The ultimate ROCK STARS
They may be pint-sized but these alpines put on a huge show to glam up the gravel
ON MAY 25, 1920, a remarkable plant was unveiled at the Chelsea Flower Show. Taking pride of place in a rock garden designed by Captain Bertram Symons-Jeune, Saxifraga Tumbling Waters boasted a magnificent 2ft-long, arching flower stem that was smothered in masses of yellow-eyed, pure white blooms.
Developed by Symons-Jeune in his Berkshire garden, the alpine was a big hit with show-goers and went on to grace countless rockeries around the country. Fastforward to the 2010s and this gem was named by the Royal Horticultural Society in its top ten most important garden plant introductions of the past 100 years.
It might be the most acclaimed alpine saxifrage, but Tumbling Waters is not the only diminutive type that’s worth growing. A quick flick through the RHS Plant Finder guide reveals there are hundreds of different ones, which are ideal for setting in rock gardens, gravel areas, troughs, crevices and planting alongside paths.
Native to the Pyrenees, Dolomites, Alps, Himalayas and other
Lots of star-shaped blooms in red, white, yellow and purple
rocky regions of Europe and Asia, alpine saxifrages (as opposed to Japanese saxifrages, which are grown as border perennials) generally form loose cushions of mosslike foliage or spread slowly to establish neat mounds of tightly packed, fleshy rosettes.
In my opinion, some are worth growing for their foliage alone, especially those that could pass for succulents at first glance. However, even those with more run-ofthe-mill leafage prove their worth in spring, when topped with masses of star-shaped or shallowly cupshaped blooms in shades of white, yellow, pink, red and purple.
Many gardeners think Tumbling Waters puts on the best floral display, but the plant it evolved from – Saxifraga longifolia – is just as spectacular. It forms a 12in-wide, silvery rosette and, after three to four years, produces a 2ft-tall, pyramidal panicle covered with 80 white flowers. Sadly, the rosette dies once these fade.
Saxifragas look great planted individually in small pots, set in cracks between paving or arranged in a gravel garden. Another option is to raise several in a rectangular planter or stone trough filled with well-drained alpine potting compost. Rare specimens are best cossetted in the shelter of a cool greenhouse.
Those with plenty of space could create a dedicated rock garden featuring saxifragas and other alpines. Choose a sloping, sunny spot and place different-sized rocks in position, surrounding them with soil so they are buried by a third.
Set plants between gaps and mulch with a 1in layer of grit to improve drainage.
Looking after saxifrages is simple. Remove fading flowers in late spring and immediately tug up any weed seedlings you spot, especially those that wedge themselves between rosettes, to stop them spoiling the shape of plants. Water plants once a week during hot, dry weather to prevent a check to growth.
These pint-sized plants are remarkably tough and can cope with sub-zero temperatures. However, they can rot if the soil gets too wet over winter. During prolonged periods of rain, shield groups of plants with a tunnel cloche or by making a DIY shelter from a piece of Perspex propped up with two low stacks of bricks.