Little Marvels April

Pint-sized gardens demand gallons of imagination, and the smaller the plants, the greater the variety that can be grown in a limited space. This is where alpine and rock plants come into their own, flowering profusely between early spring and summer. ‘Many have beautiful flowers in a range of vibrant hues, as well as interesting foliage and provide year-round interest,’ points out Wendy Bates who, with her husband Ray, owns the alpine-specialist Rotherview Nurseries, known for its award-winning alpine trough displays. Hailing from some of the most inhospitable places in the world, many alpines are hardy, drought-resistant and wonderfully forgiving of healthy neglect, providing they grow in sharply draining compost that never waterlogs.