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Help choosing plants for alpine garden

PaddylonglegsPaddylonglegs Posts: 19
in Plants

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Hi folks,

i have a raised area behind built in seating which I feel would work great as an alpine garden. It is sloped With a boundary wall and building wall behind facing south. 

 

You can see an elder flower tree there and  conifer which I will be removing both. I would like to put in a small natural stone water feature as part of it. I will also remove the faux stone work blocks at the front and replace with sleeper type timber

 

I would love to get some help choosing a tree to replace the old one. My wife loves blossom trees and I also think it would look good in an alpine garden - any other thoughts or ideas. The main thing though is choosing the plants. I do like the look of sedums but am not restricted to this. how many varieties of plant should I plant considering  size of plot? And should these be  clumped together or dispersed evenly? 

I would like to achieve a simple design, nothing too busy, which a lot of alpine gardens can appear when they have a huge variety of plants. I would be a fan of modern planting

 

thanks a million!

 

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  • HeftyHefty Posts: 370

    hey, i dont know much about alpines, BUT Saxifrages are lovely image Google it image

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  • PaddylonglegsPaddylonglegs Posts: 19

    Thanks hefty, will research now

  • TootlesTootles Posts: 1,469

    For blossom, a japanese flowering cherry is amazing. The only think is they grow rather large rather quickly. I have a kanzan and it looks stunning in bloom. Not so great at the moment but it's covered in plump buds waiting to burst open into chubby pink blossom flowers....also has the brightest orange and red leaves in Autumn which are illuminous. 

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  • PaddylonglegsPaddylonglegs Posts: 19

    Hi verdum, I like the look of the  Prunus Cistena Crimson Dwarf. Although I notice it rows as a low hedge. Is it possible to prume the bottom to make it look like a tree?

     

    i like the idea of keeping it simple, but not sure I am bold enough just to go with one plant? How about a predominant planting scheme with a couple of complimentary plants around?

  • PaddylonglegsPaddylonglegs Posts: 19

    Thanks hefty, will research now

  • HCAHCA Posts: 129

    Hi Paddy,

    Not sure how big you want the tree to be but Prunus 'Kojo Nomai' makes a nice plant to around 1.5 m tall.  Prunus tenella can also be good.'  For alpines I would try Potterton's Nursery and Slack Top Nursery web sites as they show good images and the descriptions are also quite good.  We have had plants from both and they are good and the range is excellent.

  • PaddylonglegsPaddylonglegs Posts: 19

    Thanks Hca. I will check those sites.  That's the tricky thing, trying visualise each plaant and where it can go

  • Bonsai-MarcBonsai-Marc Posts: 444

    perfect place for a minimalist Japanese inspired rockery

     

    couple of rocks, small stones and the odd alpine plant

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