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Crevice garden in front of the Conservatory
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There is a truism that it takes a city of a million or more people to support a public botanic garden. Like most truisms, this one fails the test! The Rocky Mountains are FULL of fantastic botanic gardens, some (like Steamboat Springs and Vail) in cities with little over 10,000 residents. I can think of dozens of cities with over a million souls without a botanic garden in America--but Cheyenne's 67,000 citizens support
an outstanding institution you should visit (click on that link to find out more). And it boasts a kick-ass crevice garden that brackets the front entrance of a stunning conservatory. That garden is FULL of plant treasure. I blasted through briefly on July 5: here are just a few of the things I found.
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| Phlox nana 'Perfect Pink' |
A truly superior form of possibly the best of all phloxes: why is it the best? It's extremely tough and drought tolerant (grows without irrigation for me). It blooms from spring to fall--so there! That counts for a lot! And despite coming from New Mexico, it thrives in Cheyenne--a city renowned for extreme temperatures, wind and hailstorms!
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Eriogonum umbellatum 'Kannah Creek'
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This accommodating buckwheat always looks good--but how often is it grown this artistically?
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Looking here, you wouldn't guess that there were dozens of plants in full bloom: but the cushions, mats and rockwork almost obviate the need for flowers! Kenton Seth orchestrated much of the construction here as he has at a number of our leading public gardens. The igneous rock--which I believe is mostly a monzonite and granite--is a major departure from most crevice garden rock work. |
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| Acantholimon cf. armenum |
Prickly thrifts (my favorite common name for this genus) LOVE this garden: there are many species dotted about--all of them looking very happy.
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Pterocephalus depressus
This wonderful groundcover from Morocco--basically an everblooming, prostrate scabiosa--was just coming into peak bloom in midsummer!
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| Eriogonum umbellatum v. aureum 'Kannah Creek' |
More buckwheat: you can't have enough!
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| Rosa spinossissima |
I have never seen the double form of prostrate Scotch rose before. I'm sure that's what this is..
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Leontopodium alpinum
A picture perfect Edelweiss
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Scutellaria resinosa
The flowering is just finishing--but even the seedheads are attractive on this little known native mint.
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A well constructed crevice garden can almost dispense with flowers--the varicolored mats and buns are so attractive knitting the rocks together!
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Teucrium aroanium
I am surprised a plant from the Peloponese in Greece should be so hardy in Cheyenne: I know this doesn't get subzero temps where it comes from! By the way, I have blogged (irritably I should underscore) about this plant before. Click here if you like to read rants. |
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Acantholimon sp.
Yet another Acantholimon...
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| Acantholimon sp. |
And yet another Acantholimon...
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| Euphorbia spinosa |
I know this looks like a green blob--but it is a lot more than that. This compact mound (mostly restricted to France and Italy) is studded with myriad yellow blooms in Spring. And it is ironclad drought tolerant!
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| Erigeron sp. |
A miserable picture of a cool Erigeron I found a few days later in the Bighorns--I have got to key it out (I have it in my garden too!)
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| Arenaria alfacarensis |
One of the tighest of all cushion plants--from Spain.
More longer shots of the garden--notice how the phlox is spreading. It likes it here!
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| Eriogonum jamesii |
Our local buckwheat again: it gets much showier in a few weeks...
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| Allium lusitanicum |
This allium has been banned from my garden: I hope it won't be weedy here!
Get a load of that
Acantholimon!
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| Acanthus balcanicus |
I would not have expected an acanthus to grow in zone 4 (although the locals would have you think it's Zone -12)
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| Acantholimon halophilum, Eriogonum kennedyi and Heterotheca jonesii |
Three gems jostling with one another...
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| Monardella macrantha 'Marion Sampson' |
I've had several very good gardeners tell me this hard to grow for them...obviously not for Cheyenne!
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| Kniphofia hirsuta |
My favorite dwarf
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| Eriogonum jamesii, Heterotheca jonesii and Globularia stygia |
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| Solidago sp. |
Mind you, these photos were taken mid-summer: imagine this garden at the height of spring! Although I have to admit that I find it delightful any time of the year including wintertime! Those cushions, mats, contrasting rocks and the delicious Wyoming light make it a feast for ever season.
Better yet, plan to visit yourself--why not join us next June. I can assure you this meeting will be off the charts!
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