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April 26, 2006
Alpines
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Rock gardeners are a little out of the mainstream. They slave over finicky alpines that, to the generalist, look from insignificant to downright homely most of the year. It's hard for regular gardeners to see the point--except now when many of the delicate specimens are at peak bloom. At this moment the Alpine House at Wave Hill is full of delicious surprises in wonderful colors. Most of the plants are displayed on raised benches, which makes for easy viewing, in contrast to their natural habitats. The lewisias, named for Captain Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame, are in full glory right now. These tiny gems, with colorful umbels springing from basal rosettes, hail from the mountains of the American West. The National Audubon Society Field Guide to Wild Flowers describes their habitat this way, "this plant forms beautiful bouquets on precipitous cliffs, to which it clings by a massive root tightly wedged in a tiny cleft"--so much easier to go to Wave Hill and admire them in safety and comfort!
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Posted by gardenguidenyc at April 26, 2006 06:10 PM