ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOLUME 57 NUMBER 4 FALL 1999 This issue of the Rock Garden Quarterly is dedicated to the pre• sent and past Editors of the Chapter newsletters, in gratitude for their commitment to communication and the dissemination of information about rock gardening. In the ten years of my editorship of the Quarterly, amazing strides have been made in the newsletters of the Chapters all across the continent. At first, most newsletters were mere announcements of meetings, and the formats reflected the state of the computers of the time—not too powerful and not too sophisticat• ed. Today, newsletters are full of articles that offer a fund of knowledge, beautifully illustrat• ed, and lovely in format. They spread the word of our art to whole new audiences. Editors, you are training authors not just to contribute to the Quarterly, but to write for many journals and books in the coming century. Thank you to all who have recruited, cajoled, held hands, and written yourselves. Last but not least, thank you to all who have designed, assembled, folded, stamped, and mailed the newsletters, thus making this wonderful resource possible. « 1/ C • C^V COVER: Gentiana sino-ornata by Lori Chips, Norwalk, Connecticut All Material Copyright © 1999 North American Rock Garden Society Printed by AgPress, 1531 Yuma Street, Manhattan, Kansas 66502 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY BULLETIN OF THE NORTH AMERICAN ROCK GARDEN SOCIETY VOLUME 57 NUMBER 4 FALL 1999 FEATURES Why Did I Become a Rock Gardener? by Florene Carney 243 Why a Public Rock Garden? by Steve Klass 246 Strategies for Growing Choice Alpines, by Rick Lupp 249 Alliums, by Mark McDonough 261 The Lure of the Orient, by Eva Gallagher 277 Botanizing in Mexico, by Mike Chelednik 285 The Indispensible Blues, by Irma Markert 290 Designing for the Off Season, by Given Kelaidis 293 DEPARTMENTS Awards 297 Book Reviews 302 Winter in the Woodland 307 CARNEY ROCK GARDEN, WASILLA, ALASKA WHY DID I BECOME A ROCK GARDENER? by Florene Carney j^^. non-gardening friend recently For the next few years I tried, in asked, "Why in the world did you vain, to transplant that little flower become a rock gardener?" I had to and also to find out what it was. That ponder that. Why did I? was in the time before Verna Pratt It all started about 25 years ago dur• started publishing her guides to ing an innocent drive along Turnagain Alaska wildflowers, and my best Arm, between Girdwood and resource was Louise Potter, who had Anchorage. I glanced up and spied the another guide to Alaskan flowers, prettiest blue flowers that appeared to which had hand-drawn pictures in be hanging in thin air on the cliff black and white. After much searching above the highway. I insisted that we and questioning, I determined that the stop the car to have a better look. But plant I coveted so much was a com• alas, the lovely little plant was too mon harebell, sometimes called blue• high to really see. Since we had no bells of Scotland (Campanula rotundifo- binoculars, we parked the car and set lia). It didn't seem right that this love• out to climb to the top of the cliff, hop• ly little plant should be called com• ing to get a better view or at least find mon, but bluebells of Scotland had a a nearby plant of the same type that romantic ring to it and Campanula was more accessible. As we wound rotundifolia sounded rather regal. I back and forth on what was probably could live with that. a sheep trail, we kept trying to get a I had been a gardener all my life, better look at the plant in question and but as I struggled to provide an envi• looked all the while for another plant ronment in which this little beauty like it. As we reached the top of the would survive I realized this was a cliff, I didn't even notice the breathtak• whole new kind of gardening. Nothing ing view below. There, growing in the about it was like a regular garden. rocks, was another little blue-flowered These plants seemed to thrive on very plant. On closer inspection the flowers little soil and lots of gravel, or they were bell-shaped, and the plant were content to snuggle down in a seemed to grow right out of the rock. I crack in the rocks. It was amazing how was smitten. they would light up the dullest spot 243 with bright blooms on tiny plants—but Lemagie's garden late in the fall, right only if conditions were right. I became through the first snows! That is a treat a rock gardener, although I never real• for the eyes, bright blue blossoms