A trip to Somerset

See photographs of a recent garden visit with alpines growing in a variety of settings, including crevice gardens, an alpine house and the open garden. ...(more below)
May 1, 2019
AGS Editor
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Last week, I was invited down to speak to the Somerset AGS Group. My hosts were Paul Cumbleton and Colin Everett and I took the opportunity to go down a little early, to get a chance to see how their new garden is developing on the chalk hills above the Somerset Levels.

I visited last in July last summer, when the newly built crevice garden was burgeoning, with a focus on plants from the hot, dry, southwestern states of the USA. A new bulb bed had just been built where they planned to plant out all sorts of Mediterranean and South African bulbs to experiment with hardiness in the open garden in a very free draining compost. I’m going to start with a few pictures from that visit.

Crevice Garden

Rock garden featuring alpine plants at the Alpine Garden Society event, showcasing diverse succulent and hardy plants on a tiered stone structure.
A vibrant alpine garden display with diverse low-growing plants and colourful flowers, showcasing the beauty of rock gardens at the Alpine Garden Society.
A colourful alpine rock garden with various low-growing plants and succulents, surrounded by gravel pathways at the Alpine Garden Society event.
Colourful alpine plants and succulents arranged on a rocky slope in a garden setting.

Calylophus hartwegii subsp. fendleri

A tough, heat-loving annual from the arid lands of the southern USA, this loved the long hot summer last year and was flourishing on the crevice garden.

Yellow and pink alpine flowers growing on rocky garden slope, vibrant garden scene with drought-tolerant plants, perfect for alpine gardening, showcasing the beauty of alpine plants in a natural setting.
Yellow alpine flower blooming in garden, close-up of vibrant wildflower, perfect for alpine garden enthusiasts and plant lovers.

Zinnia grandiflora

Another xeric plant from the southwestern USA, this Zinnia looks superficially very simila to the Calylophus. Again, it likes a hot sunny spot in well-drained soil and that was what the crevice garden provided.

Vivid yellow alpine flowers thriving among rocky terrain, showcasing alpine garden plants, perfect for rock gardens and mountainous landscapes, emphasising alpine gardening beauty and diversity.

Castilleja latifolia

Paul has managed to establish a couple of species of the hemiparasitic genus Castilleja from the western USA on the crevice garden. I am not sure what, if anything they are parasitising here.

Vibrant orange and red alpine plants growing among natural stone garden beds at the Alpine Garden Society nursery.

Origanum

In that long hot summer, the Origanum cultivars on the crevice garden were a delight. So here are O. ‘Barbara Tingey’, O. ‘Kent Beauty’, the lovely O. ‘Emma Stanley’ and a white cultivar I did not record the name of.

Pink flowering succulent thriving in a rock garden, showcasing alpine garden planting features.
Pink flowering succulent plant thriving in a rock garden, showcasing alpine plants ideal for garden enthusiasts and rockery landscaping.
Vivid pink Muehlenbeckia rock garden plant cultivated for alpine gardens, featuring lush foliage and vibrant blooms in an alpine plant display.
Bright green and white alpine plants thriving among grey rocks in a garden setting, showcasing hardy flora suitable for alpine gardening and landscape design.

Penstemon ambiguus

Another plant from the grasslands and deserts of the southwestern USA is the beautiful, appallingly photographed, Penstemon ambiguus.

Violet and white alpine flower growing among grey rocks in a rugged mountainous environment.

Phlox nana var. ensifolia (syn P. mesoleuca)

Again from Texas and Mexico, this lovely phlox is notoriously difficult to grow, ‘requiring gritty but not poor soil and warm dry summer weather to flower well; best in the alpine house’ according to the AGS Encyclopaedia. It seems to be very content in the crevice garden here.

Vibrant alpine flowers and rocks in a garden rockery, showcasing alpine plant cultivation and landscaping techniques.
Vivid pink Phlox flowers growing among dry foliage and rocks in a garden setting.

Vertical cracks

The vertical cracks in the sides of the crevice garden were carefully stuffed with stone chocks and fat clumps of plants like these two, Jovibarba heuffelii ‘Black Star’ and Sempervivum calcareum ‘Extra’.

Deep purple succulent plant with rosette shape growing among grey and beige rocks in a rock garden, perfect for alpine and drought-tolerant gardening.
Vibrant cluster of succulent sempervivum plants with green and reddish-purple tips, thriving against a rocky background, showcasing alpine garden plant diversity.

