Jane's Alpine garden

Created on Tuesday, 18 Sep 07

This garden, situated in the non-irrigated part of my yard, is very happy with the high desert growing conditions here in Colorado. Alas, it also needs a lot of work. The soil needs more coarse builder’s sand worked into it (it’s got too much clay). Most alpine plants prefer sand, sharply drained, poor & dry soil. Usually, if I’m trying to break up heavy clay soil, I simply add organic matter from my compost pile, but if I make the soil in this garden too rich it will be at the expense of flowers. In this photo you can see 2 of my fave plants: red baron grass and blue salvia. Now that autumn has set in the red baron grass is even more striking, with green, gold, orange, red and burgandy all on the same blade! The blue salvia (a perennial) has been blooming for months, and the huge blooms just seem to get bluer.

Garden Type: Alpine | Sun: Don't Know | Soil: Don't Know

1 fave

(Top To Bottom) Oregano, Coriander, Chive 'Orange'

another drought tolerant long bloomer. This variety get a lot wide...

Planted on 22 Jun 07
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Agastache 'Sunset'

Hyssop

Thrives in the harsh growing conditions here. It attracts butterfl...

Planted on 17 Jun 07
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Gaillardia 'Sundance'

Gaillardia

This perennial beauty appears to be dancing in the sun here. It bl...

Planted on 15 Jun 07
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Lavender And Red Hot Poker '"Mitcham'S Grey"'

Lavandula angustifolia

The lavender is evergreen (or, ever greyish/bluish/green). The la...
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Santolina

Santolina chamaecyparissus

This evergreen is huge...way larger than the plant catalogs say it ...
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Centaurea 'Mountain Bluet'

Centaurea montana

This local wildflower has stunning electric blue blooms that are so...
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Mountain Primrose And Mt Phlox

Primula capillaris

2 Xeric, undemanding little plants. From what I've read, the primr...
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Sea Lavender

Limonium

This large perennial with leathery, evergreen leaves (the leaves in...
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Herbacious Potentilla

Potentilla

This pretty red plant might even be classified as a grouncover. It...
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Prince's Plume

Stanleya pinnata

This Colorado wildflower gets 5 feet tall. It blooms late in the s...
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Butterfly Weed

Asclepias tuberosa

This native survives drought by growing a deep taproot. Of course,...
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Sedum 'Dragon'S Blood?'

Sedum spurium

cute and well behaved, this sedum stopped just short of spilling on...
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Sage 'Culinary'

Salvia officinalis

No reason not to grow herbs in the alpine garden. They are happy h...
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Yellow Ice Plant

Carpobrotus edulis

this hardy succulent blooms it's heart out in late Spring/early sum...
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Gaillardia

Gaillardia

I forget the name of this variety. It is a great, undemanding pere...
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Pink Baby To

Carpobrotus edulis

I'm kidding. This is actually a photo of the yellow ice plant in e...
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Rose 'Pink Rugosa'

Rosa

I didn't plant this poor little thing here. It is trying valiantly...
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Scabiosa 'Blue'

Scabiosa columbaria

it bloomed for a few months. I think it may bloom longer next year...
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Oriental Poppy 'Salmon'

Papaver orientale

they bloom strong and beautiful, but they ar too short to be situat...
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Oriental Poppy 'Deep Orange'

Papaver orientale

Again, they are happy here, but are taking up some prime real estat...
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Mystery Plant

I need help identifying these pretty blue spires. Are they a penst...
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