326 THE ALPINE GARDENER AGS BULLETIN VOL. 79 No. 4 DECEMBER 2011 pp. 441-556
ISSN 1475-0449
Alpine Gardener the
BULLETIN OF THE ALPINE GARDEN SOCIETY
the international society for the cultivation, conservation and exploration of alpine and rock garden plants
Volume 79 No. 4
December 2011
Alpine Gardener THE
CONTENTS 443 EDITORIAL
A new format for reports of the RHS Joint Rock Garden Plant Committee’s awards
445 ALPINE DIARY
The AGS garden at Pershore; the future of specialised horticulture; book review; a round-up of the AGS show season in 2011
468 482
460 ROBERT ROLFE
Appreciating the beauty of seed, and plants that grow and go together
PRACTICAL GARDENING
468 SAND BEDS
500
Tim Ingram reports on the construction of a sand bed in his garden and the many plants that are flourishing in seemingly harsh conditions
482 CYPRIPEDIUMS IN SICHUAN
Phillip Cribb encounters three rare dwarf lady’s slipper orchids in the Min Shan
December 2011 Volume 79 No 4
492 THE SMALLER KALMIAS
Barry Starling profiles these desirable ericaceous shrubs
500 PHOTO ALBUM: MURIEL HODGMAN
In a new series, we showcase images by an accomplished photographer and plantswoman
492 524
510 SHOW REPORTS
A special report on this year’s International Conference Show, plus the North Midland, Dublin, Midland and Cleveland Shows
536 THE LAZY ROUTE
Tony Hughes revels in the variety of plants and the spectacular scenery along Austria’s High Alpine Road COVER PHOTOGRAPHS
Front: Phyteuma globulariifolium in the Austrian Alps (Tony Hughes) Back: Triteleia laxa ‘Rudy’ in the AGS garden at Pershore (Ann Thomas) ON THESE PAGES Left: Eucomis schijffii; Cypripedium micranthum; Swainsona formosa Right: Kalmia polifolia; Gypsophila aretioides; a view from Austria’s High Alpine Road
536
Published by the
Alpine Garden Society
The international society for the cultivation, conservation and exploration of alpine and rock garden plants, small hardy herbaceous plants, hardy and half-hardy bulbs, hardy ferns and small shrubs AGS Centre, Avon Bank, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 3JP, UK Tel: +44(0)1386 554790 Fax: +44(0)1386 554801 Email: ags@alpinegardensociety.net Director of the Alpine Garden Society: Christine McGregor Registered charity No. 207478 Annual subscriptions: Single (UK and Ireland) £28* Family (two people at same address) £32* Junior (under 18/student) £10 Overseas single US$54 £30 Overseas family US$60 £33 * £2 deduction for direct debit subscribers For details of life membership and joint life membership apply to the Alpine Garden Society at the address above. Printed by Butler Tanner & Dennis, Caxton Road, Frome, Somerset BA11 1NE Price to non-members £6.00 Second-class postage paid at Rahway, New Jersey. US Postmaster: send address corrections to AGS Bulletin, c/o Mercury Airfreight International Ltd. Inc., 2323 Randolph Avenue, Avenel, NJ 07001. USPS 450-210.
© The Alpine Garden Society ISSN 1475-0449
Editor: John Fitzpatrick Tel: +44(0)1981 580134 Email: editor@agsgroups.org Associate Editor: Robert Rolfe Tel: +44(0)1159 231928 Email: robert.rolfe@agsgroups.org Practical Gardening Correspondent: Vic Aspland CChem. MRSC Tel: +44(0)1384 396331 Email: vic.aspland@agsgroups.org Custodian AGS Digital Library: Jon Evans Tel: +44(0)1252 724416 Email: jon.evans@agsgroups.org Custodian AGS Slide Library: Peter Sheasby Tel/fax: +44(0)1295 720502 Advertisement Manager: Julie Slimm Tel: +44(0)1788 574680 Email: adverts@agsgroups.org The Editor welcomes contributions of articles and photographs. Please call or email the Editor to discuss relevant formats for photographs before sending. The Editor cannot accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, articles, artwork or photographs sent by post. The views expressed in The Alpine Gardener do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or of the Alpine Garden Society. The Alpine Gardener is published four times a year in March, June, September and December.
www.alpinegardensociety.net
Edrom Nurseries’ magnificent gentians at this year’s Malvern Autumn Show
T
he AGS is one of three organisations that appoints members to the RHS Joint Rock Garden Plant Committee, the others being the Scottish Rock Garden Club and the Royal Horticultural Society itself. Since the committee was set up in 1936, to consider individual plants for awards, this journal has regularly reported the proceedings, resulting in an invaluable historical record of the cultivation of alpine plants in the UK. The AGS Publications Committee has decided that, from now on, these reports will be presented in a different format. Instead of being included in this journal they will be published in a DECEMBER 2011
Repotting the plant awards EDITORIAL separate annual supplement. The first of these will be distributed to all AGS members with the March 2012 edition of The Alpine Gardener. Subsequent supplements will be sent automatically only to AGS members 443
EDITORIAL who have requested the annual Shows Handbook, since it is our exhibitors in the main who submit plants for consideration by the committee. Importantly, however, any member can opt to be added to the mailing list for the plant awards supplements. How to do this will be explained in the first supplement. This change offers several benefits. In future, Joint Rock reports may be kept together, making them easier to access, and the AGS is considering producing a binder for them. It is also planned to bring all previous reports together on a CD to accompany the supplements, providing a complete stand-alone record of the plant awards. This would be added to the AGS website. Removing the reports from this journal will free-up space to publish a greater range of articles, broadening its appeal across the membership. Congratulations to members of the Cleveland Local Group who won the trophy for the best horticultural display at this year’s Stokesley Agricultural Show. Their exhibit, constructed from polystyrene fish boxes, was designed to showcase three alpine environments – scree and rock, meadow and water, and woodland. It was built by Sue Flanigan and Morag and Barry Roberts and filled with plants supplied by group members and Edrom Nurseries. In addition, Linda Peace and Jo Scott put together a display to illustrate the cultivation of alpines and demonstrated suitable compost mixes. It is marvellous to see Local Groups promoting themselves and the AGS in this way. 444
Edrom Nurseries must also be congratulated for a wonderful display of gentians at this year’s Malvern Autumn Show (see my picture on the previous page), for which it was awarded an RHS Gold Medal and the accolade of best exhibit in the RHS section of the show. Just a week earlier, Edrom’s Cath Davies and Terry Hunt had collected the ‘best in show’ award for their gentians at Harrogate Autumn Flower Show. Well done everyone. In the September issue of The Alpine Gardener, an article written by the late Clarence Elliott was accompanied by a photograph said to show the garden of Jack Elliott. Unfortunately, the photograph had been mistakenly labelled and, having never visited Jack’s garden, I didn’t notice the error. The photograph, taken by Jack Elliott, in fact showed the garden of AGS member Jan Lubbers at Twello in the Netherlands. Jan has been cultivating and constructing his garden for 27 years. He tells me: ‘We’ve used 250 tons of stone in the garden, which covers about a quarter of an acre. We have about 500 conifers and small trees, all of which are pruned like bonsai. My wife and I have travelled to many different places and we bring back ideas for the garden. ‘I like building different habitats and we have vertical cliffs five metres high, which are known among our friends as the highest mountains in Holland!’ Jan, I’m sure Clarence Elliott would have loved your garden – and one day I would like to visit it and scale those peaks. John Fitzpatrick THE ALPINE GARDENER
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The recently improved pond in the AGS garden attracts a variety of wildlife
The AGS gardeners and their new ‘apprentice’
O
ne of the pleasures of visiting the AGS Centre at Pershore – besides the warm welcome and tea and biscuits you’ll receive from the staff – is strolling in the garden and marvelling at the diversity of plants in cultivation. The garden was established around 20 years ago and during that time several major projects – such as the construction of a crevice bed and
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a scree – have been successfully undertaken. AGS members have contributed thousands of hours to the garden’s development and upkeep, and none more so than our current ‘head gardener’, Kana Webster. Kana, originally from Tokyo, started tending the garden in April 2009 and usually makes two trips each month from her home in Devon to work at Pershore, aiming to put in two days on 445
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An impressive stand of Pulsatilla vulgaris at Pershore in April
each visit. She is often accompanied by her husband, Jonathan, the Curator of RHS Garden Rosemoor, who offers a highly skilled extra pair of hands. This year they have been joined by an ‘apprentice’, their son Benjamin, who was born on February 1. ‘Having the baby has meant that I haven’t been able to make quite as much progress this year as I would have liked,’ says Kana, ‘but he’s already been signed up as an AGS member and I’m sure he’ll be a big help when he’s older.’ In her native Japan, Kana studied agriculture before moving to the UK in 1997 to study amenity horticulture at Writtle College in Chelmsford, 446
Essex. On completing the course, she accepted a job at RHS Garden Wisley, where she met Jonathan. They moved to Devon when he was offered a position at Rosemoor and they are both members of the AGS Exeter Local Group. The AGS garden is divided into 13 areas to reflect varying habitats and to accommodate plants with differing requirements. These are a Cotswold bed for British natives, a European bed, a Mediterranean bed, a tufa outcrop, a crevice bed, raised beds for easy alpines, scree, a traditional rock garden, an herbaceous border, acid woodland, calcareous woodland, a fern bed and a pond. There is also a large THE ALPINE GARDENER
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Kana Webster enjoys a break with her son Benjamin in the AGS garden DECEMBER 2011
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collection of troughs, an alpine house and raised beds covered with frames to offer plants winter protection. Since starting work at the garden, Kana has completed substantial improvements to the European bed, woodland areas, herbaceous bed, fern bed and pond. During a visit in 448
September, she and Jonathan planted around 3,000 bulbs including various species and selections of Colchicum, Crocus, Sternbergia, Allium, Eranthis, Bellevalia, Corydalis, Leucocoryne and Narcissus. Kana takes guidance from Dr Christopher Grey-Wilson and THE ALPINE GARDENER
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Part of the fern bed, which Kana has replanted this year. Left, Saxifraga oppositifolia ‘Ruth Draper’ flowering in March
Professor John Good before embarking on any major changes. ‘I really enjoy working with specialist groups of plants, especially alpines,’ she says. ‘It’s a Japanese trait to like small plants.’ Kana is assisted by three regular volunteers in the garden – Derek and DECEMBER 2011
Joyce Austin and David Pochin. ‘They do an invaluable job but it would be good to have more help,’ admits Kana. ‘As all gardeners know, you can never have too many hands. ‘Different beds need attention at different times of the year, so there is always work to be done, no matter 449
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Hacquetia epipactis ‘Thor’ brightens the acid woodland bed in early spring 450
THE ALPINE GARDENER
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The Turkish native Fritillaria michailovskyi is well established at Pershore
what the season. Like any garden, it is constantly changing and evolving.’ Also, as in other gardens, there have been many casualties over the past two harsh winters. Kana says: ‘The most heartbreaking loss was a superb specimen of Daphne calcicola ‘Gang Ho Ba’ from the crevice bed. We also lost a lot of Dianthus, mostly from troughs, and a lovely Eleagnus. Other daphnes do well in the garden, and we have had recent success with Iris bucharica on the scree, so I’m planting some more. My aim for next year is to have more colour during summer.’ Asked what she would put at the top of her wish-list for the garden, Kana doesn’t hesitate: ‘I’d love a new alpine house,’ she says. ‘The existing wooden one is reaching the end of its life.’ DECEMBER 2011
Recently the AGS Trustees have decided to name the garden the Stirt Piggin AGS Centre Memorial Garden, in recognition of the substantial legacy bequeathed to the Society by Mr Piggin. AGS Director Christine McGregor, whose office overlooks the garden, says: ‘Kana is doing a fantastic job. Last spring the garden was the most colourful I can remember despite the harsh winter. It’s great to have someone who is so skilled in the cultivation of alpines – the results are clear to see for all our members.’ The AGS garden is always open. Before making a journey to the AGS Centre, call 01386 554790 to confirm its opening hours. 451
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I
f there is one thing that unites thinking people it is the importance of our environment and maintaining as much of the natural diversity of plants and animals as we are able. This is a simple statement, a simplistic one indeed, and yet it must lie close to the heart of very many gardeners and particularly those whose gardening draws them out into a study of the wider world. These, you could say, are ‘plantsmen’. This is perhaps an elitist term in some ways but truthfully it expresses a desire to understand plants beyond their purely aesthetic values of colour and form. You could also say that they, and we, are literally a ‘curious’ group – individualistic, often academic, greenfingered, prone to collect, classify and, hopefully, keen to share knowledge and plants with others. Really plantsmen are just an exaggerated version of gardeners everywhere – the same passions and enjoyment underlie our gardens but are taken in different and specialised ways. So where is the new generation of plantsman gardeners? Am I wrong even to pose the question? Membership of specialised gardening societies, like the Alpine Garden Society and Hardy Plant Society, has always been relatively low in comparison with more ‘mainstream’ gardening organisations, inevitably. In recent years, however, fewer people have been joining such societies and the result, in the future, seems likely to be a reduction in the enduring expertise that such organisations have 452
Where is the new generation of plantsmen gardeners? In this short but thought-provoking article, Tim Ingram considers the future for specialised horticulture built and maintained over the years. No doubt membership numbers in all societies fluctuate from time to time, but the important feature of many such specialised groups lies in the sense of gardens being developed in the long term, often over lifetimes. For this to happen, members need to be attracted early on and expertise shared with them. The essence of gardens is that, like fine wine, they mature slowly – in effect they mature as the gardener matures. The modern age is less tolerant of such a laissez-faire approach, though it is probably true to say that relatively few gardeners have ever had the deep appreciation of plants that underlies the kind of garden I describe. It seems all the more important that THE ALPINE GARDENER
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A colourful collection of plants at Great Dixter in East Sussex, the garden developed by two plantsmen – the late Christopher Lloyd and Fergus Garrett DECEMBER 2011
453
ALPINE DIARY such gardens and gardeners exist, for they do more than just keep an extensive variety of plants in cultivation. They help distribute plants and seed, they share skills and knowledge and they lead to a more informed and careful view of the world we live in. Why should I argue this in a country which has always led the way in gardening? Well, because the gardens I describe are often those of individuals – they are not finely manicured acres. Neither are they even the honed gardens of the
‘
The plantsman’s garden, which tends to evolve slowly and often lacks the drama of those displayed in glossy magazines, is not accorded its true value
’
National Trust and RHS, magnificent though these are. What plantmen’s gardens may lack in impression can be made up for in numbers. Very many gardeners doing their own thing is likely to be of the greatest benefit in maintaining diversity both in plants and skills. Although we have seed banks and a few fine botanic gardens which carry collections of plants – and both inspire but also express our concerns – it is far more effective to have a strong, living tradition of gardening to take us on into the future. We, as individuals, have as strong motivations as we do collectively as a gardening organisation. In general, society gets what it asks for 454
