Dun buns...

Rock gardeners are famous for their bun fixations: more than one casual visitor at a rock garden meeting has been put off by people constantly commenting on one another's buns, extolling buns and saying how much they love to pat buns. Of course, they are referring to the cushiony form of plants in extreme environments. Above you have Erinacea pungens (top) and Acantholimon ulicinum (bottom), two cushion forming buns you shan't want to pat: the picture was taken a week or so ago in the Rock Alpine Garden at DBG: a bunnery.

Many succulents form buns, especially in our climate. Above we have various clones of Stomatium mustellinum, a wonderful night blooming succulent from the Drakensberg. I am fascinated how different the coloration is between one plant and another: all from the same wild pinch of seed.

Even cacti can form buns on our windy steppes: here is our native Echinocereus viridiflorus, forming a veritable "pollster" (German for pillow), a term used for buns that form nearly spherical form.

Those who only love the lush, "English" garden look will not be too impressed with buns. But through the long, windy and alternately hot and cold Great Plains winter, a garden filled with lots of these buns and cushions is somehow a compensation: they never seem to be hurt by the weather. They stay clean and trim. And they provide a sort of sculptural element that looks good in various lights, growing on you over time.

You are welcome to admire my buns, and I shall love to admire your's in turn!