over ized it until years later when I stum• pure white snow. bled across an article about the Rock garden plants don't all have American Rock Garden Society in the same growing requirements, and Horticulture magazine. (Now the North some research is needed for each one. American Rock Garden Society ). If Lean, gritty soil or a crack in a rock for you aren't a member, the $25 a year is campanulas; a little richer mixture for worth it just for the Quarterly. It is full gentians, and everything well drained. of articles with glorious color photos That's part of the challenge. I now have and line drawings of plants you may plants from all over the world: Primula never have seen but will surely start to x polyanthus 'Cowichan' from Canada, search for. The first few years only Stachys monnieri from the Pyrenees, Susan Lemagie and I were listed under Thymus comosus from Romania, and a the Alaskan members, with a few peo• long list of glorious little plants from ple from Southeast thrown in. Slowly the Himalayas. Experimentation is part the list grew, and then one day Les of the fun. If I haven't killed a plant Brake called to see if I would be inter• three times I'm sure it is hardy and ested in forming an Alaskan Rock keep trying. Garden Group. I quickly offered my At first the rock garden was my home as the location for the first meet• respite from a full-time, high-stress job ing and sent a little "Thank You" in the and the challenge of raising three chil• general direction of the stars. We were dren. Now I have found that another off and sprinting—it was a very fast bonus of rock gardening is that I have start. The Alaska Rock Garden Society met the most wonderful people who has grown from 20 people at the first are also captivated by those rare little meeting to almost 200 in a short two plants that require a special environ• years. I wasn't the only one who was ment to survive: Sally Arant, garden hooked. designer and local nursery owner, Since I started with that first little C. introduced me to shady rock gardens rotundifolia, I have collected not only when she gave a program at the ARGS campanulas of all sizes but have meeting last spring; Rhonda Williams, become enamored of other rock gar• owner of Recluse Gardens and avid den plants as well. Lewisia tweedyi, plant collector, is a kindred spirit and with its beautiful peach-colored blos• keeps me wondering what exotic plant soms, the Draba that smells so sweet as she will come up with next; Carmel you walk by, but takes a minute to Tysver shared her expertise in troughs spot, because it is so unassuming; and and has encouraged me to give them a of course those lovely primulas, try; Teena Garay, from Homer, has among the first flowers to welcome readily shared tips on propagation. spring. Since "The Bad Winter" about The list goes on. four years ago, all Alaskan rock gar• The frosting on the cake is the won• deners have a penchant for gentians of derful lectures we have had in the first all varieties (G. septemfida and G. verna two years of our group's existence. come to mind right away), as they Every lecture has been wonderful and were the big survivors of that holo• provided more information than I will caust of ice and cold. Gentiana sino- ever remember, but getting to meet ornata has bloomed in Susan and spend an evening with Helen 244 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 57(4) Dillon was very special for me. Ms. tion." By that she meant that I, as Dillon is the author of Garden Artistry usual, had managed to square every• and The Flower Garden, both published thing up. She got on the Bobcat and by Wayside Gardens. If you haven't hauled gravel and sand and dirt and read Helen's books, check them out. designed some beautiful curves. The Her style is witty and very wise, and really exciting part came when we the pictures are glorious. started to place the rocks. Al, using the "What about rocks?" you may ask. Track Hoe, skillfully placed each rock Truthfully, I was a rock collector long as Nancy and I directed him. Some we before I was a plant collector. I have moved several times, but he stuck always loved a beautiful chunk of pink with us. Then my husband Doug men• quartz or a big rock with a well in it tioned that he would like to have a lit• that can be used as a little birdbath. tle pond and waterfall. We started out My first rock garden was a conglomer• to do a small pond with a fern grotto ation of my rock collection with plants at the far end of the rock garden, but stuck in between.