and the quietness and steady pace of gardens seem out of sync with the 21st century. Yet paradoxically there can rarely have been a time when our focus on the environment, on sustainability and on more natural ways of gardening has been greater. Japan probably provides the closest comparison to the UK of any country in the world. Here there is an even greater contrast between the immense creativity and economic drive of people, and yet still a deep reverence for their environment and an extraordinary history of gardening. The Japanese are also closest to British gardeners in their detailed appreciation of plants, and are even more dedicated to specialised garden societies. But nowhere in the world is there such a tradition of making gardens as in Britain, and at no time has it been more important to encourage and stimulate this as one generation passes the reins on to another. Of course gardening is an expression of our individualism, but like any other activity it is also dictated by fashion. Fashion in a rapidly changing world lies uneasily with the natural cycles of gardening. The plantsman’s garden tends to evolve slowly and often lacks the drama of those displayed in glossy magazines, so is not accorded its true value. It is for this reason that I ask: where is the new generation of plantsmen gardeners? We need to know, because plantsmen carry much of the expertise of gardening and are most in touch with plants and their multifarious ways. THE ALPINE GARDENER
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A favourite genus is brought up to date BOOK REVIEW Crocuses: A Complete Guide to the Genus by Jānis Rukšāns, published by Timber Press, £30. ISBN 9781604691061
I
t is nearly 30 years since the publication of Brian Mathew’s monograph on Crocus and there was an urgent need for a new book to collect together the significant contributions that have been made to our knowledge of the genus as a result of many expeditions, mainly to Greece, Turkey and central Asia. Jānis Rukšān’s volume performs a valuable service in reviewing the new species that have been recognised since then and surveying the diversity of material now grown, unearthing many novelties both in the wild and in specialist collections. The author is particularly wellequipped to tackle this subject. He has undertaken numerous plant-hunting trips in eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics. Also, he has worked to propagate many of the rarer species and cultivars and made them available through his Bulb Nursery. He gives much sound advice on all aspects of cultivation, from how to
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obtain a good crop of seed and when to sow (he favours sowing it as soon as it is ripe). Gardening in Latvia, he is accustomed to coping with very cold weather and his experience in this respect may well help those of us in Britain suffering the consequences of the last unusually cold winter. Pests and diseases in Latvia appear to differ little from those which most of us try to combat – rodent predation, bacterial and fungal diseases. No new solutions are advanced for these, though you can plant French marigolds (Tagetes patula) 455
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Crocus biflorus subsp. artvinensis photographed by Michael Kammerlander
to inhibit root nematode infection in ground intended for crocus cultivation. Accounts of species are grouped according to flowering time, geography or flower colour, rather than in a strict botanically related order as used by Mathew. Two new subspecies are formally described: Crocus speciosus subsp. archibaldii (from north-west Iran) and Crocus flavus subsp. sarichinarensis (from Antalya Province, south-west Turkey). The hybrids between C. reticulatus and C. angustifolius are christened C. x leonidii with several clones specified. A plausible case is made for upholding the name C. tauricus (from the Crimea) rather than swallowing it up within the more widespread C. biflorus subsp. adamii. C. ligusticus is used as the valid 456
name for the Franco-Italian species widely known as C. medius. Rūkšāns’ reason for preferring the name C. melantherus rather than the generally accepted C. biflorus subsp. melantherus is, to say the least, surprising: ‘I need a smaller label for a pot and for the names of the picture files on my computer!’ The name C. sieberi is retained for the mainly white Cretan plant, but lilac counterparts from the Greek mainland are made subspecies of C. atticus, a change which I suspect will not be welcomed by gardeners. The author has been responsible for identifying and distributing many fine colour forms of some species. Among those that feature in the work are the violet-tipped but white overall C. heuffelianus ‘Carpathian Wonder’ and THE ALPINE GARDENER
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Crocus heuffelianus photographed in Slovakia by Vladimir Ježovič
C. goulimyi ‘New Harlequin’, with deep lilac outer segments and very pale inner ones. The gallery of images illustrating almost every species known to science is mostly excellent. To supplement his own fine photographs the author has procured others from numerous crocus experts. Those of Michael Kammerlander deserve special mention (C. leichtlinii and C. biflorus subsp. artvinensis have very seldom been illustrated elsewhere). These plates also enable the remarkable diversity of colour forms within many species, such as C. korolkowii, to be appreciated DECEMBER 2011
This widely informative, wellresearched and nicely produced guide will appeal to anyone who wishes to know more about the present state of our knowledge of crocuses and their cultivation. It complements but does not replace Mathew’s monograph. Ray Cobb Crocuses: A Complete Guide to the Genus is available from the AGS at a members’ discounted price of £25. To order please call 01386 554790 or visit the AGS bookshop at www. alpinegardensociety.net 457
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E
Jolly good shows
xhibitors at AGS shows shook off the effects of the harshest winter in many years to display an exceptional array of plants during the 2011 season. Ray Drew, the Director of Shows, said: ‘I was delighted with the standard of exhibits at the shows I attended this year. The number of entries could have been higher but, considering the severity of last winter and the bout of phenomenally warm spring weather that many parts of the UK and Ireland experienced, exhibitors did a sterling job.’ This year, 6,898 entries were submitted at 23 shows, representing a total of 9,549 plants when multi-pan classes are taken who retained the Open Section title into consideration. Northumberland and collected her 36th and 37th Gold had the highest number of entries Bars, and Anne Vale, who won her at 479, while the most plants, 662, third and fourth Silver Bars, topped the were benched at Loughborough. The Intermediate Section and gained a Gold International Conference Show boasted Medal. the highest number of exhibitors, Two (or rather three) exhibitors won with 73 taking part. Ten shows staged two Farrer Medals: Ian Robertson Artistic Sections, where the number of with Cyclamen alpinum at South Wales entries continues to grow. and Cyclamen purpurascens at Summer Ray said: ‘I’d also like to thank the Midwest, and Lee and Julie Martin with show secretaries and their hard-working Saxifraga ‘Tumbling Waters’ at Summer teams of helpers. Without them, none South and Sternbergia greuteriana at of our shows would take place. Autumn South. ‘Next year sees the sad loss of the This year Val Keegan retired after 21 East Cheshire Show from the calendar, years as secretary of the Dublin Show. with thanks to Jim Magnall and his team Val and her husband Ian were presented for all their efforts, but we welcome with honorary membership of the the return of Summer Show North Dublin Group. Ray added: ‘Val has under the guidance of Eric Rainford. done a fantastic job and I am grateful Harrogate reappears after its enforced to her successor, Michael Higgins, for absence and, by popular demand, the taking on the role.’ Loughborough Autumn Show is also back, organised once again by Doreen Show reports begin on page and Eric Webster.’ Outstanding individual performances 510 with an extended visit to the this year came from Cecilia Coller, International Conference Show. 458
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AGS AGGREGATE SHOW RESULTS 2011
OPEN SECTION TOP TEN
First places
First Second Third points * points points
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
102 70 79 48 55 36 32 27 30 30
247 181 130 104 89 88 59 52 50 44
139 55 60 60 17 47 15 28 27 16
49 21 28 8 12 26 22 10 34 8
70 66 23 14 21
121 96 32 22 21
90 53 6 35 24
67 28 0 5 30
39 13 11 10 7
47 21 17 12 9
17 11 2 7 3
8 3 3 5 0
133 118 88
46 64 14
66 32 0
19 1 0
11 3 0
Cecilia Coller, Norwich Paul & Gill Ranson, Chippenham Ivor Betteridge, Ashby-de-la-Zouch Ian Kidman, Ebchester Don Peace, Yarm Bob & Rannveig Wallis, Carmarthen Lee & Julie Martin, Pevensey Ian Robertson, Shaftesbury George Young, Stocksfield Liam Byrne, Dublin
INTERMEDIATE SECTION TOP FIVE 1 2 3 4 5
Anne Vale, Braintree Tony Hale, Stevenage Jim Watson, Stocksfield Clive Dart, Henfield Georgina Instone, Leeds
NOVICE SECTION TOP FIVE 1 2 3 4 5
John Fitzpatrick, Hereford Audrey Dart, Henfield Tony Stanley, Darlington Julie Parrott, Barrington Jimmy Lott, Kilpeddar
ARTISTIC OPEN SECTION TOP THREE 1 2 3
Jon Evans, Farnham Kath Baker, Llanarthne Jean Morris, Berkhamsted
43 39 44
ARTISTIC INTERMEDIATE SECTION TOP THREE 1 2 3
Ju Bramley, Chesterfield 14 Martin & Anna Sheader, S’hampton 14 David Hughes, Ringwood 2
30 22 4
* First, second and third points are awarded for each plant exhibited. For example, a first place in a three-pan class is awarded three first points.
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I
t’s a few years ago now, but I can visualise the display as if it were yesterday: an exceptional exhibit of paintings by botanical artist Rachel Pedder-Smith in the RHS Lawrence Hall at Westminster. On the zig-zagged display stands at the back – the smell of newly applied beeswax floor polish competing with the scent of the floral exhibits – she had put together a portfolio that meticulously delineated all manner of seeds, revealing their endless complexities and, surprisingly perhaps, their beauty. One collection of legumes was almost plankton-like in its mosaic of capsules and carpels, peas and pods, some bracelet-like, others winged or mimicking insects. Seed collectors become very familiar with, and shrewdly cognisant of, these frequently ingenious carriers of the next generation. It had been Jim Archibald’s firm intention to write an article on some of the more remarkable adaptations. Through the kindness of his wife, Jenny, I have been the recipient of various items squirrelled away over the course of two decades in three treasure-trove seed rooms and fridges, in some cases kept for even longer. Many items within this properly stored cornucopia will surely have retained the capacity to sprout, given the overwhelming evidence that some seeds germinate just as well after a considerable period of cold storage as when sown fresh. With luck it will be possible to reestablish long-lost excitements such as Sphaeralcea caespitosa, a dwarf, orangered mallow (this collection from 460
Flowers are radiant, but take time to admire the seed ROBERT ROLFE calcareous gravels in Beaver County, Utah) that others might still grow, but which expired with me some 15 years ago. After a similar lapse of time, staff at RBG Edinburgh delved into the seed bank there and achieved a good germination of Primula sherriffae, that most distinctive of the Soldanelloides species. Some plants were given to specialist growers. A year or two ago, at a show, a cheerfully covetous individual bounded up to me, invited me to guess what he had just been given, furtively opened a bag to reveal a healthy clump of the Primula, then chortled: ‘And it’s mine!’ before making off in triumph. Distinctive in its long-tubed flowers, to the best of my knowledge P. sherriffae would be hard to identify solely from an examination of its seed. Not so with THE ALPINE GARDENER
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Scutellaria suffrutescens ‘Texas Rose’ is confusingly named, having been collected in northern Mexico in 1986
many other plants, whose differently fashioned structures vary from the microscopic to those that seasoned sowers can discern in a trice with the naked eye. While not always able to tell the difference between seed of Fritillaria, Tulipa or Lilium (which can look very similar indeed), if asked to distinguish between recently harvested ‘ordinary’ DECEMBER 2011
and white forms of the Martagon lily, I would confidently choose the much paler, almost cream-coloured seed sample as coming from var. album. That long-flowering alpine house introduction from the western Caucasus, Omphalodes lojkae, has solid, teardrop-shaped, flanged nutlets 3mm long, flat (and grey) on one face, plump and green-brown on the other. Like 461
ALPINE DIARY various other cliff-dwellers, the pedicels elongate and snake downwards as the seed ripens. Compare it with the south-west European and north African O. linifolia, easily grown outdoors, whose light greyish-brown seeds are rounded and hollowed out like a minute vol-au-vent case, with an inrolled, puckered rim. I expect seed of erigerons to be flattish and either oblong or tapered, which is why, a few months ago in the AGS garden at Pershore, I was disbelieving when an authorised harvester (be warned: it’s not a pick-your-own establishment!) splayed her left hand to reveal a crop of what was supposed to be Erigeron karvinskianus. It had been plucked from within a drift of that fast-spreading Mexican that some gardeners find a menace, but had black, rounded seeds. Further investigation revealed that a Sisyrinchium had insinuated itself within the patch, hoodwinking the gatherer. Which reminds me that I was once sent a seed-free packet said to contain the issue of a skullcap (Scutellaria) whereas in truth it represented only the casings, not their contents. Had the sender known his Latin, he would have appreciated that the genus is named for its ladle-like capsules – from ‘scutella’, a small shield. Seed of those few species that I have handled has been black or dark brown, ovate and the size of large pepper grains. Once seen, the disparities mentioned are clear-cut. All too few of this widely spread, attractive genus appear in gardens. With 360 or so species from which to choose, to have only 20 or so in general cultivation is hardly representative. 462
A relative newcomer that perhaps requires a marriage partner, or else lacks a suitable pollinator, hasn’t set seed here, but flowers reliably from midsummer until mid-autumn. Scutellaria suffrutescens ‘Texas Rose’ is slightly deceivingly named. It isn’t a Texan native, but occurs from Arizona and New Mexico to the northern states of Mexico proper, along the Sierra Madre Oriental (with records from Coahuila, Nuevo Léon and Tamaulipas provinces). The type collection is from Mexico and was made by the floral pioneer of that country, Cyrus Pringle,
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Scutellaria suffrutescens ‘Texas Rose’ is resolutely hardy, and half-ripe cuttings taken in June root easily
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in June 1889 near to Monterrey, on the ‘bare summit’ of the Sierra de la Silla at 5,000ft (1,530m). ‘Texas Rose’, named by Plant Delights Nursery in 1997 from a collection made close to Horsetail Falls, west of Monterrey, in 1986, is a valuable addition to the ranks of late-summer-flowering alpines. Rather more generous in spread than has been suggested (my three-yearold plant has now reached 40cm across on a sunny scree) but easily controlled, it is resolutely hardy, and half-ripe cuttings taken in June root easily. From the same parts of Mexico comes that singular Labiate Hedeoma ciliolata, a large pan of which I remember dazzled at a Cheltenham Show when staged by THE ALPINE GARDENER
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Viola ‘Bowles’s Black’, its yellow eyes like a myriad tiny lamps
Ron Beeston in full, reddish-orange flower. Most of the judges present hadn’t heard of it and, while considered for the Farrer Medal, the award went elsewhere. But as a high-summer performer it is exemplary, and one or two nurseries still offer stocks. The same can be said of the largeflowered, lively coloured Mexican phloxes (Phlox nana and its derivatives) that had a particular vogue in the 1980s and are grown occasionally nowadays. These came from further west than the other Mexican genera mentioned, DECEMBER 2011
in Chihuahua province, where in 1887 Pringle found a yellow-flowered population. Then, in 1978, Paul Maslin and his wife discovered ‘a sea of scarlet and vermilion phloxes’ near to Cuauhtémoc, as related in these pages by Panayoti Kelaidis (AGS Bulletin vol. 55, p. 262-71). Such strong colours can be difficult to ‘place’ satisfactorily so that they don’t clash with other plants or eclipse their more demure neighbours. Influenced by Christopher Lloyd and others who encouraged strident planting schemes, 463
