Rock gardens
THE ROCK GARDENS
Rock gardening, for us, is an effort to replicate growing conditions found in the high mountains and in steep stony places at lower elevations. In this we do not always succeed, but we are forever hopeful. We try to keep in mind the three principals of rock gardening; drainage, drainage and drainage.
The rock gardens at Cady’s Falls are in varying stages of youthful exuberance and middle age decadence. Many of the earliest plantings from the 1980’s have been crowded out by not-so-dwarf, dwarf conifers. In our most recent rock gardens, having hopefully learned the conifer lesson, we are limiting ourselves to alpines of compact habit, accompanied by a sparse selection of the most diminutive woody plants we can find.
Cady’s Falls Nursery
Don & Lela Avery
637 Duhamel Rd. Morrisville, Vt. 05661
802-888-5559 avery@vtusa.net
North facing rock garden in summer rain
Dianthus & Erodium
NM
Saxifraga paniculata
Asplenium tricomanes
The Wall Garden
This north facing retaining wall was built in 1986 with the idea of growing rock-loving plants in the sharply drained crevices. The stones were laid up and shimmed in the traditional manner, but the spaces between the stones were then filled with sandy loam. This allows the plant to extend their root-run into the moist earth behind the wall. The north facing vertical aspect affords sharp drainage for the crowns of the plants and is a haven for plants that require bright light but might suffer on a hot south facing wall. After twenty years, many of the original Saxifraga, Campanula and Androsace have continued to thrive and many other pants have seeded and spored into the crevices. These include a few pleasant surprises such as Japanese Painted Fern, Braun’s Holly Fern and Maiden Hair Fern.
Dianthus ‘Sternkissen’
Baptisia leucophea
Iris ‘Self Evident’
Gentiana acaulis ‘Excelsior’
Pulsatilla vulgaris
Salix vestita from Newfoundland
Polygala vayredae
Lewisia cotyledon
