to start with, although I don't have a true alpine garden but only nicely placed rocks with small traditional perennials and bulbs interplanted among them...Happy (rock) gardening. t.
Thanks for the great link, T. I like both of the ones you're starting with and I also like Segovia and Jumblie. The picture of Hawera is nice because they're planted in the middle of a lot of other things. I like a crowded plot.
I'm not sure I'm a true alpine gardener either. I'd like to be, but we'll see whether the alpines I planted will actually survive in California. If they're still here next April, I'm going to be very impressed with myself.
Here's a small collection of bulbs currently blooming in my garden (spring is even later than usual this year). Any of these could be used in a rockery. This is Scilla miczenkoana.
Iris reticulata 'Harmony'
Crocus sieberi 'Tricolor'
and Crocus biflorus. I grow a number of dwarf bulbs in my rock garden to start the spring display, including several dwarf tulips and daffodils, but these latter will not be open for weeks yet.
Hi, Todd--your pics are beautiful--I especially like the c. sieberi and would like to try it in our garden next year along with other croci (?), however, I have had not a lot of success before with them, mainly because of the voles and squirrels...do you have issues with them, too?
For those who are really into propagating crocus for the rock garden, here's a link to the Scottish Rock Garden Society site with lots of pages devoted to crocus and other small bulbs...very interesting. You might have fun clicking around on it...
http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/140203/log.html
and an article specifically about early crocus: http://www.srgc.org.uk/feature/early%20crocuses/crocus.html
This message was edited Apr 26, 2005 7:58 AM
I already have those links...the Scottish RGS has a fantastic website. One of our local Newfoundland Rock Garden Society members is joining the Scottish RGS on their Patagonia field trip this November...sounds like it will be a great trip.
Broadleigh Bulbs is one of the best sources for bulbs especially narcissi. I recently bought Segovia and it is stunning!
As well as the bulbs mentioned above has anyone tried fritillaria, erythronium, hepatica, anemone, allium? This is a lovely allium I have in a raised bed called paradoxum var normale.
One of my favourite smaller narcissi is this one - Little Witch.
Galanthophile, now I really want Segovia. That's a beautiful picture.
I grow several different types of erythronium, hepatica, anemone, and allium, but I'm afraid the frits are too delicious to the gophers. I plant them every year, using more and more secure methods, but when the gophers can't get them from below, they climb into them overland. This year I'll try growing them in my raised containers. If I see a gopher climbing up the concrete blocks and redwood walls, I'll have to apply for a gun permit.
Galanthophile, I have over 30 varieties of Allium, but I haven't found a seed source for paradoxum...yours is a beauty...very pristine.
I grow (only) 6 kinds of allium without much luck, I might add...I am wondering if they are tempting to the gophers, too...the allium that have decided to appear are interesting accents and I would love to have more. Do we have any pics of alliums in bloom in your rockeries?
Galan--Your pic of the little frit. is so lovely you have enticed me to try them--they are so interesting and elegant in form and I am thinking the voles and gophers don't like them---am I right about that? or just wishing and hoping?!
Todd--your iris reticulata 'harmony' is interesting and I like the 'Dijt' that you pictured on your website. Am I right to assume that they will bloom with your crocus? If I can find an effective critter deterrent, I would love to try these...
The Scottish RG website is exceptional and I like to research on the web (more than with books) so I try to share interesting links on the forums... I like the way DG makes it so easy to do that and to post pictures...BTW, todd, when I google for info your sites come up a lot so thanks for sharing them! t.
Glad my sites are helpful. In Newfoundland, our Iris reticulata flower concurrently with crocus. I have four cultivars now and I must admit I love them all. I am a lover of Iris overall, except the Bearded types which I find too flamboyant (but then I am a plant snob at times! LOL!). We have no rodents that eat bulbs in Newfoundland, so I can plant them with abandon. I have several new rock garden bulbs open now so when the rain stops I'll get a few more pics to post.
I think certain beardeds can be nice in a garden, but probably not in scale with alpines in rock gardens. So many of the hybrid beardeds seem 'over the top' and out of proportion but the right one can be an excellent 'punctuation mark' for a landscape...I read somewhere that hybridizers are developing new dwarf bearded iris at a rapid clip to fill the void in gardens after narcissus and before summer blooms...perhaps some of those will be of an elegant nature...
I did find this list of interesting iris from Pacific Rim Hillkeep http://www.hillkeep.ca/bulbs%20iris.htm which seem appropriate for rock gardens, and I am wondering if anyone grows any of these or knows how difficult they are...
I believe I read an article mentioning a few of these in 'Horticulture Mag.' a few months ago and my impression is that they are difficult. Do you think that is so?
A great website for alpine plants is www.thealpinegarden.com which features the Lonsdale collection. the crocus are to die for. Also worth a look is www.rareplants.co.uk. They have great photo galleries too.
G. thanks for those links--The Alpine Gardener had an excellent article on how to create a traditional rock garden and wonderful plant photos.
The other line did not want to cooperate with my server so I had to miss out on that one..t.
Tabasco, a number of the Iris at Pacific Rim should do fine in Ohio. Of those listed, I or local friend's have I. setosa, laevigata, sanquinea, innominata, chrysographes, bucharica, sintenisii and cristata. Laevigata and Sanquinea are too large for the rock garden but the others are lovely 'beardless' additions.
Just to add a link for tiny and exotic rock garden bulbs, Zuzu pointed me in the direction of the miniplantkingdom site
http://www.miniplantkingdom.com/search.cgi?searchstring=Bulbs&searchfield=aacategory
They have many listed that are very hard to find...