ALPINE DIARY we have generally become bolder in our choices. But as well as choosing a plant that grows well in a particular site, it is as well to select one that goes well in that position. Rosemary Verey, the chatelaine of Barnsley House, habitually reached for a colour wheel before she would even consider opening a nurseryman’s catalogue, in order to check what plants might harmonise most tastefully. Others relied on instinct. Also in Gloucestershire, Joe Elliott distributed all manner of good plants, alpines mostly, during the 40 or so years that his Broadwell nursery was in business. From Joe’s seed list I first had Viola ‘Bowles’s Black’, which has been with me ever since, missing just the odd season when I inadvertently raked over or otherwise disrupted its self-sown successions. It has opportunistically seeded into the rosy-pink scutellaria’s rather thorny mound, to my delight, for the two set off one another beautifully. Easily uprooted if it oversteps the mark and seeds in the vicinity of slowgrowing cushions, I can think of few parts of the garden where this longblooming, cheerful coloniser would be unwelcome. Sow in early autumn, and again in June, and you can enjoy a long succession of bloom, the flower brightened by a small yellow eye, so that en masse their collective darkness is lit as if by a myriad tiny lamps. With it I have what purports to be the Turkish through to central Asian V. altaica (given to me with an assurance that it was from wild-collected seed), in a uniform purple-blue guise that differs not a jot from one generation 464
to the next. Yet when I saw this species early one June on the Zigana Pass, it ran riot through the turf in every hue from white and cream to yellow, then lavender and deep violet. Several characters seem to me at slight variance from the textbook description, so it has been sent to this year’s seed exchange with a question mark interposed between the generic name and the specific epithet. Half as large again as ‘Bowles’s Black’, it associates with this very satisfactorily and is happier outside in summer than under glass, where it is prone to mildew, red spider mite, greenfly and scorch. At its peak in April but still attractive through to the autumn from selfsowings (older plants will need cutting back and feeding but will often fizzle out despite such measures), by sheer fluke a couple of seedlings have positioned themselves close to some long-forgotten Colchicum montanum, and in September its bright pink flowers, integrated with ‘Texas Rose’ and the two-tone effect of the violas, would surely have met even with Mrs Verey’s rarefied approval. Fast-maturing plants and biennials continue to be underused in the rock garden, despite their championing by onetime AGS President Lionel Bacon among others. How seldom does one see the European gentianellas in cultivation, for all that G. amarella and G. germanica appear intermittently in the Society’s seed list and that their latesummer displays can be spectacular. The former was illustrated rather unexcitingly (in black and white) in these pages in June 1968, the author noting THE ALPINE GARDENER
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Viola ? altaica peaks in April but is still attractive until autumn from self-sowings DECEMBER 2011
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ALPINE DIARY that it grew in his Buckinghamshire locale and germinated fairly well from seed gathered nearby, though the seedling leaves disappeared in the first autumn before an efflorescence the second year, the narrowly columnar branchlets up to 35cm tall. Coming up to date, I was recently shown pictures of a multitudinous colony, involving two species of felworts, photographed not far from the Epsom chalk down race course, and as such within the boundary of the London orbital M25 motorway. Not always do you have to venture to the ends of the earth to witness exciting floral displays. Some of these quick-colonisers can get out of hand, admittedly, and as in any family close relatives vary greatly in their manners. Anyone who has seen, for example, Linaria vulgaris seeding about with abandon in the trackside clinker as they wait for their train to pull into the station will hesitate before introducing toadflax into their garden. Yet there are other species that most would welcome to brighten their screes and raised beds, L. aeruginea among them. In common with some of the finest within the genus, it comes from the Iberian peninsula though also, unusually, the Balearics, which are also home to the fewer-flowered subsp. pruinosa, whereas subsp. aeruginea from the mainland can have up to 30 florets or more. This higher count, along with the seed anatomy – they are minutely nodule-covered (tuberculate) – confirms the identification. A shortlived perennial, it overwinters well in a sharply drained, sandy soil, flowering for weeks on end throughout spring. 466
I’ve heard of something or someone being bludgeoned to death, but ‘pigeoned’ to death is a fate I thought applied only to brassicas. None the less, my plant was relentlessly pecked and pulled apart by a brace of wood pigeons. Just as well that it had set a good crop of seed before succumbing to birdstrikes and ending up in a pigeon’s crop. Because my garden harbours so few linarias, perhaps predictably the seedlings have inherited the deep violet of their parent (the full spectrum for this species is from whitish-cream to, predominantly, yellow but, also, purplish-brown). The greater the range of colour
‘
Not always do you have to venture to the ends of the earth to witness exciting floral displays
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forms and related species assembled, however, the more likely it is that crossfertilisation (or cross-contamination, some might call it) will occur, leading to some bilious colour mixes. My all-time favourite alpine toadflax, Jim Archibald’s High Atlas Linaria tristis ‘Toubkal’, used to delight me from June to August with concise tufts of turquoise-bluish-grey leaves and substantial heads of greenish overall, brown-lipped ‘dragons’. Grown under glass in a deep pot filled with a rich scree mixture, it was reliable but had to be propagated from basal cuttings, being self-incompatible. THE ALPINE GARDENER
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The south-west European Linaria supina will flower within a year of sowing
Apparently now a thing of the past, I had hoped to revive its spirit by sowing seed of L. tristis from an unknown source. A generous crop of seedlings; a mean outcome. The much less substantial crowns emitted feeble displays of diminished, winsome flowers that blended pink, purplish, yellow and brownish tones in unexciting combinations. Another alpine species, the concise L. supina – pale yellow but with fine purple stripes – will also flower within a year of sowing. Predominantly from southwest Europe, it is usually closer to the 5cm minimum height often quoted DECEMBER 2011
rather than those manifestations six times as tall. More recently I saw it in abundance at the head of the Var valley, where it associated with Coronilla minima, grown by me in the UK many years ago from an Inshriach Alpine Plant Nursery selection, in whose catalogue it was advertised as ‘a charmer for the sunny scree where it will form tiny prostrate mats of attractive glaucous leaves, covered with yellow pea flowers’. This has since come into the garden in various guises, most persistently the much taller C. valentina. Impostors are everywhere; most are best tossed on to the compost heap. 467
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Tim Ingram is delighted with the results he has achieved by growing a wide range of plants in a sand bed. Here, with the benefit of advice from others who have tried the technique, he explains how to do it
H
aving access to a full set of the AGS Bulletin opens up the opportunity to share in the trials and tribulations of alpine gardeners over the generations. Eventually everyone will be able to do this using the CDs provided by the Society. Although full of good intentions to work my way systematically through my collection of Bulletins, this has never happened. I tend to dip into them, like many others probably, aiming to glean more information about a particular interest. Though we all garden in our own way, it is always stimulating, and often quite a revelation, to hear of the approaches taken by others. This journal is an unrivalled source of such information, just as it also caters for the many other interests of alpine gardeners. Alpines sometimes acquire a reputation for being difficult to grow and not persisting in the garden. Those of us who grow many of them know that this is true of some but not of others, and that, anyway, the challenge of learning to grow them is the very reason they appeal to us so much in the first place. Even so, initial success is the key to developing a longer term interest. For this reason, and because I have a large garden full of many other plants, I
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A gritty method to get the best out of alpines have been drawn to the sand bed as a way of growing many dryland alpines. A cheaper and easier way to cultivate many of these plants is hard to imagine and it is surprisingly successful for a range of species. It is curious that sand is not more often used as a growing medium for plants in pots. Certainly the mixes recommended for choice cushion species often approach the consistency of sand. Everyone with a sand plunge in an alpine house will know how successfully seedlings establish therein, and how well plants can grow that root through the bottom of the pot into the plunge. The problem with sand, of course, THE ALPINE GARDENER
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Campanula tommasiniana is one of many bellflowers that do well in sand DECEMBER 2011
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Tim Ingram’s sand bed in Kent, with posts to support glass for protection from rain
is its lack of nutrition, which forces a root system to ramify through a much greater volume of medium. In a reasonably sized sand bed outside, however, nutrition is easily provided. Looking back through the Bulletins provides just a few – but nevertheless interesting – references to sand beds. Even early on Sir William Lawrence (1933) described his sand garden at Burford, though this was made particularly to grow bulbous subjects. Also mentioned are genera such as Eriogonum, which seem so well suited to sand, and the North African Asphodelus acaulis and Rhodanthemum (Chrysanthemum) species. T. C. Thacker (1949), in an ambitious article entitled 470
‘Twenty-five ways of growing mountain plants’, made passing reference to sand, notably for sea-shore species such as Morisia monanthos and Mertensia maritima, to which one could add our fine native Eryngium maritimum. One of the most useful references, though, is ‘The sand frame’ by C. H. Hammer (1958), in which construction he grew a great variety of choice plants, protected by glass lights over winter. Gwendolyn Anley (1938), in her book Alpine House Culture for Amateurs, describes essentially the same approach with ‘The scree frame’ and writes of ‘Omphalodes luciliae, with unusually glaucous foliage, [which] produces its lovely china-blue flowers for seven THE ALPINE GARDENER
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A cushion of Azorella trifurcata, which is starting to mingle with its neighbours
months of the year; the other five months I spend carefully removing the seedlings, for which there seems to be an endless demand’. One suspects there would be still. In recent years most information has come from North America, where sand beds are so well suited to growing many of the alpines of the drier western Rockies. Norman Deno, who has grown plants in this way for many years, describes his experiences in Rocky Mountain Alpines (1986). Excellent guidance also comes from Michael Slater (1998), Rick Lupp (1999) and David Sellars (2008) – see the reading list at the end of this article. These gardeners grow plants in different places and DECEMBER 2011
climates but have all found that sand beds suit many plants, either simply at ground-level or in raised structures. Sand beds offer the chance to grow exciting plants in a way that retains their compact and often free-flowering habit. In common with crevice and tufa gardening, there is the satisfaction of succeeding with plants widely considered tricky or temperamental in cultivation. The main differences between ‘sand’ and ‘scree’ in the garden lie in the use of loam and humus in the latter and a much larger range of sizes of stones and grit. Screes are generally more aesthetically pleasing and suited to a more catholic range of plants. None the less, in natural 471
PRACTICAL GARDENING screes it will be effectively the sand-like material, below the coarser stones, into which plants root and find sustenance. So the difference between sand and scree beds is in fact not as great as first appears. One of the salient features of sand is its sterility, which reduces the risk of fungal rots and diseases in vulnerable plants, and this is where it has value over scree. Certainly, as I will describe, many plants grow successfully in a
The bed of fine, sharp potting grit retains moisture surprisingly well, even when the ambient conditions are very dry ground-level sand bed made on top of the normal garden soil. There are other more recent exponents of sand beds. Tony Goode (2005) has described his experiences and shows a fine specimen of Onosma polyphylla thriving in such a bed, illustrating its suitability for a whole range of species from the dry mountain ranges around the Mediterranean and into Asia. Most exciting from my viewpoint are the results achieved by Martin and AnnaLiisa Sheader (2007) in establishing many South American alpines in sand. 472
In Sweden Peter Korn (2007) has had outstanding success with many plants, capitalising on the natural lie of the land and constructing mounds of sand on a large scale, attractively surfaced with gravel and stone. And, of course, there are the raised beds at Wisley, in which many fascinating plants are grown. These are documented by Paul Cumbleton in his Wisley Diary on the AGS website. All of these, but particularly the North American experiences, have spurred me on to make such a bed in our relatively dry Kentish garden. The site is open and sunny and the bed was constructed simply by excavating the garden soil to a depth of around 30cm and infilling with fine, sharp potting grit (derived from heat-shattered flint). This material, which has the consistency of sharp sand with the smallest particles removed, was used in place of sharp sand or ballast simply because we had large supplies left over from the nursery that we used to run. (Editor: Tim plans to reopen his nursery, specialising in alpines, in 2012.) In dry spells, and especially when plants are young, the bed will need watering occasionally. Even so, like a pile of sand, it retains moisture surprisingly well, even when ambient conditions are very dry. The centre of the bed is mounded rather higher and the whole area is top-dressed with 6mm gravel, partly to ensure improved aeration around the crowns of plants, partly for aesthetic appeal. Established plants are able to tap moisture at depth and many must have rooted into the soil below. One useful THE ALPINE GARDENER
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The glaucous foliage of Yucca whipplei fans out over its smaller neighbours DECEMBER 2011
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Dutch lights offer protection from excessive moisture during winter
indicator plant (rather like Ramonda) is the rusty-back fern, Asplenium ceterach, which curls up its fronds when stressed by drought, signalling that watering has been left a little too long. In winter the bed is apt to become too wet and so it is covered with an open structure of Dutch lights, as used for the beds at Wisley. The sand bed is the most successful way I have found yet for growing many alpines, from dwarf daphnes to campanulas, teucriums to aquilegias. It has also provided a great deal of pleasure and can be recommended for this alone. Although other ways of growing alpines, such as troughs and 474
crevice gardens, also have great appeal, the sand bed has the virtues of simplicity and economy and is particularly well suited to drier parts of the country. As with all alpine gardening, careful attention to weeding, watering and the balance of planting pays dividends, but unlike growing plants in pots, the garden is more forgiving of neglect. Plants, once established, can be longlived and reliable. Our bed is relatively small, around 7m (23ft) x 3m (10ft), tapering at the ends, but contains more than 200 different plants, which provide enduring interest. Some plants have done less well than expected while others have thrived. THE ALPINE GARDENER
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Asplenium ceterach is useful for indicating when the bed has become too dry
It is a learning experience, like any specialised form of gardening, but successes have strongly outweighed failures. The bed is dominated by a superb specimen of the western American Yucca whipplei and several species of Dasylirion, which, having taken several years to establish, are now growing very strongly and must have rooted into the soil beneath. These take the place of the dwarf shrubs and conifers that are often associated with alpine plantings and give the bed a very different ‘feel’. The Yucca is a formidable and quite dangerously spiny plant; as such it is best sited in the middle of a bed. It has DECEMBER 2011
an exotic touch, which goes with other plants in our surrounding garden. I have also planted a small group of Juniperus communis ‘Compressa’ and a fine specimen of the dwarf Pinus heldreichii var. leucodermis ‘Smidtii’ on one corner, which sit on a ground cover of Raoulia australis. Having listened to the New Zealand seed collector Steve Newall talking of these ‘scabweeds’ growing in dry, gritty soil in nature, I see why the Raoulia has succeeded so well and is surprisingly resistant to drought. Various forms of Androsace studiosorum have also grown and spread strongly despite their relatively shallow rooting 475
