Our June Gardening Club meeting provided us with an opportunity to look in depth at a particular area of expertise, that of growing alpine plants. Eric Jarret, from Stroud is a passionate and experienced grower of alpines, although he is not quite sure whether this constitutes a hobby or an obsession! In any event he busted a few myths about them for us: Not all alpines are small ….some are very tall (they include Meconopsis, the blue poppy); they don’t have to be grown in a rock garden, they just need good gritty drainage; if you do want some rocks or stones in your alpine garden, use any type of stone or grow them in a raised bed, tub or old sink. The tip of the night was to cover an old sink with PVA glue then coat with a mixture of cement, sand and bark, for an authentic antique-look that sets the plants off a treat.

Some alpines are a challenge to grow – these are the ones the experts love to show at one of the many national alpine shows. But as long as you don’t use a south-facing slope and add some grit to the soil used, anyone can grow some alpines. Eric recommended easy ones such as Pulsatilla Vulgaris, Campanula, Alpine Geraniums, Phlox and Saxifrage.

At the end of the talk, many of us bought from his selection of beautiful and affordable plants and will report back on how we get on……

Whatever types of plant you like and whether you have a window box or a huge plot, you will learn and enjoy if you come along to one of our meetings or trips to other gardens. Visitors are always welcome, so turn up at a meeting or ring for more information. We usually meet on the first Thursday of the month in the Parish Hall, Edington. Lots of information is available at our pages on the village website.

Enjoy the rest of the Summer.

Sandie Lewis

Club Secretary 01380 830722