Alpines - Section 2 (D-O)

Two pictures of my plant of Daphne arbuscula grown from a cutting taken in 1974 ish. I moved it after a few years into a trough which has now seen 3 or 4 house moves.Originally the trough contained many plants but over the years they have disappeared or been moved on. I had to cut out the 20 year dwarf conifer, Abies balsamea "hudsonia" to let the Daphne continue. The trough is in a semi shaded position and is watered frequently in the summer. The scent when it is in flower is incredible!

A quartet of choice plants. Above left a Leucogenes either L.acklandii or L.leontopodium. These are the New Zealand Edleweiss, which in addition to the familar flowers have incredible shining silver leaves. I grew both L.leontopodium and L. grandiceps when I lived in the English midlands but even there they are hard to keep in the hot dry summers. Above right, a dwarf flax, Linum Gemmell's Hybrid. Below left Origanum amanum which is probably the most popular of the dwarf Origanums with lovely long tubed flowers. Unfortunately it has a habit of dying without warning! Finally bottom right, Lithodra oieifolium. This is something I am really proud of because my plant is coming up to 6 feet across which I think is not bad going for something that is often grown in the Alpine House. I have read of a few people with it growing well but I have never heard of a plant that size. It tends to sucker and wander but my plant is in a large brick enclosure that used to have a herb garden. It's proabably over 20 years old, liberated from a trough about ten years again, since then it has grown and grown.

Left another old  favourite, the Chilean Oxalis lobata. It comes up with fresh green leaves and golden flowers in the autumn, disappears late winter, comes up again with just leaves in Spring and disappears again for the summer. It used to be the bane of nurserymen who used to get letter and calls of complaint about the plant suddenlt dying until it became more generally known that it has two dormant periods in the year. Another trick it has is that it is easy to lose the corms which are the size of a small pea and covered with brown fibres so they look like tiny coconuts.Quite hard to find in the compost so when I repot I always put all of the old compost in the new pot.

Left, Omphalodes luciliae. This is one of the recently introduced forms with aname something like  "cilicca. This is a wonderful plant with grey leaves and beautiful sky blue flowers with a crystalline texture and a yellow eye. It flowers through out the Unfortunately it is not too easy to keep. This plant was out in a raised bed at Wisley in August but there was no sign of it in November. Left below and below, some shots of my Origanum dictamnus, the Cretan Dittany. I think you can make a sort of tea of out, though I don't think I will try. This is my favourite Origanum, even though it seems to be less popular than O.amanum. I first was given cuttings of this by Ralph Hayward, a great grower and propagator, when I visited him. Tragically Ralph died very young but his name lives on in a number of plants. O. dictamnus is a small shrub or sub shrub with round, densely felted and highly aromatic leaves. In late summer it has small pink flowers from hop like bracts. It is quite easy to grow but not be entirely cold hardy and also likes to have it's leaves kept dry. Apart from that it is very easy, I give mine a trim back after flowering to keep it tidy. A plant that invites being touched!

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