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Campanula x wockei ‘Puck’ is thriving in its gritty home
habit, which indicates the ability of the gritty sand to hold moisture. Deeperrooting and tap-rooted plants are especially well suited to sand – the small aquilegias such as A. bertolonii and A. scopulorum are very effective, while some of the larger species have self-seeded rather too well. Catananche caespitosa, an intriguing yellow-flowering species from Morocco, grew well on a previous bed, as did a number of small species of Centaurea grown from wild-collected seed. Silver and grey foliage plants are especially good, not only for thriving in these conditions but also for providing foliage contrast with other plants. Many of these belong to the daisy family 476
(Asteraceae). Good examples include Anthemis marschalliana, Tanacetum densum subsp. amani, and one of the best alpine shrublets of all, Rhodanthemum hosmariense. A real test of any new way of gardening is whether it works for you with plants previously found difficult or shortlived. For me, plants such as Helichrysum milfordiae, Bolax gummifer, Salvia caespitosa and Convolvulus boissieri, all of which have proved tricky in the past, are now doing well. There are also some that take to sand like the proverbial duck to water. Campanulas of all sorts thrive and spread. Polygala calcarea and the little biennial Centaurium scilloides selfsow gently. The beautiful Californian THE ALPINE GARDENER
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The South African native Eucomis schijffii provides striking colour in high summer DECEMBER 2011
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Raoulia australis, which has proved surprisingly resistant to drought
lupin, L. albifrons subsp. collinus (albeit short-lived) grows very strongly. One of the most striking plants is the dwarf Eucomis schijffii from the Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa. It produces its almost stemless, deep purple spikes of flowers usefully late in the summer. There are plants that one would expect to thrive but which have not succeeded. I had high hopes for Pelargonium endlicherianum. Hardy and free flowering in the alpine house, it dwindled away on the sand bed. Members of that part-Turkish genus Acantholimon have grown but steadfastly refused to flower, presumably lacking the summer heat of their home. And most Astragalus and Oxytropis, those wonderful and very numerous dwarf legumes, have failed to prosper. I intend to persevere 478
with them. Astragalus angustifolius is an exception, having made a fine hummock 30cm or more across, freely producing its racemes of white flowers. Daphnes have been mixed, tending to drop a lot of leaves in winter and then growing out again in spring. They definitely benefit greatly from the overhead covering in winter and probably also from a deep mulch of gravel or chippings to keep the crowns drier. Forms of D. x hendersonii have done well, whereas D. arbuscula and D. petraea do not flower freely. There are different recommendations for feeding such a bed. At Wisley, where the beds are raised significantly, Paul Cumbleton finds this of definite value. Our bed is at ground level and many plants, once established, must have THE ALPINE GARDENER
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Foliage interest from, above, Astragalus angustifolius and Callianthemum anemonoides. Below, Salvia canescens and Lupinus albifrons subsp. collinus
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PRACTICAL GARDENING rooted into the soil beneath. In addition, worms and ants will have slowly mixed the underlying soil with the sand. Some smaller plants in particular are slow to establish and these would probably benefit from localised feeding early on. Most important of all is to keep new plantings well watered in dry spells. Although some growers prefer to clean the soil from plants before planting, I have not found this necessary, reasoning that the fine particles in the bed will facilitate transmission of moisture to a rootball. (As an aside, sand beds in frames or greenhouses are often used to resuscitate ‘distressed’ plants, showing how good the medium is for encouraging plants to grow away.) On the relatively shady side of the bed the sand is less deep and several small gentians and soldanellas grow reasonably well. A summer flowering gentian, G. septemfida subsp. grossheimii, grows extremely well and has especially elegant, vivid blue flowers. Arenaria lithops has made a beautiful tight cushion, only marred by the occasional damage by birds. Plants such as this
should be protected with wire netting. Drabas, too, make good foliage plants, even those that are not showy in flower. Possibly my favourite plant of all is Edraianthus pumilio, especially a form incorrectly distributed as E. owerinianus: that species is from Dagestan and isn’t in cultivation. Like so many alpines, this is a very fine flowering plant but also looks good as a tight cushion all year. The most stimulating aspect of such a bed is that success with a wide range of choice plants encourages more trials, and it is a certainty that this bed will be extended. However, it is also good to compare results with other ways of growing these plants, such as the method of the moment – crevice gardens. Growers in America, such as Anne Spiegel, Stephanie Ferguson and Lori Skulski, and of course gardeners like Zdeněk Zvolánek of the Czech Republic and Peter Korn in Sweden, have all had great success with these techniques, showing that experimenting in the garden with the wonderful plants of the mountains is well worth the effort.
FURTHER READING ON SAND BEDS Anley, Gwendolyn (1938) Alpine House Culture for Amateurs (Country Life Ltd) Deno, Norman (1986) Rocky Mountain Alpines, Alpines ’86 – the proceedings of the Second Interim Rock Garden Plant Conference (held at Boulder, Colorado), p. 245. Goode, Tony (2005) An experiment with sand, AGS Bulletin, Vol. 73, p. 138 Hammer, C. H. (1958) The sand frame, AGS Bulletin, Vol. 26, p. 229 Korn, Peter (2007) Growing in sand, Journal of the SRGC, No. 119, p. 106 Lawrence, Sir William (1933) The sand garden at Burford, AGS Bulletin, Vol. 2, p. 140 Lupp, Rick (1999) Strategies for growing choice alpines, NARGS Bulletin, Vol. 57, p. 249 Sellars, David (2008) To see a world in a grain of sand, NARGS Bulletin, Vol. 66, p. 274 Sheader, Martin and Anna-Liisa (2007) Growing in sand, AGS Bulletin, Vol. 75, p. 25 Slater, Michael (1998) Sand beds: home for the western and the dry, NARGS Bulletin, Vol. 56, p. 83 Thacker, T. C. (1949) Twenty-five ways of growing mountain plants, AGS Bulletin, Vol. 17, p. 203
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Edraianthus pumilio (“owerinianus”) is Tim Ingram’s favourite sand-bed plant DECEMBER 2011
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The slipper orchid Cypripedium bardolphianum and, main picture, a spectacular view of its habitat – the Min Shan in Sichuan
Chinese slippers Orchid specialist Phillip Cribb reports on three rare dwarf cypripediums in China’s Sichuan province. Photographs by Harry Jans and Holger Perner
PLANT PROFILE
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he Min Shan, the high mountain chain that separates northern Sichuan from neighbouring Gansu, is the location of Huanglong and Jiuzhaigou national parks, two of China’s World Heritage Sites. Nestling between the snow-capped peaks rising to over 5,500m (18,000ft), these neighbouring valleys and their surrounding mountains are the home of many spectacular animals and plants; there is even a small population of the giant panda. The flora here is rich, with many plants of horticultural interest. The Min Shan has been visited by some notable plant hunters including Grigori Potanin, Reginald Farrer, William Purdom, Ernest Wilson, Joseph Rock and Harry Smith. I have followed in these illustrious footsteps and have gained a glimpse of what drew them there. The mountains became accessible again to westerners, after nearly half a century of exclusion, in the 1980s. The area is rich in conifers, deciduous trees and shrubs and has a particularly impressive herbaceous flora. In June, the lower pine woods are coloured by hydrangeas, Cornus, Philadelphus, Deutzia, roses and purpleflowered pea bushes, while the unusual shrubby conifer Cephalotaxus fortunei is common. Higher up, woods of spruce, hemlock, fir and beautiful birches with orange and pink bark are decorated by Clematis montana and various Berberis and Spiraea species. The finest shrub in the woods at this time of year is the spectacular beauty bush, Dipelta elegans, which is smothered in fragrant bell-shaped pink or white 484
flowers marked with orange in the throat. In this dendrological wonderland, however, my own interest lies in the herbaceous flora and, particularly, in hardy orchids. The Min Shan is rich in these with, among others, Bletilla, Calanthe, Calypso, Corallorhiza, Coeloglossum, Cypripedium, Galearis, Herminium, Neottia (including Listera), Oreorchis, Ponerorchis, Platanthera and Tipularia, all represented by one or more species. In this article I would like to introduce three of the Min Shan’s miniature hardy slipper orchids – Cypripedium bardolphianum, C. micranthum and C. palangshanense. The first is very rare in southern Gansu, western Sichuan and north-west Yunnan, the second is confined to the northern mountains of Sichuan, and the last, endemic to northern Sichuan and neighbouring Hubei, is seldom seen in cultivation. These are only three of 12 species of Cypripedium found in this area. Reginald Farrer stumbled upon C. bardolphianum when collecting here with William Purdom in 1915. Farrer lyrically described it and its habitat as follows: ‘A most curious little plant, running about with single shoots and forming wide colonies in sunny glades and mossy woodland soil of the forest zone in the enormous gorges behind Siku, at about 8,000ft, and often in company with C. luteum [= C. flavum].’ He named it C. bardolphianum after its warty lip which is ‘so grotesque with warts and whelks and bubuckles that it could only make one think of Bardolph’s nose… though its odour is THE ALPINE GARDENER
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The diminutive Cypripedium bardolphianum, named by Reginald Farrer after the ‘grotesque’ Shakespearean character Bardolph
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Cypripedium tibeticum, one of 12 slipper orchids native to the Min Shan
sweeter than I should imagine that of the swashbuckler [from Shakespeare’s Henry V] to have been’ (Farrer, 1917, On the eaves of the world). However, he had earlier, in the Gardeners’ Chronicle of 1915, described the odour as an ‘unpleasing aromatic scent… that suggests the corruptness of a Catasetum’. The species was described by W. W. Smith and Farrer in 1916, with a note stating that the flower had not been dissected. C. bardolphianum is easily overlooked, particularly because it grows commonly in company with the spectacular C. flavum and C. tibeticum. It is a diminutive plant with what appear to be two sessile 486
green leaves with purple margins borne close to the ground. In fact there is but a single leaf, the upper leaf being a leaflike bract. The flower, lying between these on a short, slightly hairy stalk, has deep maroon-brown sepals and petals and a brownish-gold lip. A yellowflowered form is also occasionally found in the area. From above, the large dorsal sepal covers the flower and makes it almost invisible to the casual observer. C. bardolphianum is, therefore, best viewed in the characteristic botanist’s pose of head down and bottom up. Once the flower is fertilised, its stalk elongates dramatically to 15-25cm, THE ALPINE GARDENER
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A view along the Danyun Gorge, which is home to Cypripedium micranthum
presumably to help the wind-blown seed disperse. This is characteristic of the species of Cypripedium section Trigonopedia, the best-known being the spotted-leaved C. margaritaceum. Huanglong (Yellow Dragon), the habitat of C. bardolphianum, lies at an elevation of about 2,900-3,400m (9,500-11,150ft) in a steep-sided valley scoured out by the glacier that still survives on the slopes of the 5,500m (18,000ft) peak at the head of the valley. The valley sides are clothed in mossy spruce and fir forest with a margin of sallows and birches, but the valley bottom, which is up to 200m (650ft) broad, gleams creamy white with soDECEMBER 2011
called tufa pools – the result of the precipitation of calcium carbonate from the shallow glacial stream that spills over a series of small waterfalls and trickles through pools of a myriad shades of azure and turquoise. Its waters are rich in hydrated calcium hydroxide, which precipitates as soon as it emerges from its subterranean home and comes into contact with the thin mountain air. C. bardolphianum is found growing in small colonies in moss in the shade of small sallows, birches and barberries, often with its larger cousins C. tibeticum and C. flavum, and with other orchids such as Corallorhiza trifida and Oreorchis nana. The thin soils in which these 487
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The remarkable tufa pools at Huanglong
orchids grow lie over a thick deposit of calcium carbonate laid down by the mineral-rich stream as it trickles from the glacier above. The Danyun Gorge, which lies to the north of Huanglong, is the home of a small colony of C. micranthum. It belongs to the same section as C. bardolphianum, but is readily distinguished by its slightly larger, green, thinner-textured leaves and the small, very hairy flower. Although discovered in north-eastern Sichuan, it is known to occur also in western Hubei. It grows at about 2,5002,700m (8,200-8,850ft) on steep, rocky slopes – the remnants of old rock-falls from the sheer and high limestone cliffs 488
that border the gorge – under a dense and rich shrub layer. The limestone rocks and boulders are covered with moss and boast a sparse herbaceous vegetation that also includes the largerflowered spotted-leafed slipper orchid C. sichuanense, Calanthe brevicornu and C. alpina. Nearby, the damper spots in the woods hide groves of the tall lily Cardiocrinum yunnanense. Cypripedium palangshanense is altogether a more elusive beast. It has been found in only a few places – in western Hubei by Augustine Henry in 1889, and in north-western Sichuan by Père Farges in the mid 1890s, by Ernest Wilson in 1907 and by F.T. Wang in 1930. The last THE ALPINE GARDENER
CYPRIPEDIUMS IN SICHUAN
Easily missed – the elusive Cypripedium palangshanense
collection was selected as the type of the species by T. Tang and Wang when they described it in 1936. I first saw it in Jiuzhaigou and later in the upper reaches of the Danyun Gorge. In Jiuzhaigou, it was my sharpeyed companion Caroline Lloyd who spotted C. palangshanense while all others, including me, walked past. Its habitat, under bushes in shade on limestone rocks, is altogether less distinctive than that of C. bardolphianum, yet such places are rich in orchids, including Phaius delavayi, Cypripedium calcicola, C. flavum and C. tibeticum. In Jiuzhaigou, a narrow defile carved by a seasonal stream in the limestone DECEMBER 2011
at 2,700m (8,850ft) has deposited a fan of small limestone rocks at the exit to the defile. The main stream bed, carved deeper into these stony deposits, was free of vegetation. On the terraces, however, amid young spruce, birches and maples all festooned with snow-white Clematis montana, a rich herbaceous flora has developed. Wild strawberries, saxifrages and bistorts provide the backdrop for four species of slipper orchid and several other hardy orchids. The most obvious are the large flowered cypripediums: the reddish-purple-flowered C. tibeticum, the Victoria plum-coloured C. calcicola and the pale lemon-yellow C. flavum. Three 489
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species of Oreorchis (O. nana, O. oligantha and O. foliosa var. indica) are scattered under the trees and shrubs. The pretty yellow-flowered form of Phaius delavayi forms small colonies amid the trees and on adjacent cliffs, while the ubiquitous frog orchid, Coeloglossum viride, and coral root, Corallorhiza trifida, are everywhere. This is the home of Cypripedium palangshanense, a slipper orchid as difficult to find as the charming yet elusive C. debile, but one that is far rarer, known only from this part of western China. Once spotted, however, its charms can be fully appreciated at leisure unless, like me, you first see it in a rain storm. Fortunately I was able to return to study it in more detail on a gloriously 490
sunny June morning. It is one of the two-leaved species, the leaves being borne opposite each other horizontally, scarcely clear of the soil and moss in which it grows. It is a rhizomatous species with its stems mostly subterranean. The solitary flower, borne on a stalk well clear of the leaves, is pendent and richly plum-coloured with a paler, cherry-red lip, which is almost fleshcoloured at the base, and a white staminode and column. Finding this rare miniature gives me hope that more slipper orchids may yet be awaiting discovery, lurking in the extensive Tibetan Marches. Cypripedium palangshanense is a sister THE ALPINE GARDENER
CYPRIPEDIUMS IN SICHUAN
Left, the very hairy flower of Cypripedium micranthum (much magnified) and, right, C. flavum, which often grows in company with C. bardolphianum