Tufa Garden

As well as the crevice garden, there is a small tufa garden which is covered in winter.  Here all manner of difficult plants nestle in holes in the tufa, including the three species from the small section Delphiniopsis of the genus Viola: V. cazorlensis, V. delphinantha and V. kosaninii. At the time we were there, the only plants with flowers on were an eye-catching Delosperma, which I think is Delosperma ‘Jewel of Desert Peridot’ and Edraianthus serpyllifolius. Edrianthus always seem to thrive in tufa; the Delosperma might be fine in the crevice garden but probably needs the winter cover.

Rock garden with alpine plants in a raised stone bed, ideal for alpine gardening enthusiasts and rock garden design.
Violet flowering plant growing between rocks, alpine garden plant with purple blossoms and green foliage, suitable for rock gardens and mountain-themed garden designs.

Eucomis

Down the garden away from the crevice garden, there were some fine Eucomis in the herbaceous border.

Vibrant garden with lush green foliage and purple flowering plants at an alpine garden society outdoor section in bright sunlight.
Vibrant flowering plants with purple spikes and lush green foliage in an alpine garden setting at the Alpine Garden Society.
Lush alpine garden with flowering plants, vibrant greenery, and ornamental foliage in a sunny outdoor setting.
Alpine garden society plants featuring vibrant purple and green foliage, perfect for rock gardens and outdoor alpine displays. Beautiful, hardy plants ideal for enthusiasts and gardeners.

Sempervivum calcareum  ‘Extra’

Around the pond, there were a number of plants in pots, which appeared to have been moved out of the alpine house for the summer. This was a fine pan of Sempervivum.

Vivid cactus plant with pink and green rosettes in a terracotta pot, surrounded by aquatic plants and garden stones at Alpine Garden Society garden.
Colourful succulent cactus arrangement in a garden pond setting, showcasing the diverse plant collection promoted by the Alpine Garden Society, perfect for succulent and alpine plant enthusiasts.

Erica cerinthoides

Also by the pond, and no doubt returned to the alpine house in the winter as it is not reliably frost-hardy, was this fabulous South African heather with bright scarlet flowers.

Vivid alpine plants and colourful flowers in a pond garden setting, showcasing the beauty of alpine gardening with lush greenery and natural stone features.
Bright orange epiphytic succulent flower in a garden pot, showcasing unique desert plant blooms.
Vivid pink alpine flowers in terracotta and green pots, showcasing hardy mountain plants in a garden setting. Perfect for alpine garden enthusiasts and plant collectors.
Vibrant red flowering alpine plants in pots, showcased at an Alpine Garden Society event, highlighting diverse hardy garden plants perfect for rock gardens and alpine cultivation.

Jamesbrittenia bergae

Also from South Africa, and definitely not frost-hardy, is the wonderful Jamesbrittenia bergae. A short-lived but highly ornamental perennial, this should be renewed regularly for a good display.

Colourful potted alpine plants with vivid red flowers displayed on a stone ledge in a garden setting, showcasing the beauty of alpine gardening and plant cultivation.
Red flowering plants in a garden bed with lush green foliage and a rocky border, showcasing alpine garden planting ideas and vibrant perennial blooms for rock gardens.
Vivid red primula flowers blooming in a garden container, surrounded by lush green foliage and various potted plants, ideal for alpine and garden plant enthusiasts.

South African bulbs

I took a quick peep into the South African bulb house. Most of the plants have been repotted but Paul was in the process of planting many of them directly into the sand plunge. I think the purple labels laid flat on the pots related to this operation. Sadly, I had just missed the flowers on Gethyllis barkerae, which appear out of nowhere in mid-summer.

Assorted alpine plant seedlings in small pots, prepared for sale at an Alpine Garden Society event, showcasing a variety of rocks for alpine gardening.
Alpine flower with delicate pink petals and bright yellow stamens growing in a terracotta pot filled with gravel at an Alpine Garden Society plant exhibition.

Ptilotus manglesii

Paul was delighted to have finally obtained and grown seed of this curious Australian plant, which I have only seen before at RBG Kew. There was another seedling growing in the crevice garden but I don’t know whether it survived the winter.

Vivid pink and white flowering plant from the Alpine Garden Society, showcasing alpine flora and garden plant enthusiasts in a garden setting.

Disa

In the propagation house, along with the remnants of Paul’s Pleione collection is a collection of the tricky South African orchid genus Disa, which need to be cool and damp – in fact they are usually grown standing in water. A number of these had flowered. I managed to photograph Disa ‘Orange USA’, Disa uniflora ‘Xantic Yellow’ and Disa watsonii ‘Sandra’.

