Alpine Loveliness
Wednesday, 29 April 2015
The Alpine region is renowned for its prettiness as well as its skiing. I have brought a little bit of the Alps to my own garden. Read on to see whether it involves slaloms and ski lifts…
![You can even plant in old boots](https://vialiigardens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/plants-in-boots-300x300.jpg)
You can even plant in old boots
OK, I haven’t created a dry ski slope in my back garden (though that would be cool, wouldn’t it?) Instead I have created a mini project which is sure to brighten up your door step. Here’s how to…
Create Your Own Alpine Trough
You will need:
- Some form of container (it could be something funky like trainers or a chimney pot or an old trough or container
- Compost
- Grit
- Alpine plants
- Garden tools (you will see me using all my trusty old Twigz tools for this project!)
To make:
1. Take your container of choice. We were lucky enough to inherit an old stone trough from a client which looked really great. Make sure there are holes in the bottom which are covered with an old crock.
![Trough for alpines](https://vialiigardens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/apline-1-300x300.jpg)
A stone trough is perfect for alpines
2. Fill your container with compost. Mix in some grit as alpines like poor soil.
3. Plant a nice mix of different alpines to create different colours, shapes and textures.
4. Add a layer of grit to the top of your container. Alpine plants don’t like to touch wet soil and will start to rot.
![Add grit to the trough](https://vialiigardens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/alpine-2-300x300.jpg)
Add grit to the trough
5. Give your container a nice watering to get it off to a good start.
You will need to do very little beyond that. Alpines are very hard (well they are used to living up the Alps after all!). Just give a little watering if the weather is very dry for a long time and remove weeds when they appear. Your alpines will give you lots of joy for years to come.
![Aren't my alpines looking pretty!](https://vialiigardens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/alpines-3-300x300.jpg)
Aren’t my alpines looking pretty!
Happy skiing, I mean planting!