[ALBSA-Info] Botanics - Saxifraga grieselbachii

[aalibali at law.harvard.edu]

           Copyright 2000 Scottish Daily Record & Sunday Mail Ltd.  
                                  Sunday Mail

                            February 6, 2000, Sunday

SECTION: FEATURES; Pg. 9 Seven Days

LENGTH: 1388 words

HEADLINE: GARDENING - ALPINE SPRING

BYLINE: Bill Chudziak

 BODY:
    THE calendar says Spring begins on March 26, but there are plants that
ignore that and start growing much sooner.

    Early Alpines herald the coming spring with enthusiasm, yet they occupy a
tiny area of gardens.

    In fact, many gardeners ignore them - which is a puzzle to me because they
are easy to grow, easy to acquire and give a huge sense of satisfaction.

    One of the most spectacular of the early Alpines is Saxifraga grieselbachii,
which comes from the mountains of Greece and  Albania. 

    The peculiar flower spikes of the early saxifrages are intriguing, with
their mixture of silver-coloured rosettes and arching spikes.

    They form perfectly symmetrical rosettes of silver-encrusted tiles that are 
so fascinating, it seems a shame when the central flower spike beings to
elongate. This will eventually grow to about three inches, making the plant look
like something from The Day of the Triffids.

    The pale-green flower stem has ascending bracts that look like small hairy
tongues, beneath which are the pink flowers.

    Although this plant is resistant to frost, it dislikes the winter wet and is
best given protection from our damp soggy weather with a pane of glass supported
on four small canes.

    Even more impressive is Saxifraga longifolia. The silver rosettes remain
close to the ground and will eventually throw up a two-foot tall flower pyramid 
which supports hundreds of tiny white stars on stems that are like hair.

    A variety called Saxifraga Tumbling Waters is one of my favourites and is
almost twice the size of longifolia. It performs best when grown on its side so 
water will drain away from the rosette.

    Flowering at the same time is Iris Katherine Hodgkins. It has blooms of a
typical Iris shape, about an inch across, and with a distinctive cross of pale
turquoise, sky blue, slate and primrose.

    By keeping winter moisture away from the bulb's surface, air is allowed to
pass close to the bulb and regular flowering will be guaranteed. The bulb also
benefits from deep planting and should be encased in a layer of sharp grit when 
first planted.

    It may seem like a lot of effort for one bulb but, once you see them in
flower, you will want to plant more.

    Snake's Head fritillarys or Crown Imperials, which come from the Fritillaria
family, are a similarly rewarding plant. They are just the tip of the iceberg in
a plant family that is filled with many fascinating bulbs.

    Fritillaria michailovskyii is an easy bulb to flower but is one of those
plants that you either love or hate.

    The podgy bells hang from the top of slender grey foliage and are two- tone 
yellowy-gold blending to dark chocolate at the petal tips.

    Some gardeners dismiss these brown-flowered plants as of botanical interest 
only, but I think they are wonderful and hold a magical curiosity that demands
closer inspection.

    Another winter gem is the Pasque flower, Pulsatilla vulgaris.

    The goblet-shaped flowers are a good two inches across and are a deep
burgundy red in the best forms, which look particularly beautiful when backlit
by the morning sun.

    When the sun warms the flowers they gradually expand to a funnel shape,
revealing their dark central eye. The effect is intensified by the blooms'
surrounding collar of feathery foliage which sits around the neck of the flower 
like an Elizabethan ruff made of silver threads.

    Growing Alpines is easy as long as you add plenty of drainage to the soil,
such as horticultural grit and sharp sand, as well as bonemeal in the spring.

    The amount of compost that you should add to the planting soil is debatable.
Alpines fall into two broad categories; those that prefer drainage over moisture
and vice versa.

    One of the greatest Alpinists, Reginald Farrer, believed that as alpines
enjoy rich living more than any other plant, it is worth mixing in some humus
with the grit.

    This richer planting mix will retain more moisture and is best used with
Alpine varieties that prefer the cooler soil.