species of the North American C. fasciculatum, differing in having a single, plum-coloured rather than several brownish flowers and in details of its floral morphology. It also differs from the Chinese and Japanese C. debile, with which it is sympatric but grows at lower elevations in Sichuan and Hupeh, in its erect inflorescence and the colour of its flower, the short but dense pubescence of its ovary, and its staminode shape. Exhibited at AGS shows in early May on a handful of occasions, it should be given the same conditions as C. debile but one would expect it to prove hardier. These dwarf slipper orchids are rare in cultivation. They need to be DECEMBER 2011
slightly over-potted in well-drained compost, like that used for C. flavum or C. margaritaceum (see Cribb 1997). C. palangshanense might also be mounted on a cork block as the Japanese do with C. debile. Finally, I would like to thank my companions on my visits to China who suffer my enthusiasm for orchids with patience and good nature. References: Cribb, P.J. (1997), The genus Cypripedium, Timber Press. Farrer, R. (1917), On the eaves of the world, Edward Arnold, London. Smith, W.W. and Farrer, R. (1916), Cypripedium bardolphianum, Notes RBG Edinburgh 9: 101. 491
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A desirable genus of North American shrubs
A
lthough the best known species of Kalmia, K. latifolia, has the colloquial name of mountain laurel, it can hardly be described as an alpine. In its eastern USA homeland it is said frequently to reach five metres high and as much in width on the hillsides that it typically colonises. It is the other members of the genus to which we must look for possible subjects to adorn a rock garden, and only one can be truly described as alpine. This is the diminutive K. microphylla, which shares the alpine meadows of western North America with similar dwarf shrubs such as the heath-like Cassiope and Phyllodoce, creeping Vaccinium and Gaultheria intermixed with bushy little Salix. However, both Kalmia angustifolia and K. polifolia, growing in open situations, make excellent companions for alpine rhododendrons where an acid soil can be provided. It is interesting to note that at least two species of Kalmia were introduced to cultivation before Pedr Kalm, in whose honour the genus was named, travelled to North America in search of new plants. Kalm, a student of Linnaeus, reached Philadelphia in 1748 and was overwhelmed by the wealth of unfamiliar plants that he encountered but then spent two and a half years collecting just 325 species 492
Barry Starling, an enthusiastic grower of kalmias, looks at the smaller species and varieties that are more suited to associating with alpine plants and offers advice on their cultivation and propagation – a somewhat modest haul. However, during his journeying he also collected a wife so, no doubt, he considered his visit worthwhile. K. latifolia, which grows on the hills around Philadelphia, had already found its way into the gardens of that city by the 1740s. As the most flamboyant member of the genus it was bound to attract the attention of gardeners. For the next 200 years, however, there was little evidence of variation from the most commonly encountered wild form. Around the middle of the last century selections were being made from wild colonies and then, in the early 1960s, Richard Jaynes started a successful breeding programme leading to a huge diversity of hybrids and an upsurge in the popularity of K. latifolia. The other half dozen species, meanwhile, remained in relative THE ALPINE GARDENER
THE SMALLER KALMIAS
The meadow-dwelling Kalmia microphylla is the only true alpine in the genus
obscurity. K. angustifolia was perhaps more common in gardens 50 years ago than it is today, though it was the dwarf red form that was usually offered by nurserymen. I was amused to see in the RHS Plant Finder 2010-11 that K. angustifolia ‘Rubra Nana’ was listed as ‘new’. This is the plant that, half a century ago, was grown by Dutch nurserymen in quantity and widely stocked in Britain. It grows slowly to about 45cm tall, remaining compact and well-foliaged. Oval leaves up to 4cm long and 1cm broad are slightly glaucous, making a good foil for the multiple clusters of small, wine-red flowers borne at the tips of the previous DECEMBER 2011
year’s shoots in June. The inflorescence overall can be 5cm in diameter and 6-8cm deep. A bonus comes in the form of a second flowering in late summer, almost as prolific as the first. Dwarfer still is K. angustifolia ‘Pumila’, the true selection being very rare in gardens. With a slightly smaller inflorescence than ‘Rubra Nana’, it grows to just 15cm high with a spread of up to 45cm. In seeking out this plant it is wise to see the stock plant from which it has been raised because in the past a larger form has masqueraded as ‘Pumila’. The attractive white form, K. angustifolia ‘Candida’, was first discovered in 493
PLANT PROFILE Newfoundland in 1915 but is still rare in gardens, though not difficult to propagate. Towards the shoot tips, densely packed columns of cup-shaped, pure white corollas 1cm in diameter are exquisitely dotted inside with a ring of red-brown anthers. K. angustifolia var. caroliniana differs from the type only in minor characteristics and in its geographical location. For the record, K. angustifolia var. angustifolia ranges over an area in North America to the north and east of the Great Lakes extending as far south as Washington, whereas var. caroliniana covers a much smaller area, mainly within North and South Carolina. The northern variety has a densely hairy calyx and glabrous leaves while its southern counterpart has a hairless calyx but leaves which are densely pubescent on their undersides. With a range extending as far north as the Arctic Circle it is to be expected that K. angustifolia is very hardy. While in the wild it tends to grow in moist soils, in cultivation it is tolerant of drier situations. Apart from the forms described above there is one with a broader leaf, K. angustifolia var. ovata, and one identified as forma rubra. Most typically flowers are pink, though wild stands of the deeper red morph are not uncommon and can be up to 1m high. The common name of K. angustifolia, sheep laurel, is somewhat misleading. The leaves are extremely toxic to livestock, so the less sheep have to do with this plant, the better. Propagation is by cuttings of soft, young shoots about 5cm long during early summer. These root readily under mist or in an unheated propagator. Taken in June, 494
they can be well established and ready for potting separately by late July. Kalmia cuneata, white wicky, has never been common in cultivation and indeed is rare in the wild. It grows in a small area straddling the border between North and South Carolina, always in marshy ground. This last factor is an important pointer in its successful cultivation because it is the least tolerant of drought of any Kalmia species. K. cuneata is the only deciduous species, producing in spring a crop of pale green, oblanceolate leaves up to 5cm long borne alternately on soft, slender shoots. Though attaining 1.5m in the wild, plants in cultivation are rarely more than 60cm in height. I look forward to its flowering each June when clusters of up to 12 flowers are borne towards the tips of the previous year’s growth. Pure white saucers 1.5cm in diameter have, at their centres, a ring of crimson dots. Forming a second ring are the yellow anthers, pressed tightly into their pockets in the corolla. Each flower is delicately suspended from a long, slender, curving pedicel. Nearly 40 years ago I was given two seedlings of K. cuneata and although I no longer have those original plants – victims of the droughts of the early 1990s – I have kept it in cultivation by rooting very soft cuttings of new growth in June. These must not be allowed to wilt and are perhaps best propagated under mist. K. cuneata was first introduced by the father and son team of Andre and Francois Michaux. After establishing the species in their nursery in Charleston, South Carolina, it was brought to Europe THE ALPINE GARDENER
THE SMALLER KALMIAS
A pot-grown specimen of Kalmia angustifolia ‘Pumila’
and subsequently appeared for the first time in Britain in 1820. However, it did not become firmly established and disappeared from cultivation until RBG Kew obtained plants in 1904. I have an enduring impression in my mind of a landscape witnessed in eastern Canada in the early 1990s. It DECEMBER 2011
was a marshy vastness where, as far as the eye could see, stretched a pinkpurple haze of flowering Rhododendron canadense and Kalmia polifolia. K. polifolia, the eastern bog laurel, is not, however, confined to lowland areas. It extends throughout eastern Canada from the Rockies to the coast. 495
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The rare and deciduous Kalmia cuneata requires marshy ground to thrive. Right, K. polifolia var. leucantha
In the mountains it inhabits stream and lake margins while, to the south, latitude 40° in the USA is its limit. K. polifolia reaches only 30-40cm in height in open areas at the northern extent of its distribution but closer to 1m in lowland areas to the south. In cultivation it rarely exceeds 45cm unless competing with other shrubs in close proximity. Its habit tends to be wiry and open and it is a good idea to cut back longer shoots after flowering. Though seeking out moist soils in the wild, K. polifolia is surprisingly tolerant of drier conditions in the garden. Its leaves are opposite, in pairs or occasionally in threes, up to 4cm long and less than 1cm wide, narrowly ovate 496
with recurved margins. They are dark green above, paler and glaucous below with a covering of glandular hairs on the midrib. The terminal inflorescence can have up to ten flowers, each 1-1.5cm in diameter, the corolla being saucershaped, rose-purple in colour though paler at the centre. Flowering is in April, after which new shoots bearing flower buds seem to emerge from the seeding remains of the old inflorescence. A white form, K. polifolia var. leucantha, was discovered around the middle of the last century in a boggy area to the north of St John’s, Newfoundland. This attractive variety is quite small in stature, reaching a height of about THE ALPINE GARDENER
THE SMALLER KALMIAS
25cm. As with aforementioned species, K. polifolia is easily propagated from soft cuttings or from seed, which is copiously produced. K. polifolia was introduced in 1767, some time after Pedr Kalm’s collecting sojourn in North America. It is difficult to believe that he did not encounter it, but perhaps he saw it and considered it inferior to the more showy K. latifolia. It certainly merits a place in the garden, making an ideal companion for the smaller rhododendrons. Our next Kalmia is from the high mountains of western North America, extending from Alaska and Yukon in the north, southwards to mid-California. This is K. microphylla, a true alpine which DECEMBER 2011
contributes to the colourful patchwork that clothes the slopes just below the snow-line. Melting snow and high light intensity initiate plentiful flower buds and trigger new growth. In cultivation, however, flowering is often more sparse, the plant requiring good light but not full, scorching sunlight for best results. It also pays to seek out a free-flowering form because there is no doubt that this characteristic varies within the species. K. microphylla seldom exceeds 15cm in height and is well placed in the garden with the dwarfest of rhododendrons, Andromeda and those dwarf shrubs mentioned earlier with which it shares its mountain habitat. K. microphylla was once considered to 497
PLANT PROFILE be a variety of K. polifolia and indeed it is very much like a smaller version of that species. Examination of its DNA has proved it to be a separate species, albeit one that has evolved from the bog laurel. On slender stems seldom more than 15cm long are borne flat, dark green, opposite leaves. These are narrowly ovate to oval, 3cm long and up to 5mm wide. In cultivation, small clusters of flowers appear in April and May, borne on petioles up to 3cm long at the ends of shoots. Buds tend to open spasmodically and petiole lengths vary so that flowers appear as individuals rather than in a clustered inflorescence. The pale pink to rose-purple corollas, 1cm in diameter, have more deeply cut lobes than most other species. The flowers have more of a five-petalled appearance rather than the usual saucer or bowl shape. Back in the 1960s a white-flowered plant was discovered by Boyd Kline, at that time proprietor of Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery in Oregon. Sadly, this lacked vigour and proved shy flowering. It is, I believe, no longer in cultivation. K. microphylla var. occidentalis, the western swamp laurel, as its colloquial name suggests, inhabits marshes and lake or stream margins in lowland areas from Alaska to northern Oregon. Its wiry stems can attain 60cm in height but they often sprawl in a lax manner. Leaves are lanceolate, up to 4cm long, 5cm broad, a rich, dark green above and glaucous below. Flowers are a little larger than those of the alpine plant but otherwise the same. It is seldom seen in cultivation but is freer flowering than K. microphylla var. microphylla and is easy 498
enough to grow providing it does not get too dry at the roots. Both varieties of K. microphylla are readily rooted from summer cuttings or plants can be carefully divided. K. hirsuta is a species with which I have had only a brief encounter. In spite of its short sojourns with me, it left a lasting impression of a beautiful shrub. I was given a rooted cutting in the spring of 1970, which grew well and produced a 7cm spike of pink, redbanded flowers in that same year. These flowers remained in good condition for about a month, presumably because they were not pollinated, as no seed was set. Sadly, in spite of the protection of a cold greenhouse, the little shrub failed to survive the next winter. K. hirsuta, from south-eastern USA, reaches about 50cm in height with stems, leaves and sepals all covered in bristles. The evergreen, alternate leaves up to 1.5cm long are narrowly oval being usually less than 5mm wide with revolute margins. Leafy, terminal spikes produce a solitary, short-pedicelled flower from each leaf axil. The corollas, 1.5cm in diameter, are typical Kalmia ‘bowls’, with red-brown anthers being housed in red-marked pockets with a ring of red at the base. As the colloquial name of ‘sandhill laurel’ suggests, this Kalmia inhabits sand dunes or open areas in welldrained pine forests. It tends to make lax shrubs, usually less than 1m in width, and flowers in June. Although introduced in 1790, it has never been commonly cultivated, due, no doubt, to its lack of hardiness in Britain. It is more drought tolerant than other kalmias and THE ALPINE GARDENER
THE SMALLER KALMIAS
Kalmia polifolia displays a wiry and open habit and will tolerate dry conditions
is most likely to succeed in mild, sunny, coastal areas, especially if it is protected for its first few winters to allow a good, woody structure to develop. Just one other species remains and this is the Cuban laurel, K. ericoides. This native of western Cuba is, of course, not hardy in the British Isles and is possibly not in cultivation here. In the wild it can reach 1m in height with thick, leathery, dark green leaves just 12mm long, 3mm wide and crowded on the stems. Like the previous species, K. ericoides is covered in hairy bristles. The corollas are similar in size, shape and colouration to K. hirsuta but clustered towards the ends of the stems. At this year’s International Rock Garden Conference I was stunned to DECEMBER 2011
learn that DNA tests have put the little alpine shrub Loiseleuria procumbens in the genus Kalmia. My immediate reaction was disbelief – is not the corolla of Loiseleuria unlike any Kalmia in being divided into five separate petals? Could the genus Kalmia have escaped from its North American stronghold to span more northerly regions of the entire northern hemisphere? On reaching home I took a long, hard look at Loiseleuria procumbens, conveniently still in flower, and concluded that, well, maybe that tiny, clustered inflorescence and the arrangement of leaves did have some superficial resemblance to Kalmia. For the time being, however, the label bearing the name Loiseleuria procumbens remains in place. 499
PHOTO ALBUM
Muriel’s quest for perfection
T
he Alpine Garden Society’s slide library contains more than 40,000 superb images, many of which have never been published. In this, the first of an occasional pictorial series, slide librarians Peter Sheasby and Ann Thomas have chosen a theme on which to make a selection of photographs. Here, they present the work of Muriel Hodgman, a long-time member of the AGS who died in 1992. Muriel, pictured photographing saxifrages in the Spanish Pyrenees, was a regular on AGS tours, typically toiling up steep slopes carrying a heavy tripod and camera wrapped in a plastic sheet. She would often spend a considerable time setting up and taking one shot, such was her quest for perfection. She refused to use film faster than 25 ASA, causing her companions to wait while any wind subsided to prevent the subject matter from quaking. Her Oxfordshire garden reflected her perfection and artistry and was full of rare and fascinating plants. As well as showcasing her work, this feature brightens the dark days of winter and whets the appetite for all the plants that will bring so much pleasure in the coming year.
