About Emma Dutch Expertise I am finishing my horticulture degree, in the final year. My thesis is about the history and restoration of rock gardens but I am willing to answer any horticulture question as best I can.
Question We have a small rock garden which unfortunately
is very shaded. We are about to replant it digging in vast amounts of peat to highten it also.
Please advise what fertiliser we could add to help and also any plants suitable for shaded rock gardens.
Answer Hi Julie,
You say that you are digging in peat to heighten the rock garden, I'm presuming you mean topsoil? I think topsoil would be cheaper than peat, and a more environmentally friendly option. The best fertiliser I can suggest is well rotted manure, being natural and cheap. It must be well rotted though since unrotted manure is too rich in nitrogen and will scorch the roots of any plants you put in there. There are of course a number of chemical fertilizers, such as gro-more, but they can be expensive and natural fertilizers do the job just as effectively. Once you have dug in the manure, you should only need to top dress the ground once a year with a slow release fertilizer such as blood and bone or fish meal, sprinkling a layer over the surface of the bed in late spring.
As for plants, Crocus, Anemones and Cylclamen coum should grow fine in light shade for a bit of colour in the spring time, and for summer I have grown alysum, lobelia, ladies mantle and bergenia successfully in the shade. Alysum and lobelia will need replanting every year, and ladies mantle and bergenia will need to be divided every year or two, depending really on how big you want the clump of plants to be. You may also be able to grow lavendar and miniature roses in the rock garden, even though many books recommend a sunny well drained site for lavendar, my lavendar grows in heavy waterlogged clay in the shade, just a little slower and smaller than normal, but perfectly well.
I hope this helps a little, and if you have any other questions please contact me again, I am on vacation for about a week now, but will be available again after that.
