Eric Sternfels sent in today’s photos. We’ve visited Eric’s garden before (Summer in Eric’s Garden) but today he’s taking us along on a tour of a friend’s garden:
Here is a group of photos from the home of Janet in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia. Janet’s an officer of the North American Rock Garden Society – Delaware Valley Chapter.
Rock gardening is all about growing little plants that thrive in the good drainage found in the cracks and crevices between rocks. This stone retaining wall is a carpet of color with all the wonderful little plants growing on it.
Looking down the wall from the other direction. Amazing what an abundance of plants and beauty grows in a space that would seem inhospitable.
Closer look at some of the beauties growing on and trailing down the wall. Not just any stone wall can be planted up like this, they have to be built with spaces for the plants to go
Lewisia cotyledon (Zone 5 – 8) is native to western North America, and thrives in the good drainage of the stone wall.
A little succulent tucked into a space between the stones, while an ornamental oregano (Origanum sp., Zone 5 – 9) blooms above it.
A garden trowel gives a sense of scale to this rocks and the countless tiny plants growing on and around them. There is a whole miniature landscape here.
Aubrieta (Zone 4 – 9) greets spring with masses of rich purple flowers.
Spring bloomers from primroses (Primula species and hybrids, Zone 3 – 8) to fritillaria (Fritillaria meleagris, Zone 3 – 8) give an early show.
Hens-and-chicks (Semperivium sp., Zone 4 – 8) making a thriving colony between the stones. These little hardy succulents are easy to keep happy as long as they have good drainage.
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