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MURIEL HODGMAN
Crocus etruscus, a northern Italian and Corsican native, surrounded by snow in a garden. Below, Papaver rhaeticum on Mont Ventoux in the French Alps.
DECEMBER 2011
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The Pyrenean, cliff-dwelling endemic Ramonda myconi in a garden. Below, Erysimum pumilum on Mont Ventoux in the French Alps.
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MURIEL HODGMAN
Anigozanthus humilis (cat’s paw) in western Australia DECEMBER 2011
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Campanula barbata near Turracher Höhe in the Austrian Alps 504
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MURIEL HODGMAN
Swainsona formosa (Sturt's desert pea) in western Australia. Below, Pulsatilla alpina subsp. apiifolia near Lautaret in the French Alps.
DECEMBER 2011
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Rhodothamnus chamaecistus on the Vršič Pass, Slovenia. Below, Paeonia broteroi near El Torcal de Antequera, Andalucia, Spain.
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MURIEL HODGMAN
The Transcaucasian native Lilium monadelphum (syn. L. szovitsianum) in a garden DECEMBER 2011
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Tulipa saxatilis flowering on the Omalos Plateau in Crete. Below, a view of the Col d'Izoard in the French Alps.
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MURIEL HODGMAN
The easily cultivated Alyssum wulfenianum in the Austrian Alps. Below, Crocus veluchensis growing on Mount Parnassos in Greece.
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NORTH MIDLAND SHOW
There’s nothing drab about these drabas APRIL 2, 2011 Report: Clare Oates Pictures: Robert Rolfe
T
he Chesterfield show always offers top-notch plants packing the benches like sardines, its central location attracting visitors from north and south. This year, however, entries in the Novice and Intermediate sections were greatly reduced. Indeed the usual total of around 90 exhibitors was down by a quarter. This said, the show was a great success with drabas at their peak and a good range of fritillaries and irises filling the bulb classes.
Five years ago Draba ossetica received a Farrer Medal here. This time Frank and Barbara Hoyle’s ten-year-old plant was similarly rewarded, underlining the attractiveness of the best selections (a few have flimsy petals). Given the same treatment as other drabas that thrive in the exhibitors’ collection, it has proved more demanding and prone to Botrytis, when nearby D. longisiliqua and D. acaulis are unaffected. Several times it was on the verge of being thrown out! Repositioning it by the alpine house door, allowing maximum ventilation, has paid dividends. Grown in a 50-50 mix of John Innes No. 2 and grit and kept slightly pot bound, it is ‘woken
Geoff Rollinson’s Narcissus rupicola won the Chatsworth Trophy for the best bulbous plant
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Draba ossetica and, below, D. mollissima, both shown by Frank and Barbara Hoyle
up’ by immersing the pot to half its depth in water in January, repeating the exercise a few weeks later. Subsequent watering is via the plunge (it occupies a clay, not a plastic pot), with occasional and very dilute high-potash liquid feeds applied around the pot rim. A chance seedling of D. mollissima with short stems, around half the length of those normally seen in cultivated stocks, emphasised Frank and Barbara’s skill with this genus, and received a Certificate of Merit. The same exhibitors won the class for plants rare in cultivation with a specimen received as the Turkish Viola gracilis, though its affiliations were clearly with the dog violet branch of the genus. John Richards has keyed it out as V. pyrenaica, which despite its name has a much wider range than the Pyrenees, extending to the Alps and the Jura, the mountains of the Balkan peninsula DECEMBER 2011
(where it can be appreciably largerflowered) and even the Caucasus. The flowers, pale violet with a white throat, are scented and have a paler spur. In seed the stems lie flat on the ground, rather than raised in the manner of our native, superficially similar V. riviniana. The plant shown had moist tissue encasing the roots that had taken hold in the sand plunge, from which it had been plucked for exhibition. 521
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Primula bracteata subsp. dubernardiana was awarded a Certificate of Merit
Professor Richards is, of course, better known for his expertise in the taxonomy and the cultivation of primulas. This time round he showed the latterly littleseen Primula villosa. This has a localised, eccentric distribution in the Italian Alps, cropping up again in Austria and just into the former Yugoslavia, shunning the turf in favour of shaded cliff ledges and stabilised scree. This thrum-eyed example had been picked up at a Local Group sales table four years ago. Its bright magentarose flowers, held in airy clusters, made one puzzle why it isn’t seen more often. The exhibitor notes in his monograph that it is the easiest of a group that also contains P. hirsuta and P. pedemontana. A European primula also won the Frances Hopkin Trophy for the best plant in a 19cm pot. Primula ‘Wharfedale Crusader’, 522
shown by Geoff Rollinson, has the look of a pure, albeit late-flowering P. allionii clone but belongs to David Hadfield’s Medieval Series and may represent a hybrid. Compact, with greyish-green leaves and deep lilac petals with a white thrum eye, it deserves to be shown more often. This exhibit displayed a perfect dome of flowers, each one appearing to have been precisely positioned by hand. It fitted snuggly up to its pot rim, grown in a compost of equal parts John Innes No. 3 and leaf-mould and two parts grit. Not content with this, Geoff picked up a Certificate of Merit for a mature P. bracteata subsp. dubernardiana (a plant once considered nigh-impossible to keep for more than a year or two) and the Chatsworth Trophy for the best bulb shown, a miniature Narcissus rupicola THE ALPINE GARDENER
barely 8cm tall. It can reach 15cm or more in flower, with either rounded or pointed tepals, but this one was the very image of how a small child would draw a flower – chubby petals surrounding a circle. Hardy outdoors in a well-drained spot, it is best grown in a sunny raised bed or large trough. From one of the smallest bulbs in the show to the largest. Mike Bramley staged a very handsome Erythronium with around 30 stems, each carrying up to four bright yellow, reflexed flowers over plain green leaves. Obtained as ‘Pagoda’ (E. tuolumnense x californicum ‘White Beauty’, which has bronze, mottled green leaves and a feathered ring of rust-red markings near the throat) this was clearly misidentified and was more akin to straight E. tuolumnense. A splendid sight, for all that. Excellent fritillaries are a regular feature of this show and George Young took home the Fieldhouse Trophy for his entry in the very competitive class for three plants in flower, raised from seed. Particularly enjoyable was a pan of Fritillaria drenovskii, grown from seed distributed by Gothenburg Botanical Garden in 2000. Although the stems were all around 20cm tall, the narrow bells varied between purple and reddishbrown, always with the typical yellow outline that adds considerably to their charm. Named in 1931 and in the collections of leading specialists only a few years later, it inhabits dry, rocky meadows in the mountains bordering north-east Greece and south-west Bulgaria, and although passed around among enthusiasts ever since, has seldom been offered commercially. DECEMBER 2011
Fritillaria drenovskii and, below, Mike Bramley’s handsome Erythronium
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DUBLIN SHOW
Robust Ericaceae put on a cracking display APRIL 9, 2011 Report: Gavin Moore Pictures: Billy Moore
D
espite the preceding winter, which brought unprecedented low December temperatures across the island, the show benches in Cabinteely Community School were full of plants of the highest quality. The relatively mild spring and several days of warm sunshine beforehand resulted in far fewer primulas, Cyclamen and saxifrages than usual at the early Irish show, their relative absence made good by androsaces, lewisias and an unusually full Violaceae class. Ray Drew, the AGS Director of Shows, led a judges’ forum, which proved invaluable to both experienced
and trainee judges alike. Although such a gathering is intended to ensure consistency in decision-making across all shows, it also sparked a lively debate on the merits of allowing certain plants on to the show bench – exhibitors of Japanese doubleflowered Hepatica cultivars beware! As always the show was well supported by the Ulster Group, with exhibitors making an early start to drive south. Several plants required every last minute on a sunny windowsill to open blooms that had closed during their blacked-out journey in a car boot. One family of plants little affected by the harsh winter was Ericaceae. George and Pat Gordon staged a fine three-pan entry, two components of which deserve special note. Cassiope lycopodioides ‘Jim Lever’
Susan Tindall’s Cassiope myosuroides, which was voted best plant in show
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George and Pat Gordon’s fine exhibits of Cassiope lycopodioides ‘Jim Lever’ and, left, Phyllodoce nipponica
and Phyllodoce nipponica are grown in a peat garden throughout the year, and both had been buried under almost two feet of snow for much of December. However, clearly neither plant was set back in the least, for both were heavily laden with countless white bells. To keep them in good health they are topdressed with an ericaceous mix annually, and occasionally moved to other parts of the garden to take advantage of DECEMBER 2011
fresh growing conditions. The latter was awarded a Certificate of Merit. Another member of the Ericaceae in pristine condition, Susan Tindall’s Cassiope myosuroides, was voted the best plant in show. This Chinese native is extremely rare in gardens and given that its owner, noted for her prowess with such plants, had so far been unable to propagate any stock, it is safe to assume 525
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Two splendid saxifrages – Billy Moore’s 20-year-old S. stribrnyi and, below, Ian Leslie’s S. marginata aff. var. karadzicensis
that the challenge exceeds even that of rooting the notoriously stubborn C. wardii. The plant has been grown in an open position in the garden for many years but never appeared particularly happy, so two years ago Susan clipped it back, removing any dead material and inducing new growth. A worthy winner of a Certificate of Merit and the Jacki Troughton-Smith Trophy for best pan of Ericaceae, unfortunately the judges felt that it was not quite of Farrer Medal standard. Susan also won the Margaret Orsi Bowl for best plant from North America with a first-rate specimen of Anemonella thalictroides ‘Oscar Schoaf ’. As at many Dublin Shows past, Liam Byrne won the ACC Cup for the most first prize points in the Open Section. The importance of his contribution to the show cannot be over-emphasised, for he brought along a full car load of plants, two of which, Shortia soldanelloides var. intercedens and Cheilanthes eatonii, were awarded 526
Certificates of Merit. The Shortia was in excellent condition and narrowly missed out on several of the main awards, while the fern, shown in a 19cm pan, was a flawless example of a rather demanding plant groomed to show standard. Not all the awards were destined for local homes. Ian Leslie from North Wales brought some very fine plants across the Irish Sea, and a 19cm pan of Clematis tenuiloba was in perfect condition. Grown in his alpine house, THE ALPINE GARDENER
Billy Moore’s ‘old friend’ – a superb specimen of Gypsophila aretioides
this six-year-old plant was a self-sown seedling of the popular clone ‘Ylva’ that had germinated in the sand in which its parent was plunged. A Certificate of Merit went to his very unusual, slow-growing Saxifraga marginata aff. var. karadzicensis, which prefers an alkaline compost and, given the right conditions, produces a very impressive display. Ian also won The Ulster Group Trophy for three pans raised from seed in the small-pan Open Section. Billy Moore was awarded an AGS Medal for the 19cm six-pan class in the Open Section and a Certificate of Merit for a plant described as an ‘old friend’– a very distinguished Gypsophila aretioides that has attained such a size that a hand-made pot had been DECEMBER 2011
commissioned to accommodate it. He also staged another loyal companion – a Saxifraga stribrnyi that won a Farrer Medal more than a decade ago and is now approximately 20 years old. Your reporter won the Barney Johnson Trophy for most first prize points in the Intermediate Section and the Waverley Trophy for the best therein with a small, well-flowered Androsace vandellii. The same plant was also awarded the David Shackleton Trophy for the best pan of Primulaceae. Jimmy Lott won the Termonfeckin Trophy for the most first prize points in the Novice Section, while Barbara O’Callaghan won the Millennium Cup for the best plant in the Novice Section for a very wellpresented pan of Tulipa humilis. 527
MIDLAND SHOW
Fine condition of plants is a tribute to growers APRIL 9, 2011 Report: Dave Mountfort Pictures: Robert Rolfe and Jim Almond
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his show was staged against a background of a lengthy bitter spell through to the New Year, the lowest rainfall in March for some 30 years, then a warm, dry spell that held back some plants but conversely encouraged others to flower earlier than usual. Perhaps this topsy-turviness, rather than the escalating cost of petrol, accounted for slightly fewer exhibitors this year and rather fewer plants. Yet despite climatic vagaries there was more than enough to keep visitors interested, the variety and condition of the plants a tribute to their growers. The judges set to work, their decisions not always straightforward. There were discussions on what precisely constitutes a shrub as opposed to a subshrub or a tree, on how to decide whether a plant is ‘rare’ in cultivation, and of course on the difficulty of choosing between two excellent plants. Don`t feel too sorry for them: an ‘inhouse’ lunch amply compensated for these and other dilemmas. By noon the outdoor temperature had reached 22C. It was warmer still in the hall, where show-goers talked anxiously about their plants at home, the provision of shading (or lack of 528
The rarely cultivated Primula orbicularis exhibited by Brian and Jo Walker
it) and how to ration the remaining contents of almost empty water tubs. The Farrer Medal went to a superb Kalmiopsis leachiana exhibited by Alan and Janet Cook, which also won the Edinburgh Quaich for the best pan of Ericaceae (an award it first received in 2009). This species opens its flowers in succession and can be down-pointed in competition for carrying too many buds, THE ALPINE GARDENER
Alan and Janet Cook with their Farrer Medal winner, a superb Kalmiopsis leachiana
yet by the time the terminal flowers open, those lower down the raceme will be on the point of dropping. Removing these, and any developing seed heads, is a labour of love. This specimen was as fully-flowered as could be wished, with scant evidence of spent blooms. A month earlier Primula allionii and its hybrids held sway on the show bench, but the last of these petered out after the previous week’s North Midland Show. The Midland Primula Bowl went to a large pot of Primula elatior subsp. leucophylla exhibited by Brian and Jo Walker. This delicate oxlip is from alpine meadows on limestone in the eastern Carpathians and the Caucasus (Russian taxonomists prefer the epithet ruprechtii, separating the taxon on minor calyx details and the greater persistence of the tomentum DECEMBER 2011
on the undersides of the leaves). The same exhibitors also brought along an elegant, single crown of P. orbicularis, a rarely cultivated ‘Nivalid’ (Section Chrystallophlomis) native to open damp moorland and woodland fringes in southern Gansu, eastern Qinghai, western Sichuan and southwestern Kansu at up to 4,500m (14,760ft). Older accounts give the flower colour as sometimes cream, or even white (like the very closely related P. chionantha) but in Flora of China the range is ordained as pale to bright yellow. This plant, bought from Edrom Nurseries, dies down in the winter to a resting bud and needs to be kept just moist at this stage, with no watering during frosts. To keep the whitefarinose leaves pristine, glass protection is provided until after flowering has 529
MIDLAND SHOW
Mertensia alpina, shown by Ian Kidman, received a Certificate of Merit
finished, when a cool, sheltered position outside or a north-facing shade frame will provide appropriate conditions. The Crataegus Trophy for the best plant in the Intermediate Section went to a small pot of the southern Greek Fritillaria conica, normally in flower a month or so earlier, shown by Peter Taggart, while the Midland Challenge Cup (for the best plant in a 19cm pot) was awarded to the north Iranian Viola spathulata, a saxatile species with a toehold in cultivation, shown by Ian Kidman in a small six-pan entry that also included the diminutive Mertensia alpina, recipient of a Certificate of Merit. Next door, Eric Jarrett’s winning entry included another rather tricky Iranian, the comparatively lateflowering Dionysia caespitosa, often short-lived in cultivation but consenting 530
to set a decent amount of seed if painstakingly hand-pollinated: this too received a Certificate of Merit. The Dionysia varies in depth of colour according to flower age, whereas Corydalis bracteata (another Certificate of Merit plant, grown by George Young) has a pale spur but a much deeper yellow palate. Its Siberian provenance dictates a cool position and a long winter rest – if the early days of spring are very mild, it often tries to flower before reaching the surface, and the buds abort. This was a typical example of what might be thought a rather uniform species as seen in gardens. But latterly the selection ‘Marina’, which opens pale cream and quickly becomes almost white, has been distributed. The circumpolar Salix reticulata is one of the finest of the dwarf, creeping THE ALPINE GARDENER
Viola spathulata, part of Ian Kidman’s small six-pan entry. Below, Eric Jarrett’s Dionysia caespitosa and Brian and Jo Walker’s Primula elatior subsp. leucophylla
willows, and various forms have been seen at this year’s shows. At their most attractive a few weeks after the leaves have appeared and clothed the gnarled, prostrate branches, at this stage the foliage almost glistens, acting as a fine foil to the upright catkins. A huddled, well-established example, with the qualifier ‘Arctic form’ giving some DECEMBER 2011
indication of its origin, was the fourth recipient of a Certificate of Merit. Brian Burrow, its owner, mentioned that it was very slow-growing but could be straightforwardly propagated from short spur branches, severed in the autumn and left over winter in a rooting mix high in humus. 531
CLEVELAND SHOW
Unseasonal exhibits brighten the benches APRIL 23, 2011 Report: John Richards Pictures: Robert Rolfe
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leveland, like Easter which it tracks, is a moveable feast. Here Easter – a hot, sunny one to boot – coincided with other feasts, those of our Monarch, Saint and Bard, nearly as late as it is possible for it to fall. Two weeks or more of unseasonably warm, dry weather had shifted the floral season into a virtual May. Short of entries as late as the preceding Wednesday evening, it was little wonder Show Secretary Norma Pagdin had been anxious.