    Primroses are the ideal candidate as they often grow wild in woods near to
streams, but their Himalayan cousins have far more spectacular blooms and flower
earlier.

    The best of the early Himalayan primroses are Primula bhutanica and Primula 
sonchifolia. Their rosettes of apple green foliage are crinkly to the touch and 
finely dusted with floury powder called farina.

    Most good garden centres should have the plants mentioned but, if not, try
Christie's Nursery, Downfield, Westmuir, Kirriemuir, Angus, DD8 5LP, or Jack
Drake, Inshriach Alpine Nursery, Aviemore, Invernesshire, PH22 1QS. Both supply 
top-quality alpines through mail order.

    PROBLEMS

    The Beechgrove Garden's Carolyn Spray answer all your questions

    Q I HAVE terrible trouble each year growing my favourite plants, Delphinium 
and Hosta. As soon as they poke their shoots through the soil, they are attacked
by hordes of slugs and snails. What do you suggest?

    A THERE are several different kinds of slugs and snails but the most usual
garden culprit is the common slug. If you don't like chemicals, you can try
Snail Ban, which is a sharp material slugs and snails won't cross over when it's
put around plants. The favourite slug killer for gardeners though is
Methiocarb, sold in your garden centre as slug gard. This is an effective
solution for slug and snail problems, and if used according to the instructions,
you should be able to look forward to magnificent Delphiniums this year.

    Q ON a recent holiday abroad I noticed that exotic plants seem to grow like 
weeds. One I particularly like is Strelitzia (Bird of Paradise).  As the plants 
are very expensive to buy, can I grow them from seed?

    A BIRD of Paradise is a stunning flower but is really a conservatory plant
in Scotland. It is easy to grow from seed and there is now a whole range of
these exotic plant seeds available from Thomson & Morgan (phone 01473 688588 for
stockists). Strelitzia is easy to grow but can take several years to give you
those eye catching orange and royal blue flowers you so admire.  Well worth the 
wait, though.

    IF you have a gardening query, write to: Carolyn Spray, Seven Days Magazine,

    Sunday Mail, 40 Anderston Quay,

    Glasgow G3 8DA.

    THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS IN THE GARDEN

    IF the wet weather is keeping you indoors why not build yourself some plant 
containers using old fish boxes?

    They shouldn't cost anything as your local chippy will be only too glad to
get rid of them.

    Once cleaned, use a heat gun to roughen the outer surface and create long
stone- like depressions.

    Slap on a few coats of grey masonry paint - you can mix this with sand to
give a stone textured effect - and punch three one-inch diameter, equally spaced
holes in the base.

    Once in place, pour an inch of grit into the base. Top it up with a 50- 50
mix of John Innes No.2 compost and sharp grit, and pop in your plants, which
will enjoy the good drainage and rich living.

    Once you have arranged your plants, dress the soil with more grit around the
crown of the plants to help with drainage.

    The troughs can be used for patio plants and summer bedding, but they look
especially effective if you use herbs or alpines dressed with grit. However, you
must remember to tailor the compost mix to the plants.

    The beauty of these lightweight troughs is that they look quite rustic and
authentic. You can use them strategically, to mark a pathway, or sit them next
to your front door.

    They are a great solution to changing the feel of your garden with minimum
effort and little cost.

    Back indoors, some of your house plants may be starting to look tired as
they feel the effects of the dark winter days.

    If you feel your plants are suffering more than others, you should move them
to a better spot.

    I rotate my house plants every week to keep them growing evenly.

    Aphids and whitefly can build up unnoticed and can cause real trouble during
the winter.

    You could spray with Bio-Naturen, which is also safe for bees and ladybirds,
but even better are a few pure soap flakes in tepid water sprayed over the
plant.

    This may leave a white residue on the foliage but it won't harm the plant.
You can also spray the plant daily with water.

    This soaking will make the plant happier and keep baddies like scale and
aphids away.