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In May 2022, I visited the Denver Botanic Gardens.\u00a0 After I tore myself away from the array of tall bearded iris at the peak of bloom, I found nearby different renditions of the traditional rock garden.\u00a0 The rocks were not the smooth, roundish boulders but instead craggy slates, positioned vertically and close together, with only a limited cracks for the plants.<\/p>\n
This was my introduction crevice gardening.\u00a0 This design expands the plant palette for gardeners in the dry, high altitude of the Rockies, but also in our own cool Mediterranean climate, by providing protection from wet winters that kill many plants.<\/p>\n
It is appropriate that the new, and almost only, book on this topic \u2013 \u201cThe Crevice Garden\u201d \u2013 has two authors that represent these climate extremes.\u00a0 Kenton Seth is from western Colorado.\u00a0 Paul Spriggs understands the needs of Seattle area gardeners from his crevice garden in Victoria, B.C.\u00a0 Both have careers as gardeners, and discovered their passion for alpine plants in part through backpacking and mountain climbing.<\/p>\n
A crevice garden has more rocks than a traditional rock garden, covering at least half of the surface and typically raised to resemble an outcropping of rock.\u00a0 This keeps the plant tops and roots widely separated and in conditions they both prefer.\u00a0 The roots need the deep run with dependable moisture and even temperatures.\u00a0 The leaves and flowers stay dry and free of excessive moisture.<\/p>\n
How do you do it?\u00a0 The design process is somewhat complex, but a detailed guide will take you through each step, from calculating how much of each material (rock, soil, dressing) to design and garden placement.\u00a0 And yes, planting!\u00a0 Some 250 plants are recommended, many new to me, but all sound intriguing.\u00a0 Most important is a location where you can watch your (often tiny) treasures from close by.<\/p>\n
Several case studies display beautiful examples, including the garden at Far Reaches Farm in Port Townsend, Washington, appropriately titled \u201calpines in wet winters.\u201d\u00a0 The authors appreciate that \u201cgardening continues to be our most common connection to nature\u201d and hope readers will embrace crevices to explore plants previously only available to keen specialists.<\/p>\n
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Reviewed by Brian Thompson for Garden Notes: Northwest Horticultural Society<\/em>, Fall 2022<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In May 2022, I visited the Denver Botanic Gardens.\u00a0 After I tore myself away from the array of tall bearded iris at the peak of bloom, I found nearby different renditions of the traditional rock garden.\u00a0 The rocks were not the smooth, roundish boulders but instead craggy slates, positioned vertically and close together, with only a limited cracks for the plants. This was my introduction crevice gardening.\u00a0 This design expands the plant palette for gardeners in the dry, high altitude…<\/p>\n