so many pretties I have not heard of... thanks for the great photos & info!!

Hi Allison. I am having so much fun learning about these new (for me) plants. I am so hooked on them that I hauled some across several states while on our road trip. I brought home two flats of new things to try. I hope to get them all in the beds within the next week.

Penstemon mexicali 'Pikes Peak Purple'


A miniature Columbine called Aquilegia scopulorum. It only get about 3 or 4 inches tall.


I need to finish cropping the rest of the photos. I got some really great photos of alping/rock garden plants at the Denver Botanical Gardens.

Thanks for sharing your impressive knowledge about alpines, Lynn. I'd never heard of Polygala chamaebuxus and am fascinated by it. Although I garden in Zone 5, we've had Zone 6-7 winters for the past several years, so I'm tempted to try it. I'll have to see if I can find a place for it where I can create the proper growing conditions.

love that Penstemon!!!.. they will live here but won't thrive with my lack of full sun.. but I love them anyway

Your article was of great interest to me as I have just started getting into alpines.
I had taken out the grass on a sunny corner and am in the process of creating an alpine garden there.
I had not come across some of the plants in your article.
Thanks.

Larry, I was so excited when I found that tiny little sub shrub. It was a beacon in the bed all winter. It held the little flower buds through winter and they started opening when spring arrived. Very long bloom time. It will be interesting to see how it does in the next year.

Allison here is another penstemon for you. : )
Pentstemon nitidus, isn't it the sweetest little thing?


Caroline, we just got back from a road trip. One of the highlights was a visit to the Denver Botanical Gardens. There alpine plants are amazing. I was able to take photos of two new beds they are in the process of creating. One is in the planting stage, the other is still in the building stage. It was very interesting to see how they did then. I wish I had the time and money to do something like this.

Bed in progress


Alpine bed, newly planted

I loved reading your article. I am not going to get into any more plants, but I have enjoyed seeing them through your eyes. They are beautiful.

Thank you so much Sandi. Maybe you'll change your mind down the road. : )

Oh I hope not, I have too many plants to take care of now!

I understand. I would love to downsize the size of our property to just raised beds. : )

I'll just enjoy yours for now!

Thank you Sandi. I'll try to add some more photos here in the threads. : )

Tulipa chrysantha is a tiny species tulip that works very well in the raised beds. I have to research this name further, not sure it is a correct name. Just checked, correct name is:
Tulipa clusiana var. chrysantha

love the color on that little cutie!!

It's so small that it doesn't take space away from the sempervivum.

Look what I found in the Alpine bed yesterday. This brilliant little bloom just appeared. I can see down in the grassy leaves many more tiny bright pink buds, just waiting to come into view.

Rhodohypoxis 'Red Star'