Her worries were needless. Members responded with a flourish, and while classes more suited to an earlier season remained empty, there were good displays of trilliums, mossy saxifrages, lewisias, rhododendrons, androsaces and others more typical of late spring. At this very colourful show, plants could be enjoyed in their natural hues in this best-lit of all our show halls. Miraculously, having opposing doors wide open kept the interior blessedly cool, although it was too warm outside to sit in the sun for long. Many classes, some with 15 to 20 entries, were keenly contested. At times, even a minor placing represented a
Brian Burrow’s charming British native, Trientalis europaea, flowering unseasonably early
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THE ALPINE GARDENER
Geoff Rollinson added yet another Farrer Medal to his collection with this wonderful example of Androsace cylindrica x hirtella
triumphant outcome. In this context, the achievements of George Young, who won both AGS medals (each challenged by worthwhile contestants) and the Woodward Challenge Cup were magnified, although it was Geoff Rollinson who added to his lengthy haul of Farrer Medals with a superb example of Androsace cylindrica x hirtella, demonstrating once again his renowned skill with Aretian members of the genus. The Open Section class for Primulaceae, from which Primula, Androsace, Cyclamen and Dionysia are exempt, would seem a shoo-in for dodecatheons or soldanellas at this late date. Few would have predicted a charming exhibit of our demure native Trientalis europaea DECEMBER 2011
(Brian Burrow), particularly in April (it flowers in June in locations not so far from, or much above, that of the show hall). Modern DNA studies separate the Lysimachieae (loosely, loosestrifes) into a separate family, removing them from the more familiar Primulaceae, but, for the present, floras validate the rather unlikely association of Trientalis with Primula. In cultivation, it is not the easiest plant to flower well, and is normally white-flowered rather than palest pink, as seen here. One of George Young’s splendid exhibits was the rarely seen white form of the Japanese and north-east Asian volcanic scree-dweller, Dicentra peregrina. Increasingly this rather intractable 533
CLEVELAND SHOW
George Young received a Certificate of Merit for Fritillaria epirotica
species has been replaced by hybrid ‘look-alikes’ such as ‘Ivory Hearts’, several of these very gardenworthy, but here the subject passed a fierce scrutiny, proving itself the genuine article, sourced from Edrom Nurseries as a young plant. It lives in a pot, spending winter in an alpine house and the summer in a cool, shady plunge. George also received a Certificate of Merit for Fritillaria epirotica, a denizen of high serpentine scree in parts of northern Greece close to the Albanian border, Smolikas in particular. Remarkably, despite warm weather that induced other plants to bolt, the chins of the 15 dusky bells rested on the top-dressing. Grown from AGS seed sown 15 years ago, it had overwintered in an Access frame, 534
but was moved outside to a cool spot while in bud. A duplicate pan in the alpine house hated the severe winter, with many shoots blind in consequence. That remarkable Ericaceae member, the Oregon endemic Kalmiopsis – whose removal to the genus of its very close European and Asian cousin, Rhodothamnus, would affront only the most chauvinistic Westerner – occurs in two disjunct localities, in one of which, Umpqua River, it is desirably more compact. This variant has now been given specific rank as K. fragrans, although no odour reached the nostrils of this investigator. That expert in the cultivation of all things ericaceous, Ian Leslie, had grown it from seed sown in 2005: this was the first time the flowers had all but hidden the foliage. THE ALPINE GARDENER
Geoff Rollinson’s Linum boissieri, grown from Turkish seed
Daphne malayana (John Savage) provided another example of a worthwhile, rarely seen dwarf shrub. Indeed this endemic relative of D. oleioides from limestone gorges, principally in northern Montenegro, but extending to eastern Croatia and southern Serbia, has been ignored by most commentators, although Brian Mathew (2001) says it was ‘once grown by Blackthorn Nursery’ but ‘has yet to be introduced to [general] cultivation’. Compared by some to D. jasminea, it resembles D. sokjae more, but has white buds and flowers. This lucky find at a local group plant sale had been grown in a plastic pot, put in a cold frame for the winter and plunged outdoors in summer. We were fortunate to see three rarely exhibited dwarf yellow flaxes, all of DECEMBER 2011
them Turkish. Linum boissieri from Kaz Dağ (and also, disjunctly, from Sandras Dağ, far to the south) was perhaps the pick of the trio (Geoff Rollinson). Grown from seed sourced by the enterprising Czech Mojmir Pavelka on rocky slopes at 1,800m (5,900ft), and cultivated in two parts grit to one each of leaf mould and John Innes No. 3, it stood all of 2cm high. It can occur abundantly in the open conifer zone of both mountains, and has seldom been tamed: a notable achievement. L. cariense (Jim Watson) is a more widespread Turkish species, also from limestone screes at altitude, but extending further east, to Sultan Dağ, from where it has been reintroduced to cultivation several times over the past few decades. 535
Tony Hughes enjoys the outstanding views and easily accessible plants along Austria’s High Alpine Road
The lazy route
Silene acaulis perched above the High Alpine Road in Austria
EXPLORATION
Constructed in the 1930s, the High Alpine Road in the Hohe Tauern National Park offers a wealth of plant life
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f you have never been tempted to join a botanical tour, it is perhaps because you don’t see yourself as one of a group of super-fit, heavily laden enthusiasts trekking across difficult terrain. This article is intended primarily for people like myself who, for reasons of age, infirmity or general indolence, wish to drive up as close to the flowers as possible. More energetic AGS members, however, are invited to read it too. At the end of June this year, my wife Diana and I flew to Salzburg, hired a car and drove south to Zell am See for ten days among the flowers. Like many Austrian towns and villages, Zell is well provided with facilities for both winter and summer tourists, including excellent
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hotels and good public transport. However, we had little interest in the town, set beside its picture-postcard lake. Our aim was to retrace a favourite journey of 15 years ago – the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse (High Alpine Road). This amazing feat of engineering crosses the heights of the Hohe Tauern National Park from Bruck (altitude 755m or 2,480ft) in the north to Heiligenblut (1,288m, 4,225ft) some 30 miles to the south. It was built in the early 1930s, partly to provide much-needed employment in the post-Depression years and partly to stimulate the tourist industry. As a tourist attraction it rapidly exceeded all expectations and now has more than a THE ALPINE GARDENER
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Aster alpinus, like all the plants featured in this article, grows by the roadside
million visitors every year – and there is ample room for all of them. The first few days of our holiday were dogged by low cloud and heavy rain, but eventually the sun shone and we were away and up the Fuschertal towards the heights. Even before we reached the Hochalpenstrasse proper, the flowers started to delight us. Although the hay-meadows at this level had already been shorn and dressed with a malodorous coating of slurry, the roadside verges were magnificent, with drifts of common flowers such as meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria), ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) and spreading bellflower (Campanula patula) particularly catching the eye. Where the road rose through spruce DECEMBER 2011
forests, the banks were festooned with blue alpine sow-thistle (Cicerbita alpina), yellow spiked rampion (Phyteuma spicata), bladder campion (Silene vulgaris), wood cranesbill (Geranium sylvaticum), wolf ’s-bane (Aconitum vulparia) and the first flowers of the yellow melancholy thistle (Cirsium erisithales), topped off with the frothy cream of goatsbeard spiraea (Aruncus dioicus). Then came the painful bit. This road is a Mautstrasse, or toll road, and a day ticket costs €29 per car, but this also gives free access to facilities along the route. However, should you wish to return another day (and you almost certainly will), just present the first ticket to the cashier and the second visit will cost a mere €6. Above the 539
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The spotted gentian, Gentiana punctata, and, opposite, Linaria alpina with its prominent orange ‘chins’
toll booths at 1,150m (3,770ft) the road climbed more steeply through the woods, and the flowers from the lower levels were joined by others such as the rich crimson heads of adenostyles (Adenostyles alliariae) and, where the turf was shorter, the bearded bellflower (Campanula barbata), lesser wintergreen (Pyrola minor) and May lily (Maianthemum bifolium). Here it was the orchids that started to steal the show, with vast drifts of the common spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) in a range of pink and purple shades, with occasional plants of lesser butterfly orchid (Platanthera bifolia) and twayblade (Listera ovata), while in the moss under the conifers were tiny spikes 540
of coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida). Then came the first of the hairpin bends – and there are 36 in total, each numbered and many named. Our attention, however, was divided between the magnificence and grandeur of the surrounding snowclad peaks and the most wonderful carpets of flowers spread over the tongues of nearly level ground inside each bend. A favourite bend is hard to choose, but we will always remember Kehre (or Bend) 5, where the orchids, yellow rattle, ox-eye daisies, bellflowers and geraniums put on a dazzling display against the most scenic of backdrops. Fortunately, whoever designed the road anticipated the flower-seeker’s THE ALPINE GARDENER
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stop-go approach to travel and provided lay-bys and car parks at regular intervals so that one rarely needs to take more than a few steps to see the best of the flowers and views. Between Bends 1 and 5 the road continued mainly through spruce woods, though larches and willows became more frequent, as did Lilium martagon and whorled solomon’s seal (Polygonatum verticillata), flourishing in the shade. Above Bend 5 at 1,750m (5,740ft) the scenery changed abruptly as trees became scarce. The steep slopes were clothed in Rhododendron ferrugineum, the acid-loving form of the alpenrose, with few other flowers apparent. By the DECEMBER 2011
time we passed Bend 9, however, and entered the natural rockery known as the Hexenküche or Witches’ Kitchen at 2,000m (6,560ft), the range of species had increased again. Dwarf mountain pine (Pinus mugo) was frequent, with other acid-loving shrubs such as bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), dwarf azalea (Loiseleuria procumbens) and heather (Calluna vulgaris). Dotted about on the rocks were paniculate saxifrage (Saxifraga paniculata), rough saxifrage (S. aspera), common houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum), alpine aster (Aster alpinus), globe-headed rampion (Phyteuma hemisphaericum) and alpine toadflax (Linaria alpina). In the short 541
EXPLORATION turf were alpine butterwort (Pinguicula alpina), large-flowered leopardsbane (Doronicum grandiflorum), alpine coltsfoot (Homogyne alpina), alpine cinquefoil (Potentilla crantzii) and grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustris). At this level the gentians first appeared. Occasional plants of spotted gentian (Gentiana punctata) stood tall above the longer grass, while the trumpet gentian (G. acaulis) and brilliant mats of spring gentian (G. verna) preferred the shorter turf. By now the spotted orchids had been left behind, but fragrant orchids (Gymnadenia conopsea) were frequent, and frog orchids (Dactylorhiza [syn. Coeloglossum] viridis) were dotted around. Many of these species persisted to the higher parts of the road, with the frog orchid claiming the altitude record at over 2,500m (8,200ft). Continuing upwards we had our first sight of that fine indicator of high altitude, the spiniest thistle (Cirsium spinosissimum), with its fierce coronet of pale, spiny bracts. Among the rocks the rounded hummocks of roseroot (Rhodiola rosea) were distinctive with their umbels of tiny golden flowers, ripening to russet-brown. A commendable feature of this road is that so many opportunities have been taken to educate visitors. Whether your interest is in history, road construction, local geology, birds of prey, mammals or even flowers, at some point along the road you will come across a museum, an exhibition or a set of information boards – it is claimed that there are more than 80 information boards, but one doesn’t have to read them all! Consequently, a long stop was taken by 542
the Haus Alpine Naturschau. In addition to the inevitable souvenir shop, this building contains fascinating displays of birds, animals and rock crystals, and has a small cinema showing superb films on the region’s natural history. Just outside, a short Botanische Lehrweg (botanical teaching path) winds around a rocky knoll, with little plaques at intervals showing photographs and names of a selection of the plants – very useful for confirming some of those ‘not-quitesure’ identifications. There was even a collection of boulders sporting an array of lichens, all precisely identified. One should not spend too long here, because on the other side of the road are the steep rocky slopes at the base of the Pfalz Kogel, which gave us our first glimpses of many of the true alpine plants that were to feature so strongly at the higher levels. At this altitude the only shrubby plants able to flourish were the dwarf willows, Salix reticulata and S. serpyllifolia, flowing over the rocks and gravel, their miniature catkins thrust skywards and all of an inch tall. Dotted all around were tiny gems such as dwarf snowbell (Soldanella pusilla), purple saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia) and its dwarf subspecies S. rudolphiana, blunt-leaved rock jasmine (Androsace obtusifolia), oneflowered fleabane (Erigeron uniflorus) and many more. Three notable plants seen here but not noticed elsewhere were the white Ranunculus-like Callianthemum coriandrifolium, the tiny rosette-leaved rampion (Phyteuma globulariifolium) and creeping avens (Geum reptans). (Editor: the author’s photograph of Phyteuma THE ALPINE GARDENER
