Flower Delivery UK 

The Florists Garden

Alpines for all Seasons

Strictly speaking, an alpine is a plant that is adapted to growing above the
tree line on a mountain.  In the garden however, alpines are held to embrace virtually any plant
that looks right on a rock garden, in raised beds and trough and sink gardens.  Although
 of small stature they can play an important part in the garden for all seasons if treated in
groups rather than by themselves.  Each member of the planting group can show its foliage and
flowers to full effect without being overshadowed by larger more dominant flowers and shrubs.

Acaena 'Blue Haze' - growing to a mighty 3 inches the acaenas are grown principally
for the beauty of their evergreen glaucous foliage and summer and autumn fruit heads. 'Blue Haze'
 is about the best for the pronounces blue-grey hue of its leaves, like those of a tiny mountain
 ash tree in form with stalks of a rich mahogany.  It is often used as a ground cover because
it spreads rapidly.  The small button flower heads are unspectacular but they develop later
into burr like seed heads resembling miniature sea urchins with glossy russet spines.
 The soft tones bed of foliage forms a perfect carpet through which to grow blue flowers
such as Scillia. A.microphylla is even smaller at a staggering 2 inches tall!
This New Zealand variety forms an evergreen mat of silver-bronze leaves, sometimes grey beneath. 
Insignificant flower heads give way to the prettiest pink seek heads which burst from
the plant like a firework display.

Achillea tomentosa - at six inches tall this gives its best display in June, July and August. 
The densely packed yellow flower heads will bring a splash of sunshine into a border
oven on the dullest of summer days.  The featherlike evergreen leaves make a dense
mat and their fine downy covering gives it a silvery hue.

Armeria juniperifolia - One of the most eagerly awaited harbingers of spring in the
Sierra de Guadarrama to the north of Madrid is the mass of pink colour produces by
this  3 inch tall alpine.  It is now also widely available in Britain and here too in April its stiff,
domed cushion of small narrow leaves almost disappears under a froth of pink flowers. 
The whit coloured form is also equally generous with its blooms.  At other times
of the year the evergreen cushion will attract attention with its spiky clustered leaves.
 A.maritima is the sea pink or sea thrift.  Clinging doggedly to rocky cliffs it can be seen
spreading in drifts around Britain's coastline as summer approaches. Each dense tuffet
 of long, thin, evergreen leaves send up tough, wiry stalks carrying tight heads of flowers.
 Their colour can vary from plant to plant through lilac to pink to white.
 Even when the flowers have died the dead heads are attractive.  They remain like crisp
tissue paper long after the colour has faded from them.  Because sea thrift spreads
so little it is ideal for troughs in the garden or similar containers.

Aubretia - so common in Britains gardens nowadays - pinks whites and various shades
of blue characterise this 6 inch tall groundcover. The variegated varieties give an
extra sparkle through the months when the flowers have faded. 
For a really spectacular display try A. deltoides.

Euryops acraeus at 12 inches tall is one of the finest miniature silver foliaged shrubs
with a bushy upright habit.  The strap shaped evergreen leaves are enhanced by
 a metallic sheen and sprout from the rising stems in 'bottle brush' clusters.
 The shrubs rounded dome of silver uplifts and dull corner in the winter. 
In late spring to early summer the foliage is studded with rich yellow daisy-like
flowers that rise amongst fresh growth of silver-blue shoots - this alpine truly
gives all year round sparkle.  The foliage is great for brightening a dark flower
arrangement but should be used sparingly as it is so bright!

Hypericum olympicum - not to be confused with its big brother H. calycinum -
this is only 10 inches tall and the family is most commonly know as St Johns Wort
used in lost of herbal remedies.  Wiry stems, clothed with small grey green leaves
rise each spring from the shrubs woody roots.  This foliage provides a perfect foil in
mid to late summer for the dramatically large, golden yellow flowers with their
dominant orangey-red stamens.

Iberis sempervirens - 'Candytuft' is just as common as Aubretia - often to be found
together creating blue and white striped borders in many a manicured English front garden!
The all year attractiveness of this dwarf shrub's deep green hummock of leaves places
 this among the plants that really give the best value for money.  Usually long lived
 its need space to spread and looks good against yellow flowering Cytissus as it
emphasises the acid yellow of the Cytissus and its own whiteness seems to be intensified.

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