The idea for the new Alpine Tapestry Garden came about when I went to a talk on Grassless Lawns which is an attempt to help pollinators by getting rid of grass, replacing with flowering perennials which provide biodiversity and nectar and pollen for the flying insects . However these lawns still need mowing and fertilising twice a year so I thought it would be more environmentally friendly to have an alpine tapestry which , if tough plants are used can be walked on, needs no mowing only a light shearing now and again by hand and certainly would never need fertiliser. I consulted my library of gardening books and found an illustration of Vita Sackville- Wests Thyme Lawn underplanted with small bulbs at Sissinghurst and a reference to an Alpine Lawn. Strictly speaking a lawn is mown and contains grass so mine will be an Alpine Tapestry Garden.
Here are some pics I saved when the laptop was in hospital.
Very well thank you GWRS. It is really cold , freezing, in Bristol and thick freezing fog too. A bit dicey putting out the wheeliebins for tomorrow. I had hundreds of emails needing attention but eventually reached the SGC offers for this week and could not believe my luck, They are offering six alpines just right for my new tapestry. So I have ordered Antennaria "Trend Alur Druggart", Androsace septentrionalis "Stardust",Azorella trifurcata, Geranium endressii, Alchemilla erythropoda "Alma", and Alyssum montana "Bergold". I should be able to take cuttings from them in the spring and increase my stock.
A tad warmer today in Bristol,all frost melted and 5 degrees forecast for the afternoon. I may be able to go on safari round the garden and will look out for the new vixen who has taken up residence. I hope you are warmer up there Flumpy. Scotland seems to have had the best of the weather for once. I was running out of food even frozen so an online shop has been done for groceries. It was so foggy in our lane yesterday some cars were just giving up and sitting still for a bit hoping it would lift. I wrote a lot of Xmas cards and will get out to the post box this afternoon.
Hip hip hooray. Our weather forecast in Bristol today promises 7 degrees in the afternoon and three hours of sunshine from noon onwards but the sun is out already! Now that is just the news to make an old girl really blissfully happy -plus having my laptop back in working order! I should be able to get out in the garden working and will see how far down the last prunings mountain is as the lad next door came round to help himself to some "wood" yesterday. 6 degrees is the cut-off point for me going out because of my heart condition so I could not go out yesterday as it did not get beyond 5. And it was a bit foggy! Quite easy to get lost in my garden in the fog as it is so big and you cannot tell one bush/tree from another when the leaves have all fallen. Last December was so mild this year seems like a betrayal.
Good morning Marion. You need to encourage the lad to take plenty of prunings with him.
Scotland has had the sunniest November since records began. I certainly enjoyed the frosty mornings followed by blue sky and sun. The frost has broken down the soil nicely as well.
I am expecting the hard frosts we have had this month already to break down the soil nicely too Joyce and to kill off a few fungal troubles and slugs! My neighbour's son has filled a huge builder's bag with debris from my garden! He is a treasure. Outside temp. is 6 already so hopeful I can do a bit this afternoon. Any bedraggled flowers will be rescued for the house and I may gather some holly and put it in the cool of the garage in case the birds start to eat the berries. I noticed a few blackbirds feasting on my cotoneaster berries this morning.
Posts
The idea for the new Alpine Tapestry Garden came about when I went to a talk on Grassless Lawns which is an attempt to help pollinators by getting rid of grass, replacing with flowering perennials which provide biodiversity and nectar and pollen for the flying insects . However these lawns still need mowing and fertilising twice a year so I thought it would be more environmentally friendly to have an alpine tapestry which , if tough plants are used can be walked on, needs no mowing only a light shearing now and again by hand and certainly would never need fertiliser. I consulted my library of gardening books and found an illustration of Vita Sackville- Wests Thyme Lawn underplanted with small bulbs at Sissinghurst and a reference to an Alpine Lawn. Strictly speaking a lawn is mown and contains grass so mine will be an Alpine Tapestry Garden.
Here are some pics I saved when the laptop was in hospital.
Great pics aand good to see you back Marion....???
Hello , nice pictures , glad to have you back , I trust you are keeping well , now winter is hear and Christmas is a coming
Very well thank you GWRS. It is really cold , freezing, in Bristol and thick freezing fog too. A bit dicey putting out the wheeliebins for tomorrow. I had hundreds of emails needing attention but eventually reached the SGC offers for this week and could not believe my luck, They are offering six alpines just right for my new tapestry. So I have ordered Antennaria "Trend Alur Druggart", Androsace septentrionalis "Stardust",Azorella trifurcata, Geranium endressii, Alchemilla erythropoda "Alma", and Alyssum montana "Bergold". I should be able to take cuttings from them in the spring and increase my stock.
Hello , we have had a couple of very heavy frosts but today was ok
We had freezing fog at weekend , bad weather seems to being going south but I am sure there is more to come
It is Lincoln Christmas Market until Sunday and we are helping out at the Cathedral tomorrow
Lovely to see your back Marion
, lovely pictures, the colour of your tree is so warming 
A tad warmer today in Bristol,all frost melted and 5 degrees forecast for the afternoon. I may be able to go on safari round the garden and will look out for the new vixen who has taken up residence. I hope you are warmer up there Flumpy. Scotland seems to have had the best of the weather for once. I was running out of food even frozen so an online shop has been done for groceries. It was so foggy in our lane yesterday some cars were just giving up and sitting still for a bit hoping it would lift. I wrote a lot of Xmas cards and will get out to the post box this afternoon.
Hip hip hooray. Our weather forecast in Bristol today promises 7 degrees in the afternoon and three hours of sunshine from noon onwards but the sun is out already! Now that is just the news to make an old girl really blissfully happy -plus having my laptop back in working order! I should be able to get out in the garden working and will see how far down the last prunings mountain is as the lad next door came round to help himself to some "wood" yesterday. 6 degrees is the cut-off point for me going out because of my heart condition so I could not go out yesterday as it did not get beyond 5. And it was a bit foggy! Quite easy to get lost in my garden in the fog as it is so big and you cannot tell one bush/tree from another when the leaves have all fallen. Last December was so mild this year seems like a betrayal.
Good morning Marion. You need to encourage the lad to take plenty of prunings with him.
Scotland has had the sunniest November since records began. I certainly enjoyed the frosty mornings followed by blue sky and sun. The frost has broken down the soil nicely as well.
I am expecting the hard frosts we have had this month already to break down the soil nicely too Joyce and to kill off a few fungal troubles and slugs! My neighbour's son has filled a huge builder's bag with debris from my garden! He is a treasure. Outside temp. is 6 already so hopeful I can do a bit this afternoon. Any bedraggled flowers will be rescued for the house and I may gather some holly and put it in the cool of the garage in case the birds start to eat the berries. I noticed a few blackbirds feasting on my cotoneaster berries this morning.