Jarvie's garden design
The scree garden stretches 12 metres across the yard and, in places, is 7.5 metres deep from front to back. Jarvie used a full dump-truck load of sand and one of gravel to build up the bed over compost. Then came the planting.
She favours woody plants, subtle variations in colour and texture and varying shapes (soft, spiky, flat and full). A true collector, she exults that in the space required by an average adult peony, 50 alpines can happily coexist. Primarily interested in foliage, Jarvie often chooses plants such as the variegated Daphne 'Carol Mackie' that have clusters of ever "blooming" rosettes. Alongside rare plants, she has planted some scaled-down versions of familiar species, including Pinus parviflora 'Adcock's Dwarf' (the smallest pine), Dicentra eximia (a compact bleeding heart) and Fuchsia magellanica (a dwarf fuchsia that usually needs overwintering indoors).
Jarvie, who propagated plants at a commercial nursery for 11 years and taught courses in city gardening and landscaping at George Brown College in Toronto for 10 years, has become fascinated by dwarf alpines. Between giving lectures, designing private gardens and propagating rare species in her greenhouse, she now spends several months each year travelling to remote and rocky mountainsides to photograph these hardy, high-altitude gems.
Start your own scree garden
To replicate alpine conditions, choose a sunny, airy spot. Steer clear of sites along south-facing walls or banks; alpines so situated can cook in strong afternoon sunlight. Instead, Jarvie recommends, choose a site or create a bed that slopes down to the north and/or east. If bedrock breaks through your yard, build a bed around it.
Water flow is key
Good drainage is the single most important requirement for a successful scree garden. So along with sun and "buoyant air," you need "lean soil." Here is Jarvie's recipe: Start with a separate layer of rich compost for the bottom third of the bed. On this, spread the top two-thirds: a 1:1 mix of limestone scree (such as six-millimetre Aberfoyle grit) and coarse builder's sand. Make your bed at least 35 to 45 centimetres high (it will settle slightly). Contour gentle hummocks and hollows, but, she cautions, avoid creating a mini Matterhorn. Cover with a thin layer of scree.
Consider the elements
As you work, consider climate, prevailing wind and the eventual placement of your plants. Make small mounds on the windward side to shield any alpine that is borderline for your zone. And to protect sensitive plants, try Jarvie's trick of burying a large "antishock" rock right down inside the earth, then nestling plants around and above it. If the mercury does a quick dive, the rock radiates heat as it slowly cools (the converse is equally true), ensuring a gradual temperature change for nearby plants. Jarvie has warmed up her garden to Zone 7 in spots.
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