Alpines

I don't think we ever saw the old Alpine House at RHS Harlow Carr  I've only been a member of the RHS for a few years and when we first started visiting Harlow Carr gardens they were building the new one. The Alpine Zone was finished in 2010 and it is a very impressive place. It is packed full of beautiful, colourful alpines which are planted in pots on a raised up level built out of stone. It's about waist high, so you can see them easily. I thought they were in pots to stop them spreading and getting untidy but it's so that they can be moved  to keep a permanent colourful display throughout the year.

Colourful it certainly is and there were lots of 'oohs' and 'aahs' coming from me as we looked around when we visited after Easter. We have seen this place several times now since it was opened and I never fail to be wowed by the colourful display. Here there were plants which you would think wouldn't survive outside in our gardens in this country. But many of the plants are from mountainous areas of the world and Harlow Carr say that they would grow outside quite happily.  Even the non flowering specimens were delightful from the tiny little sedums and sempervivums to the cushiony, spongy looking mounds which were just asking to be touched, but we weren't allowed to.

It's not just inside the Alpine Zone which is of interest, because outside, around the perimeter of the building are many stone troughs beautifully arranged with alpines. In one corner outside is an alpine garden which looks to be made out of flat stones or slates arranged both horizontally and vertically.  It's an interesting way to grow alpines, they can be planted in tiny little crevices between the flat stones.

I will leave you with a little gallery of photos from the Alpine Zone to look at whilst I go and tidy up my alpine pots. On the other hand I might just pop down to the local garden centre and buy some new ones.