{"id":7578,"date":"2012-03-31T18:23:00","date_gmt":"2012-03-31T22:23:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2020-08-13T18:19:41","modified_gmt":"2020-08-13T22:19:41","slug":"alpinetroughs-pie-authenticity-and","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardern.co.za\/2012\/03\/alpinetroughs-pie-authenticity-and\/","title":{"rendered":"AlpineTroughs, Pie Authenticity and Snobbery"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Troughs were invented by Victorian gardeners, turning stone sinks from old farms into gravelly filled containers in which they could grow plants collected from the high mountain peaks – rage in England around the turn of the centruy. Today, real stone toughs are too costly, but ones called ‘Hyper-tufa’, constructed out of concrete and other materials are used by enthusiasts who want to master growing high elevation alpine plants such as this primrose from the alps, Primula marginata, which is growing in a piece of real tufa rock, a limestone rock that is porous enough for roots to pass through it.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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A “hyper-tufa” trough planted with alpine plants.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
I have never received so many emails than I have about my last post where I confess that I have a case of ‘trough snobbery’. My intention was not to piss off anyone, I encourage anyone to practice creative gardening, and although there are rules in gardening, like cooking, rules can be broken – so go for it. But I would like to remind you that my blog is a personal venture which focuses not on common practices, ease or about short-cuts. My blog has to honest, and authentic – and I let’s face it – Joe and I are not about common gardening! We’re kind-of experienced, both of us are nearly life-long gardeners and plant collectors, and to anyone who has visited us – our gardens and greenhouse hardly represents the average gardener! I am beyond being a geek with many types of plants, from vegetable culture to bulbs and specialty gardens. I try to make this blog to be more interesting, more informative, to share not only experience and knowledge, but also to inspire both new and mature Gardners to try somethings new, to retry something that they may have failed at with before.<\/p>\n
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Many primula species are alpine forms, but even though this Primula auricula has relatives that come from the Alps, this one is considered a ‘Show Auricula’, and requires a little more care than even a trough can provide due to the white farina that appears on the petals which the rain can damage. Still, this Auricula grows fine in many of my deeper troughs, as long as they don’t freeze and thaw too many times during the winter. It’s not the cold, for P. auricula can be mastered in Alaska, it’s more about the thaw, refreeze cycle that damages roots.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
With gardening, you can choose to be casual, or serious – it’s up to you. There are plenty of very nice blogs out there about which document new gardeners as they learn, try, and sometimes even fail with their gardens. All essential in growing as a gardener, but my blog is not really about that.<\/p>\n
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Another alpine form of primrose, Primula allionii, grows from a cutting that rooted in a hole that was drilled into a soft tufa rock, and refilled with tufa-rock powder. This method keeps the plants tight and ‘in character’, which means that they look like the ones growing in the wild. <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Today, we live in a sound-bite culture. A culture of dumbed down, easyfied segments that are simplifying everything down to three sentences, or 5 easy steps – from cupcakes, to windowboxes. And that’s OK, but for some of you, it’s just not enough information for me, or for my readers – that’s just he position I take with this blog. Sure – other blogs might just tell you that poppies are huge this year, or they may show you how to use poppies in your wedding bouquet, but I know that many of you are running out there buying poppy seed, but a little confused on where to turn on how to grow them. I am here to tell you the truth – that sometime they are hard to grow. That sometimes, you might be disappointed with the results; but most importantly, that I will at the very least, try to grow them the right way with you if I have not, or, share with you how I grow them, in case you want to try that method.<\/p>\n
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There are gentians for the rock garden, and then, there are some that really thrive in troughs because they are too small and can get lost in the garden. Gentiana verna grows well in troughs, and will form a nice clump with care. It’s not easy, but after a few failures, you will find the right place, I assure you.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
The reason why many blogs are now so popular is that you the reader can choose what you want to learn about, since sadly, the corporate direction that mass media is moving towards, and a more simplified message. I love Martha Stewart Living, but you may have noticed how the focus has moved from authentic gardening, to simplified gardening. I get it, surely there is research that shows that viewers want more step-by-step easy solutions rather than a detailed exploration of let’s say, Iris species, as the magazine once focused on when Martha herself was in charge. I work for a large Fortune 500 design company, so I know that the bottom line always trumps a singular creative vision. The fact is there are more viewers who want to pop a pansy out of a six pack, and shove it into an Martha Stewart at Macy’s Easter bowl for their table, than there are those who want ( or can afford to) plant 600 varieties peonies in their cut flower garden.<\/p>\n
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An alpine primula and a Saxifraga longifolia with encrusted limestone edges to the leaves, are two authentic alpine plants best grown in troughs where one can appreciate their characteristics up close. Plus, these are two plants which often appear together in the wild. I planted this trough to mimic a scene that I saw in the Italian Alps a few years ago.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nIf I am going to write about troughs for example, it would not be honest for me to show you how to plant a trough without providing you with more information – I think you deserve the whole story- not just “here is how you plant a hypertufa trough with easy-to-grow-succulents”. Pick up ANY Better Homes and Garden magazine, watch Martha Stewart on TV or flip through REAL SIMPLE, and there are plenty of short-cut, attractive, sound-bite features about planting a container to look like a trough – but what makes this blog different ( and the reason why I hope you enjoy it) is that I try to show you a more informed way to approach a subject.<\/p>\n