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A thriving colony of the dwarf snowbell, Soldanella pusilla
globulariifolium is on the cover of this issue.) Then, in the roadside gravel, were the very best plants of alpine toadflax (Linaria alpina) – vast cushions of rich purple flowers with prominent orange ‘chins’. Onwards to Bend 12 at 2,300m (7,550ft) where a display of spring gentian (Gentiana verna) on the short turf demanded attention, while on DECEMBER 2011
the opposite bank a sweep of oxlips (Primula elatior) looked quite out of place to an Englishman more used to seeing them in lowland woods. A gravelly slope nearby supported fine cushions of alpine rockrose (Helianthemum alpestris), readily identified by its hairless foliage, while a damp gully was clothed with the nodding heads of the Monte Baldo anemone (Anemone baldensis), 543
EXPLORATION
The yellow flowers of Geum reptans look out over a magnificent backdrop
among which were hiding the tiny cups of the Snowdon lily (Lloydia serotina). On a grassy bank across the road, the feathery seedheads of spring pasque flower (Pulsatilla vernalis) were waving in the breeze. A diligent search revealed the only plant with a flower still worth photographing. A few bends further up and the road divided, the left fork climbing a steep, cobbled cul-de-sac to the Edelweiss Spitze. At 2,570m (8,430ft) this is the highest point of the road and a magnificent vantage point for stupendous views in all directions. The roadside flowers here were good, though little different from those 544
elsewhere, and we failed to spot any edelweiss. Down the slope, however, the antics of a group of marmots that were being harassed by ravens provided an entertaining diversion. The right fork continued the main route, rising briefly to the Fuscher Törl. The observation terrace here also provided wonderful views, and a small chapel has been erected in memory of those who died during the construction of the road. Around the pass there were plenty of notable flowers. A sheltered gully was carpeted with least primrose (Primula minima) in a fine range of shades of pink and crimson. A little roadside cliff sheltered the chamois THE ALPINE GARDENER
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A single photogenic flower of Pulsatilla vernalis, found among a sea of seedheads
cress (Hutchinsia alpina) and the steep, open slopes supported many fine plants of Rhodiola rosea and Doronicum grandiflorum. Beyond the pass the road descends steeply for a short while, then more or less follows the contours on the east side of the ridge for several kilometres to Hochtor. We stopped by the birds of prey information boards for a dazzling sweep of globe flowers (Trollius europaeus), all at the peak of perfection. Nearby, the golden stars of Gagea fistulosa shone up at us from among the blades of grass. Although gageas are often difficult to identify precisely, this one is easy because its basal leaves DECEMBER 2011
are rush-like and hollow, with a semicircular cross-section. On a bank a little way down the road the huge, white saucers of alpine pasque flower (Pulsatilla alpina) waved in the breeze while, on a grassy slope opposite, the first spikes of the local form of the black vanilla orchid (Nigritella austriaca) were starting to open. This species may be distinguished from the ‘other’ alpine black vanilla orchid (Nigritella rhellicani) by its domed, rather than conical, flower spikes and less dark colouration. The road then dips past the Fuscher Lake, with its exhibition about the building of the road, and gently climbs to pass through the first tunnel. The 545
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Glowing pink flowers of the carpeting Primula minima
next couple of kilometres were like an alpine paradise. We saw massed ranks of Soldanella pusilla wherever the snow had just melted, with occasional patches of the multi-headed alpine snowbell, S. alpina. Carpets of Primula minima were accompanied by occasional plants of the sticky primrose (P. glutinosa), and rocky banks were dotted with the shining white saucers of alpine buttercup (Ranunculus alpestris). There were wonderful pink cushions of moss campion (Silene acaulis), often in an impressively large-flowered form, and saxifrages galore. Wherever we wandered, we were 546
seldom far from the scree saxifrage (Saxifraga androsacea) which, as its botanical name suggests, tries to kid you that it is not a saxifrage at all. In some places the plants were minute, a single flower on the shortest of stems, while elsewhere they produced multistemmed clusters of flowers a couple of inches tall, so thick on the ground that it was hard not to tread on them. However, the greatest treat was reserved for rocky outcrops close to the second tunnel at Hochtor. Every crack was filled with either Saxifraga oppositifolia or its distinguished microform S. oppositifolia subsp. rudolphiana. The latter THE ALPINE GARDENER
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Above, the chalkencrusted rosettes of Saxifraga oppositifolia subsp. rudolphiana and, left, the white saucers of Ranunculus alpestris
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EXPLORATION
Saxifraga paniculata and, opposite, Trollius europaeus
was a real gem, its compact rosettes of tiny leaves thickly chalk-encrusted and glistening in the sun, its flowers generally a darker shade of purple than S. oppositifolia. Passing through the tunnel brought us on to the south-facing slopes, with a wonderful panorama of snowy peaks in all directions and the road snaking away below. In early times, a track over Hochtor was part of an important trade route from Italy to more northerly countries, and many artefacts from Roman and earlier periods have been discovered there. The steep slopes above the tunnel, where the trade route originally went, 548
contained many of the species found on the northern side of the tunnel, but not in great numbers. However, one new species was noticed nearby, the retuse-leaved saxifrage (Saxifraga retusa), readily recognisable with its clusters of two or three florets on each stem above shiny, recurved leaves. The drive down the southern slopes was much quicker, since many of the plants had been inspected closely elsewhere. However, a stop near the 35km ‘milestone’ revealed several notable newcomers. The mealy primrose (Primula farinosa) covered one bank, guarded by the stately yellow spikes of the semi-parasitic leafy THE ALPINE GARDENER
EXPLORATION
Two of the many orchids in flower – Nigritella bicolor and, right, N. austriaca
lousewort (Pedicularis foliosa). Large plants of mountain valerian (Valeriana montana) grew alongside great meadow rue (Thalictrum aquilegifolium), here with only cream-coloured flowers, and many of the roadside banks were dotted with the dark blue globes of round-headed rampion (Phyteuma orbiculare). We came then to a little roundabout at 1,850m (6,070ft). From here, the main road continues left down to Heiligenblut, a section we unfortunately had no time to explore. To the right, a side road climbs gently westwards towards the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe, the point reached by the 26-year-old Emperor, hiking from Heiligenblut in 1856. This is probably the most popular and crowded section of the road, since it provides spectacular views of Austria’s 550
highest mountain, the Grossglockner at 3,798m (12,460ft). This is viewed across the huge Pasterze Glacier, which flows down the valley beside the road from the snow-covered slopes of the Johannisberg. But long before the end of the road, there are many places to explore. Our first stop was at Schöneck, where a small museum is dedicated to local plants and insects and their interactions. Alongside the museum is a small, undulating flower meadow, criss-crossed with paths, along which are placed a small forest of plant identification boards, much like a more extensive version of the Botanische Lehrweg mentioned before. This is an excellent concept, but only if the boards are correctly placed. The THE ALPINE GARDENER
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Lilium martagon brings an exotic touch to the mountains
first board we saw was beside a fine mound of bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) but the information was for meadow vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis), which was at least 20 metres away, and there were several other misplacements that I itched to rectify. Nevertheless, the meadow was spectacular with Lilium martagon, fragrant orchids (Gymnadenia conopsea) DECEMBER 2011
including a few pure white examples, and a wide range of other species. Just beyond the edge of the meadow there was a good display of Clematis alpina, winding around the trunks of conifers, while on the inaccessible ledges of a nearby rock-face were several brilliant pink Dianthus, probably D. sylvestris. A few hundred metres further on we explored the steep, south-facing 551
EXPLORATION
Daphne striata, which wound its stems between tufts of grass
slopes above the road. Here growth was lush, particularly in the damper areas, but there were no signs of grazing. Gymnadenia conopsea was the most plentiful orchid, but there were significant numbers of others including lesser butterfly (Platanthera bifolia), black vanilla (Nigritella austriaca), small white (Leucorchis albida) and frog (Dactylorhiza viridis), plus seedheads of the elderflowered orchid (D. sambucina). The greatest delight, however, was the quantity of globe orchids (Traunsteinera globosa), at a casual glance looking so similar in form and colour to the pink-flowered scabious that was equally prolific. 552
About halfway along this road at 2,058m (6,750ft) is a popular stoppingplace beside the attractive Fensterbach waterfall, with good views up the valley to the peak of the Grossglockner. On the outer edge of the road, a particularly large-flowered form of fairy’s thimble (Campanula cochlearifolia) was flourishing in the cracks of the retaining wall, while the rather steep, dry slopes above the road held many treasures. The shrubby Daphne striata wound its near-prostrate stems between tufts of grass, wonderfully perfumed in the warm sun, and Gentiana acaulis flowered more freely than elsewhere. Here, at last, was edelweiss THE ALPINE GARDENER
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Clematis alpina used the trunks of conifers as its support
(Leontopodium alpinum), its presence suggesting more alkaline soil than at higher levels. Alongside were pale blue cushions of Globularia cordifolia, while a vigorous plant of an (unidentified) golden Erisymum flourished on a marmot’s slagheap. DECEMBER 2011
However, the most prolific plant on these slopes was the alpine leek (Allium victorialis), with lush, strap-shaped leaves and spherical flower heads of pale yellowish-green just beginning to open. Yet again, it was the orchids that demanded close attention. First, a 553
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Dianthus glacialis and, opposite, Campanula cochlearifolia and the Grossglockner
solitary, dilapidated spike of the local form of Orchis mascula (O. ovalis) caught the eye, and then it was the vanilla orchids. Among the near-black spikes of Nigritella austriaca were several specimens whose flower colour varied down the spike from rose-red at the top to palest pink at the bottom. Flower spikes of this type are found in many parts of the eastern Alps, and were until recently regarded as forms of the red vanilla orchid (N. rubra). Now, however, because of their curious coloration and various morphological details, they 554
have been split off as a new species, N. bicolor. Then, to add to our delight, there were hybrids between the black vanilla and fragrant orchids. Such hybrids frequently occur where the parents grow in close proximity, and are usually of an eye-catching magenta colour. Whereas the lip of the fragrant orchid is the lowest petal and points downward, that of the vanilla orchid points vertically upwards. It comes as no surprise that the lip of the hybrid adopts an intermediate THE ALPINE GARDENER
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angle, usually pointing slightly upwards at about 45 degrees from the vertical, which is probably the clearest clue to hybrid identity. In the past, fragrant orchids and vanilla orchids have been placed in separate genera, making this an ‘intergeneric’ hybrid. However, recent DNA analysis has indicated such close evolutionary links between the two genera that some experts have proposed moving all former Nigritella species into Gymnadenia. In which case, the hybrids are merely ‘interspecific’. The road continues to climb gently as far as the Nassfeld reservoir, at which point there were good displays of Anemone baldensis and Gentiana verna, together with some fine specimens of Dianthus glacialis, with numerous bright pink, short-stemmed flowers crowded together. From here, the road zigzagged more steeply up to the multiple car parks at the Franz-Josefs-Höhe, which is the end of the road. Here the rest of the world stops to admire the Pasterze Glacier with the impressive backdrop of the Grossglockner and Johannisberg peaks. Sadly, with time running out, we didn’t walk through the tunnel to the Gamsgrubenweg or Chamois Path –
the botanical treasures growing there on the dry, sandy deposits will have to wait until our next visit. Our return journey over the Hochtor and Fuscher Törl demonstrated how rapidly the weather can change in the mountains. In the early evening the clouds had gathered over the high ground and we drove for several miles through billowing snow – and this was July 1. With minimal visibility and the ground covered in an inch of snow, our plans to photograph yet more flowers were hastily abandoned. Similar weather was reported by Miss E. O. Comber in the March 1955 AGS Bulletin (Vol. 23, p. 80-83), following a stay in Heiligenblut. Her final journey by bus over the Grossglocknerstrasse to Zell am See was made in mist, sleet and driving rain and prompted the comment: ‘To do this drive in good weather, in a car in which one could stop at will, would be one of the greater joys of life.’ How right she was.
PHOTOGRAPHIC CREDITS
Tim Ingram. Pages 482 to 489: Harry Jans. Page 490: Holger Perner. Page 491: Harry Jans. Pages 493, 495: AGS Slide Library. Page 496: Barry Starling. Page 497: AGS Slide Library. Page 499: AGS Slide Library/Peter Sheasby. Pages 500 to 509: AGS Slide Library/ Muriel Hodgman. Pages 510 to 535: Photographs credited on each show report. Pages 536 to 556: Tony Hughes.
Page 443: John Fitzpatrick. Pages 445, 446: Ann Thomas. Page 447: John Fitzpatrick. Page 448: Ann Thomas. Page 449: John Fitzpatrick. Pages 450, 451: Ann Thomas. Page 453: John Fitzpatrick. Page 456: Michael Kammerlander. Page 457: Vladimir Ježovič. Pages 461 to 467: Robert Rolfe. Pages 469 to 481: 556
Most plant identification is based on Alpine Flowers of Britain and Europe by Christopher Grey-Wilson and Marjorie Blamey, second edition, 1995.
THE ALPINE GARDENER