Rock Garden Quarterly Summer 2012 - (Page 291)

Further up, sandbeds away from the water create superbly drained areas where a variety of more drought-loving alpines and steppe plants thrive. An entire bed given over to steppe plants from his brother’s travels in Central Asia, along with dryland western North American plants, was especially inspiring. Arenaria alfacorensis, assorted Acantholimon, and additional cushions made one south-facing outcrop particularly noteworthy in a another section of the rock garden. On the north-facing slope opposite the rock Primula maximowiczii - one of the Chinese garden across a shallow primulas in Peter Korn's garden valley, the woodland garden grew all kinds of treasures that we can only dream about growing well in Denver with its steppe climate and alkaline soils. Woodland Primula, Himalayan Corydalis, Glaucidum, Himalayan Rhodododendron, and assorted humidity- and acid-loving gems thrived alongside alkaline tolerant woodlanders like Epimedium, Anemone, and Trillium. The first full day was spent at Göteborg Botanic Garden with a short tour from Johan Nilson of the Alpine Division. Starting in the rock garden I spent the better part of the day in amazement. Very respectable collections of plants, from many regions of the world, call the rock garden home, with a large emphasis on European and Asian plants. It was fun to see so many Asiatic plants that I had only previously read about. Topping it off, a large waterfall spills down the cliff in one of the most naturalistic water features I have seen. Wandering into the Asiatic garden proper, giant rhododendrons, magnolias and prunus were in full bloom. Again, many plants that simply limp along in Denver’s steppe climate were in their full glory. Swedish Dreams 291

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rock Garden Quarterly Summer 2012

Digital Quarterly
Expanding Panayoti's Axioms
Photo Contest 2012
Photographing Alpine Plants: A Landscape Point of View
NARGS 2013 Election Timetable
Rock Gardening from Scratch - Seeds
Kim Blaxland and the Violets of North America
Viola pedata
Violas, Kim, and Us - A Celebration
Cooking Native Japanese Plants
Carl Gehenio Memorial Trough Show
Fire in the Hole: Phlox across Colorado
Rebuilding a Rock Garden in Pittsburgh
A Remarkable Garden: David Douglas and the Shrub-steppe of the Columbia Plateau
Bookshelf - Reviews
Swedish Dreams
Treasurer's Report
Bulletin Board
2012 - Eastern Study Weekend: October, Pittsburgh

Rock Garden Quarterly Summer 2012