Bright yellow and pink orchid flower in a greenhouse, showcasing alpine and garden plant varieties.
- White and yellow orchid flower in a nursery setting with potted plants, showcasing alpine and rare plant species for collectors and enthusiasts.
Pink orchid flowering plant in a greenhouse, part of Alpine Garden Society plant collections, showcasing rare and exotic plants for alpine and rock gardening enthusiasts.
Vivid alpine plants and flowering bulbs in small pots inside a greenhouse, ready for transplantation or sale, showcasing the diversity of plants cultivated by the Alpine Garden Society.

Orchids

Inside the house, there were orchids everywhere. Here are Oncidium ‘Sweet Sugar’, a Phalaenopsis (?) and Psychopsis ‘Mariposa Green Valley’.

Vibrant yellow orchid flowers blooming on a green stem against a tiled wall with colourful beach hut and seaside illustrations, showcasing alpine gardening and flowering plants.
Unique orchid flower with striking yellow and red ruffled petals, cultivated at Alpine Garden Society for alpine and rare plant enthusiasts.
Beautiful blooming orchids in pots, showcasing vibrant pink and yellow flowers, ideal for garden enthusiasts and orchid growers.

April

Moving forward to last week, I found that I should have visited earlier in the spring. The front lawn has many spring bulbs naturalising in it but most were over. The South African bulbs planted directly in the plunge had flowered prolifically, though a few had failed unexpectedly. Outside in the bulb bed, there had been a similar mixture of wonderful successes and a few failures but in both there were few plants left in flower. In the bulb bed, Spiloxene caniculata had performed far better than it ever does in a pot and Allium karataviense ‘Ivory Queen’ was in bud.

Vibrant yellow and orange daylilies blooming in an alpine garden bed with rocks and lush green foliage in the background.
Blue-green succulent plant with rounded leaves, water droplets, and green stems in a garden bed with gravel and rocks, perfect for Alpine Garden Society plant collections and alpine gardening.

Crevice garden

However, all was not lost, for the crevice garden was just springing back into life after the winter rest.

Colourful alpine plants and rock garden arrangement in an Alpine Garden Society display, showcasing low-growing plants and rockeries designed for mountainous garden aesthetics.
Vibrant alpine plants thriving on a rocky garden slope in an Alpine Garden Society display, showcasing low-maintenance, hardy garden flora suitable for mountainous and cold climates.

Townsendia parryi

Paul always grows lots of seedlings of this daisy from the western USA, for it makes a wonderful display. It is supposed to be a short-lived perennial but he finds it best treated as an annual. I think he starts the seedlings in the autumn.

Delosperma cristatus in a rock garden with alpine plants, showcasing drought-tolerant succulents and native flora for alpine gardening and rockery design.
Pink alpine flowers growing between stones in a rocky garden setting, showcasing hardy plants suitable for alpine gardening enthusiasts.

Aethionema capitata

A nice compact, well-flowered species of Aethionema from Turkey.

Vivid pink alpine flowers blooming on rocky garden bed, showcasing hardy alpine plants at the Alpine Garden Society.

Campanula tridentata

This is a Campanula you don’t often see on the show bench. It seems to be quite uncommon in cultivation, though it does appear from time to time on the seedlists.

Violet alpine flowers growing among grey rocks, perfect for alpine garden design, showcasing hardy plants suitable for rock gardens and hillside planting.

Daphne cneorum

This little Daphne was looking very happy in a crevice and blooming heavily.

Pink Daphne Petiole flowering plant at an alpine garden, showcasing vibrant colour and hardy alpine flora. Perfect for rock gardens and cold climates, ideal for enthusiasts of alpine gardening and rare plant collections.

Daphne calcicola x. gemmata

This was an unusual plant to find out in the crevice garden. I would not have expected it to be hardy but it seemed to have been there for quite a while.

Vivid yellow flowering plant thriving among rocks, showcasing Alpine garden features with succulent and hardy plants ideal for mountain-themed gardens.

Erigeron  ‘Canary Bird’

In amongst the Phlox and Aubrieta, I found this little Erigeron, a popular cultivar of E. aureus from the Rockies.

Vivid purple and pink flowering plants in a rock garden setting, showcasing alpine plants for garden design and landscaping.
Yellow daisy flowers blooming in rocky garden bed, ideal for alpine gardening and weeding the Alpine Garden Society.

