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The Rural Voice, 1999-04, Page 44Gardening The perfect garden for stony ground ll) Rhea Hamilton -Seeger Regular readers of this column will recall my laments from time to time of living on a gravel ridge. Planning a rock garden can take advantage of such a land feature but I have found another type of garden better suited to this site: a scree garden. • A rock garden is a gravel ridge that has pockets of soil for the plants to take root in. Picture a gravel ridge formed by a retreating glacier. Plants on the southern, sunny side of the moraine take advantage of an underground source of water. That is what you want to reproduce in a small part for your rock garden. Scree is a geological term for loose irregular gravel formed by an accumulation of fragments broken off by frost and rock slides at the base Our GREENHOUSES are filling up fast with the area's largest selection of annuals, geraniums, hanging baskets, etc. Lots of new colours & varieties including proven winners and the "Waves"! GET A TASTE OF SPRING VISIT US NOW We have everything you need for spring planting including perennials & ground covers Ted's Tasty Tomatoes Ready Soon TE -EM FARM R. R. #1 Bayfield 482-3020 40 THE RURAL VOICE of a high mountain. Where the rock garden is an eco system on a wet moraine, a scree garden is native to a dry moraine. In a scree garden the amount of soil is negligible yet there are plants that will get a toehold and flourish. They have adapted to the drainate as well as the meager soil conditions and harsh climate. You want to keep your eye open for limestone or sandstone which make a good base since they are worn and full of pockets were roots can get a hold. Round or washed gravel is too smooth and should be avoided. I have been familiar with the term scree for years yet when I went looking for specific information there was very little material available. Most references to rock gardens were to the artful placement of stones. So I turned to the internet and found Duncan McAlpine (I wonder if that is his real name or a garden pen name) who has posted great instructions for making your own scree garden. He is a dedicated rock garden enthusiast and takes the idea of rock gardening right back to the original system as found in nature. McAlpine recommends reproducing a mini moraine. If you have a sandy base where the moisture will drain off too fast he recommends that you start with a sloping concrete basin a foot or so below the surface. If your drainage is fine then start by clearing out a depth of a foot or so. Backfill the area with broken stone, shattered bricks or a coarse gravel to the halfway level. Vary the heights a bit throughout the garden to give it a natural rolling effect. Next, add a layer of sand, gravel or finer gravel which has been washed with water to provide a good drainage bed. The next step is to fill in the pockets of air. Mix a scree soil mixture of one part soil to four or more parts of gravel, sand and broken stone. Throw a layer of this mixture over the gravel and wash it down with water. The soil will filter its way through to the bottom. This also steadies the rock and will help eliminate heaving in the spring. Around the edge of the garden place larger rocks leaving some level with the ground and others rising above for a natural appearance. Throw some more scree mixture onto the garden and wash it into the garden. Your final layer should be limestone or stone chips to act as a mulch and keep the foliage off the ground. Now comes the fun part of selecting your plants. Like every other garden setting the plants are divided into those who require acidic soil or lime; and those who need more winter protection than others. There are a number of dwarf evergreens, shrubs and vines as well as plants that do better in crevices. and those who flourish in sun and those which prefer shade. I have looked at rock plants which require the mixture of sand, loam, and humus. They need perfect drainage, full sunshine and require very little care. The extensive list includes the following: prickly -pear, alpine poppy, coral bells, gentian, alpine pinks (dianthus alpinus) rock jasmine (Androsace helvetica), stone - cress and the common toadflax, Creste iris (iris cristata) and potentilla nitida, sea campion (silene maritima) and any number of sedums. If you are looking for more information contact this great site by searching for backyardgardener.com In the meantime take another look at the side of the gangway to the old barn. It could be the site of your own scree garden.0 Rhea Hamilton -Seeger and her husband raise two children at their home near Auburn. She is a skilled cook and gardener.