Alpines

If you are looking for some early spring colour after the snow and frosts subside, an assortment of Alpine plants make a great addition to any border, rockery or window box.  They are resilient hardy plants and come back year after year.  Some will spread like a carpet and make great ground cover.

Alpines are low maintenance plants and are easy to grow, they like the sun and well-drained soil, which makes them perfect for rockeries, rock gardens and raised wall borders.  Once established you can pretty much forget about them. When planting use a soil-based compost like John Innes No.3 and add grit to help with drainage.

Popular varieties that grow well in Hertfordshire and the south-east include-

• Aubretia which come in more than 20 varieties and colours (blue/ purple & white)
• Dianthus- Carnation like stems and flowers, come in many different varieties and colours (pink & purple)
• Sempervivium- Are semi-arid plants, tolerating extreme temperatures and drought, they are also hardy.  They have triangular shaped leaves which grow in a circle creating rosette looking clusters.  They send out a long antennae looking flower, usually once they are over a year old.