Graham Clarke considers why some alpines are the hardiest and toughest of plants, yet can also be the daintiest of any
One of the greatest of conundrums in the gardening world is how something as small and delicate as an alpine plant, with its fragile flowers often in pastels and girly pinks…can also be as tough as old boots? Well, it’s an easy question to answer actually!
Most naturally occurring alpines are small because they have to resist the ferocious winds and intense cold that one normally encounters up a mountain. Remember, the bigger the leaves a plant has, the greater their exposure to the elements. Most little alpine plants can hug rocks and mould themselves into crevices, which offer protection.
And alpines usually produce brightly coloured flowers; this is because when growing in high places they are often hidden from view, and in order to attract the all-important insect pollinators they need flowers of the brightest and most vivid of hue. In fact, it wasn’t until advanced plant breeding took place in the last century that we bred into alpine plants the many subtler shades and pastel colours we see now.
The current enthusiasm we have for alpines is aided by the fact that the average garden size is reducing; smaller gardens dictate smaller plants, so alpines can come in to their own. Even better, alpines generally look after themselves: once planted they can usually be left to their own devices, making them perfect for the gardener who is short of time (as well as short of space).
Alpine types
Some alpine plants grow naturally on high alpine screes and moraines, and they need conditions different from those that live in woods, meadows, tundra or on sandy banks at lower altitudes. Here are the five main alpine groups which, with some thought, can be accommodated in any garden: – come plants with a slow rate of growth, and are mainly of low hummock, or cushion formation, with tiny leaves or rosettes. These plants need very little soil, but exceedingly good drainage. In the wild, they may be under snow for six or more months of the year. But they remain relatively dry over this long period as little or no moisture soaks down to their roots until the snow begins to thaw. Then, as summer comes, one can see the thrilling sight of flowers peering through any remaining snow.
Scree plants: From the highest rock terrains – often well over 30,000ft (9144m)
Such high-altitude alpines are the most difficult to adapt to garden conditions, as they need gritty soil; they dislike both winter wet and summer heat. They are often grown to good advantage in stone sinks and troughs; but some are best in what is known as an alpine house – an airy, well-ventilated greenhouse – where the glass covering keeps off winter wet and where moisture requirements and summer shading can be met as an
