Rock on!
Scree gardens are not built with boulders, but Jarvie does sparingly use large one-person-size rocks (ones that are small enough for a single person to roll) and, more generously, scatterings of small pebbles to add surface variety and interest. To find rocks, ask around: some farmers sell them on a pick-your-own basis. It may be tempting to raid road allowances and parks, but don't. Many municipalities have steep fines for this practice.
Choose plants with care
When choosing plants, pay attention to the colour, texture, height and growth habit (vertical, cushion or matforming, etc.) of the foliage. Most alpines bloom only briefly and you want your bed at its best all season. Choose dependable and accessible plants to begin, then move into more expensive and exotic varieties as your experience grows with your garden. If a plant isn't successful in one spot, try it in another, but remember that many alpines are naturally slow-growing. Jarvie's Tsuga canadensis 'Minuta,' for example, has achieved a 10-centimetre diameter over 10 years.
(Click here to learn about herbs to enhance your scree garden.)
Gardeners who are confined to a terrace or balcony can adapt Jarvie's instructions to make small scree gardens in urns or troughs (no winter protection is needed). She notes that more than 100 members of the Manhattan chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society, one of whom came second in a mid-1990s competition, are container-only gardeners.
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