Pavement Gardening 3

Last Spring I did 2 posts about plants that grow between the limestone rocks that pave the paths in the garden. These are mostly rock garden plants or some slightly bigger plants used to edge the paths. The following are new rock garden plants that are blooming for the first time this year, or that were not included last year.  The first one is perhaps the prettiest, the Mount Atlas daisy (Anacyclus pyrethrum). The inside of the petals is white but the back is red. I grew it from seed and it is supposed to be hardy to zone 6 but seems quite happy in this zone 5 garden. Apparently it is not long-lived but self seeds.

Mount Atlas daisy

The following dainty little daisy is Erigeron compositus discoideus. It was started from seed by my friend Glen who gave me one. It is very attractive growing only to 5 cm. Both this one and the previous daisy need full sun. I find that the erigeron is almost as pretty when the petals close at night because you then realize they are pale lavender rather than white.

Minature Erigeron

These two little stonecrops are invasive on rocky, thin soil in full sun. However, they are easily removed. The red one gets redder the more sun it gets. I find they look best growing next to each other. The green variety is called 'Baby Tears'. Left to their own devices, with time they would overtake the paths!

Stone crops

Hypericum cerastoides 'Silvana' is a little St-John's Wort that blooms profusely. The whole plant disappears under the blooms (in the picture, the first flowers are just starting to open). This is also supposed to be a zone 6 plant but I have grown it for many years. I bought it as a plant and over the years have put divisions in various places and they always do well as long as they are in full sun and the soil is well-drained.

St-John's Wort

The most common name for Azorella trifurcata ‘nana’ is 'Bolax' but it is also called the  Living Astro-Turf, not a very prepossessing name but I must say that the plant does look as if it were made of rubber, though very healthy looking in full sun. It is supposedly indestructible. Mine has not yet produced its yellow blooms. I bought it two years ago and divided the small patch into two. They did not do anything last summer but have just settled in this year and should now increase. The plant grows slowly and requires no maintenance at all.

Bolax

An other mini-daisy, this one yellow. I bought Othonna capensis 'little pickles' only a few weeks ago but it seems to have taken to the sandy spot in full sun where I put it like a fish to water. It has been blooming continuously and looking very happy. It is similar to ice plant (Delosperma sp.) although no ice plant has ever done so well in the garden from the word go.

Othonna capensis

I had pictures of Dianthus alpinus last year. The 2013 crop had fewer, larger flowers. In 2014 the new self-seeded crop includes more clumps and the flowers are smaller but more densely packed than they were last year. They also all seem pink (there were some white ones last year). These little buns are always one of the loveliest plants here. No need to ask why they are called Pinks!

Alpine Pinks