These amazing plants will breeze through even a bad British winter and many flower much earlier than their counterparts in the herbaceous borderFrom the Victorians’ miniature gardens featuring fake mountains and goats,to the rockeries that were the darlings of the flower show circuit from the 1960s to the 80s, alpines held a special dwelling in the British garden. But they absorb hit rock bottom in recent years, or left behind in the rush toward outdoor rooms and living walls,their style dismissed as fuddy-duddy by all but diehard enthusiasts.
Yet these amazing plants deserve another spell in the highlight. Alpines grow at tall elevations, from the Alps to the Himalayas; they are perfectly adapted to survive the harshest conditions, and normally growing low to the ground,which prevents them getting blown away or drying out in the wind. They will breeze through even a bad British winter, and many flower much earlier than their counterparts in the herbaceous border.
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Source: theguardian.com