We bought the small plants at the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon "Hortlandia" sale.
They had names like 'Cherrytrees' and 'Cockscomb' and and juniperfolia.
Some had tiny blossoms, others looked like small mounds of grass.
And our intention was to plant them the very next weekend.
But then, as so often happens, life got in the way.
Grandson Sam's birthday. The pots column took much longer than we thought it would. Too much to do and too little time.
Meanwhile, you could almost hear the small plants saying "Hey, what about us? It's kinda hot and confining in these little plastic containers and we would really appreciate a little room to grow. And, to be honest, it's not the least bit comfortable."
Of course, they didn't actually say, well, anything. But you could just see those sentiments on their little green bodies.
Clearly we had, to misquote Sylvester the Cat, a case of sufferin' saxifrage.
Marcia:
If Sylvester were a true gardener, he might have said that. However, since I never saw so much as a trowel in his hand -- or, more accurately, paw -- in any of the hundreds of episodes I watched as a kid, I'm pretty sure he said "sufferin' succotash."
And speaking of suffering for this column, I did spring all the saxifrage that I bought at the "Hortlandia" plant sale from their nursery prisons. The rest of the plants will have to wait until I have time, even though I can hear their little voices calling me.
I discovered saxifrage over 20 years ago and fell in love.
My gateway saxifrage was a little woodland variety called London Pride. It's easy to grow, evergreen and slug-proof and before I knew it I had transplanted it all over the shady areas in our garden.
Not to mention I've given away countless starts to any garden visitor who shows the slightest bit of interest.
One thing led to another, and now I have about 20 different species, most of them purchased from Truls Jensen and Emma Elliott at Wild Ginger Farm.
Truls says the alpine varieties have adapted to growing between rocks in fast draining, gritty soil and are great in rock gardens. The woodland varieties like well-drained humus-rich soil and make excellent ground covers.
Most do well in cool morning sun or partial shade, are evergreen and are slug- and deer-resistant and they look great in the garden year-round, even in the dead of winter.
Since they adapted in sub-arctic and alpine conditions, they can really take the cold. Regular water is appreciated for most saxifrage, but don't overdo it and make sure you amend the soil for good drainage.
They truly are versatile little jewels. Give them a try. They are easier than you think.
Tips
1. Start with well-draining soil. Truls Jensen, owner of Wild Ginger Farm (
), recommends these soil blends for pots and troughs:
* 60 percent commercial potting pix (which is 33 percent peat, 33 percent pumice, 33 percent bark) to which they add 25 percent 1/4 10 crushed rock and 15 percent river sand (not masonry sand). Add a small amount of time-release fertilizer (15-6-12) and trace elements.
* For raised beds or berms, Truls recommends scree mix, which consists of: 40 percent river sand, 40 percent 1/4 10 crushed rock, 20 percent chunky compost.
* Woodland varieties benefit from a little more organic material and fertilizer in the soil than do alpine varieties.
2. Most saxifrage appreciate a little water, but not too much. Just make sure the soil drains well, because their roots need oxygen to thrive. If planting in a pot or trough, make sure that it has great drainage. Drill more holes in the bottom of the containers if necessary and make sure none of the drain holes get plugged.
Saxifrage in our garden
(Partial shade, gritty, well-drained soil; protect from winter wet)
Saxifraga x boydii 'Cherrytrees'
Saxifraga juniperifolia
Saxifraga cochlearis 'Minor'
Saxifraga 'Cockscomb'
Saxifraga x zimmeteri
Saxifraga x alpiculata 'Alba'
Saxifraga x longifolia
(These seem to do well with a little more organic matter mixed into well-draining soil):
Saxifraga 'X geum' 'Dentata'
Saxifraga umbrosa 'Variegata'
Saxifraga umbrosa 'Primuloides'
Saxifraga stolonifera
Saxifraga cuneifolia
*
Marcia Westcott Peck is a landscape designer (
) and Dennis Peck is not. He is director of publications at The Oregonian/OregonLive, which is a good thing for him, because if he actually had to use his hands for anything other than typing, it would not be pretty.