Re: Rockery plants

Linda Starr wrote:
Dear John,

I am surprised about Cerastium - I utilized it when I lived in Foresthill,
CA Zone 7 at 2600 foot elevation. It was in the same place for 9 years at
one location and it never spread beyond where it was wanted - it did creep
into a gravel driveway a bit but was easily pulled up - the soil was amended
clay.
Linda
This last remark of yours reminded me of a phenomenon I have several times noted over years of tending many gardens and that was the liking of some creeping plants have for gravel. I remember particularly one garden where Verbena peruviana struggled in a bed of good soil, but flourished exceedingly when it managed to escape into adjacent gravel. I suspect it may be a plant which likes a good deal of air for its roots and/or is easily damaged by excess moisture.

In fact a good many plants, even those which do not creep, may grow better in gravel than in closer soils and if you have a plant which refuses to flourish with cosseting it can be worth trying how it goes under the more spartan conditions of a gravel bed.

And come to think of it, Verbenas have not yet be mentioned in this discussion, but they make very good carpeting plants for big pockets among rocks.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
NEW PICTURES ADDED 4/Feb/2004

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