Re: shady rock gardens, NARGS & Cyclamen was: seed import permits

In a message dated 12/1/01 2:11:25 AM Eastern Standard Time, mtalt@clark.net 
writes:

<< Yes, I know one can have a shady rock garden; have simply not gotten
 around to building one as I have no natural rock outcroppings.  Have
 found, actually, that a lot of plants love rocks; do not have to be
 even tiny ones or those generally considered "rock garden" pla >>

Marge,

We do have natural rock outcroppings.  Not always a good thing when one wants 
to do a water line or some other essential.

But I write to tell you how I got my shady garden.  The front of my house 
looks down a long slope to the road.  The previous owner put in yews and 
junipers and the usual stuff.  When I arrived they were completely overgrown 
so had to be sawed down and hauled off.  We then discovered that the front of 
the house had no soil, it was completley rubble fill and gravel down many 
feet.  The previous owners, an aged Mom and grumpy son had operated an 
excavation business, farming being sort of stupid here.  Son filled in the 
front with all this great stuff in which nothing would grow except chickweed. 
 I think chickweed could be airborne.

Ed using his small tractor hauled up rocks from the fields and we arranged a 
rock border out front intending to have no planting in it.  It was sort what 
a hotel might do wanting no maintenance.  A few really nice things seeded in 
there and I had a rock garden.  Then some oak trees on the slope grew and 
shaded those rocks and now they are filled with small hosta, dwarf ferns 
(neat little things), campanulas which will do well in shade, some viney 
little plant called Kenilworth Ivy, and dozens of other things.  It was not 
planned.

It is curious that the rocks folks are particular as to plants classified 
alpine, 30 cm. or lower and rare but also have adopted woodland plants as 
part of their inventory.  Anything they like, they do have information and 
sources not available elswhere.

Don Hackenberry of the Alpine-L list sold me a Bergenia ciliata.  Every 
single piece of advice said this plant needed a dormant period and was 
deciduous.  In an old British indoor guide, I found it called winter begonia 
and grown in a cool greenhouse.  Well mine is in a big pot,  large and 
healthy.  I may have to pot it up a size.  The glass room stays at 50 degrees 
in winter.  If I get this to bloom in February, I shall be quite happy with 
the project. Barry Yinger of Asiatica told me that this plant will absolutely 
die without a dormancy. 

BTW, after saying (On Alpine-L) that I thought dead mail carriers were of 
more importance than dead seeds, I got a quite a few messages.  Most were in 
agreement and stated they never posted anywhere because some other writer 
always took exception and made them look foolish.  Observations are seldom 
posted because members believe other members are experts and will write 
putdowns. And, observations with addresses attached are so valuable.

The few that preferred mailmen at risk over seeds, including Ernie O'Bryne of 
Oregon, wrote some nasty stuff to me.  I fowarded all of it to Harry who told 
me he had way more than I did and we had a good talk over private nasty mail. 
 I have never written a private message to anyone carrying hostile tones.  I 
gues I will not be going to understand this aspect of gardening, it probably 
falls into the category of human nature.

Poor Harry was fired from a Hosta Club position as editor by a few of these 
luminaries and given a dressing down in the process.  He had a year to go in 
his position.  He is the kindest sort of person, no way to predict these 
testosterone clashes.

Claire Peplowski

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