Reader's Question

MARJORY has tried all sorts of plants in her small border at the front of her house. She lives on the top of a hill and gets battered by winds. She wonders if she ought to try growing alpines and would like to know a little bit more about the conditions they like to grow in.

ALPINES and other rock garden plants are characteristically compact and neat, which makes them particularly suited to the smaller garden. They consist of any slow-growing species of relatively small stature, including dwarf shrubs and trees. While they do not necessarily come from alpine regions (in fact, many of the plants come from coastal or Mediterranean areas), they share the alpines’ need for a freedraining soil, which makes them suitable for planting together.

Alpines tend to be very small, with few over 15cm (6in) tall; their low-growing habit reduces their wind resistance and helps them to protect themselves against the heavy snow of winter. Their small, hairy, fleshy or leathery leaves and their mat- or cushion-forming habit also helps them to minimise moisture loss in hot sun and high winds. Most have extensive root systems designed to seek out moisture and nutrients in the thin, poor soils of their native habitats.

Alpines are hardy as they have adapted to survive in high altitudes and extremes of climate. They are deciduous or evergreen woody plants. They can also grow from bulbs or be herbaceous. While alpines have evolved to withstand extremes of temperature, they dislike warm, humid, summer conditions or constant wetness at the roots.

There are many alpines that are undemanding and so may be grown easily in the open garden. A number of species consistently produce a wealth of blooms, flowering well into summer. Try low-growing cultivars of aubretia or phlox.

They produce carpets of bright colour which are particularly effective in softening any harsh planting edges.

There are a number of species, however, that have very particular requirements. The majority of these plants need free-draining soil and protection from constant wetness during the winter (e.g. Saxifraga ‘Suendermannii’). Most will require plenty of sun, although their roots should be kept cool. Woodland plants usually prefer dappled shade and may need moist, acid soil.

A good way of dealing with these plants is to take them out of the ground and plant them in raised beds or containers, using gritty, free-draining soil or composts. Rock gardens and wall crevices are a great place to plant species that need a sheltered spot and a cool root run, as it provides them with ideal conditions and displays them to their best advantage.

Jobs this week

* Thin out old clumps of bamboo, taking out a few of the older canes, to allow this year’s shoots lots of space and plenty of light to develop to their full potential. Add a heavy mulch of rich compost.

* Ventilate greenhouses and cold frames on sunny days to prevent temperatures rising too fast. On mild nights, the vents can be left open.

* Transfer sweet peas and hardy annual seedlings to a cold frame to save space in the greenhouse.

■ Brigid presents the BBC Tees Gardening show on Sundays from 1pm to 2pm. Questions can be answered on the day by emailing brigidpress@ bbc.co.uk anytime during the week, or texting 07786-200995 and phoning 01642-225511 during the show.