Globularia incanescens

This Globularia was just coming out, with Phlox bifida ‘Ralph Haywood’ behind.

Vivid alpine plants thriving in a dry stony garden with colourful flowers, rocks, and stone pathways, perfect for alpine gardening enthusiasts and garden design enthusiasts.

Phlox  ‘Boranovice’

This is a new Phlox cultivar from the Czech Republic. It is a lovely pure pink but is apparently very tricky to propagate. I hope it becomes more widely available.

Pink flowering alpine plant with small buds and green foliage, ideal for rock gardens and alpine gardening enthusiasts.

Pulsatilla caucasica lutea

Putting on a fine display.

Bright white alpine flowers blooming on a lush green mountain plant, perfect for alpine gardens and rockeries.

Iris reichenbachii

An excellent form of Iris reichenbachii – I think originating from Aberconwy Nursery.

Vivid yellow irises blooming in a rock garden at the Alpine Garden Society, showcasing stunning alpine plants and thriving garden design for rock and alpine plant enthusiasts.

Echium webbii

One of the dwarfer Echiums in a pot outside, but ready to be moved back under glass if frost threatens.

Vivid lavender-blue flower spikes on a potted plant in a garden setting with various other potted plants and garden ornaments, showcasing alpine gardening and resilient garden plants.
Tall blue and purple flowering plant, likely a Veronica, in a garden setting with pots and garden ornaments in the background.

Fritillaria grayana x. biflora

I had a brief look in Colin Everett’s alpine house, full of his Fritillaria collection, but most were well past flowering and the chief interest was the variety of seedpods. However, I did manage a snap of an interesting hybrid between F. grayana and F. biflora. Also, here are the seedpods of F. carica and F. chitralensis.

Unique alpine flower blooming in greenhouse, showcasing rare botanical species suitable for alpine gardens and collection.
Colourful tulips blooming in a greenhouse at the Alpine Garden Society, showcasing vibrant flowers and lush green foliage, perfect for garden enthusiasts and plant collectors.
Fleshy green alpine plant with tall flower stalks, cultivated in a greenhouse at Alpine Garden Society nursery.

Cacti

Paul’s first interest in plants (and mine) was cacti. There is a reminder of this early interest with huge, ancient specimens of Rebutia and Mammillaria. Moving past them, we can see the plunge in which the South African bulbs have been growing and flowering since the autumn, with Tropaeolum azureum and austropurpureum growing along pea-sticks next to the glass. Beyond them are Paul’s collection of Leucocoryne and the tall stems of Ixia viridiflora.

Cacti collection in an Alpine Garden Society greenhouse showcasing diverse species with vibrant flowers and unique shapes, ideal for succulent enthusiasts and alpine plant lovers.
Vivid cacti in a greenhouse, featuring colourful flowering varieties with yellow and pink blossoms, ideal for succulent and cactus enthusiasts.
Purple and yellow alpine plants thriving inside a greenhouse at the Alpine Garden Society.
Tall alpine plants growing inside a glass greenhouse with a cloudy sky overhead.

Leucocoryne

I think this pale Leucocoryne is L. ixioides but the thing that was spectacular was the mass of flowers of different species mingled together. This is what they are like at RBG Kew and it is spectacular.

White flowering alpine plant with ruffled petals in a greenhouse setting, showcasing alpine garden variety for enthusiasts and collectors.
Vibrant alpine flowers in a garden setting, showcasing colourful blooms ideal for alpine gardening enthusiasts and landscape designs.
Colourful alpine primulas and flowering plants at the Alpine Garden Society.

Placea arzae

In front of the Leucocoryne was a plant which I knew Paul grew but which I have never seen in flower before. This is Placea arzae from Chile – very difficult to obtain but absolutely gorgeous. I once had seed from John Watson but the seedlings did not survive to flowering size. The backdrop of the Leucocoryne made a fabulous sight.

Bright exotic lilies with striped petals and vibrant colours among a lush array of garden flowers in a greenhouse setting.
Vivid alpine flowers, featuring white petals with pink stripes and yellow stamens, blooming in a lush garden setting with a variety of colourful wildflowers in the background.
Elegant white and pink striped lilies blooming in a greenhouse with a colourful bed of purple and blue flowers background, showcasing alpine garden plants.
Vivid striped lilies surrounded by colourful smaller flowers in a greenhouse at the Alpine Garden Society.

I would like to offer my thanks to Colin and Paul for their hospitality, an excellent meal and the chance to view this lovely garden. Also for their permission to post the photos here.

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