Spring is action time for alpines but autumn will not disappoint either.

Autumn is a season for care and maintenance of your Alpines plus planning and regeneration for next year. I have taken on a couple of regeneration projects and am currently making my plans.

Regeneration

I will buy some small bulbs this week before the best ones get picked over.  The small Fritillaria appeal like Hermonis amana, Davisii or Minuta yet the pudica ‘Giant’s yellow bells are only 7 inches high. Fritillaria Whittallii with green bells and black tessellations is good for pots.

I am going to plant up 6 dwarf rhododendrons I bought at the Harrogate Autumn flower show last week. This will involve increasing the Rockery area in my garden with a corner dedicated to acid loving plants.

The fashion for a ‘Crevice Garden’ with the slates or rocks aligned in neat rows has finally encouraged me to start growing saxifrage this way.

Autumn Care & Maintenance

Divide overgrown plants whilst the soil is still warm and moist. Water the new divisions.

Sow seed as soon as possible. Many Alpines appreciate a period of cold freezing conditions to encourage germination. If you delay sowing they may not germinate until after next winters cold snap.

Bring under cover plants that resent wet weather such as Rhodohypoxis and some silver leaved plants.

Trim back plants that are invading their neighbours and continue deadheading.

Tidy up fallen leaves and debris particularly from troughs.