Ah yes, the choice of plants...the choice of rocks...
It is not so much a controversy for me as it is a point of contention.
I have been gardening with rocks my whole life because they are so ubiquitous in my world--and I like them, granted, some more than others. In fact, I have quite a collection of 'special' rocks and I am more than a little heartbroken about having to leave behind many special rocks in my former gardens--more so even than some of my special plants because, for the most part, plants can be propagated and replaced whereas many rocks are truly one of a kind and irreplaceable.
The trouble is that I failed to consult the great oracle for the accepted divine guidance regarding rock gardens, initially.
I only recently learned that I was supposed to have recreated a natural likeness of the Alps above the treeline. Holy cow--how was I supposed to know that? I have never been to the Alps--never even occurred to me, didn't have a category to even begin thinking about such a preposterous notion!
I don't know--maybe "most people" seek codified gardening instruction and advice when they start and I am just ignorant.
Certainly, the majority of people in-the-know or at least those who grow alpines and some
permitted, other declared-suitable plants (low growing: wildflowers, native perennials, bulbs, rare and/or exotic treasures, etc.,) do accept Farrer's basic tenants as a reference for what a rock garden is and is not. But, the evidence for what I have seen around me all these years clearly supports the fact that "most people" do not grow alpines and other suitable plants in general and garden with rocks and plants as if they have never consulted the reference. For that reason I don't feel so alone in my ignorance, but, I am miffed at the discovery that all these creations featuring plants and rocks that we call rock gardens--around here anyway--are not rock gardens, but, instead some kind of vulgar abomination of an ideal standard that I, for one, did not know that I was held to.
I mean, I never got the memo and I created multiple rock gardens in three different states before I ever read this
http://www.crozetgazette.com/2...
or this
http://sidestreet.info/rocks.h...
for example,
and any number of others I could link.
Fortunately though, it's okay--I broke the social contract for artistic conformance so long ago I really do have creative license
I truly admire and would love to have any number of the fantastic rock gardens I have seen since I began viewing real rock gardens on the internet. I also really like some of the so-called 'bad' ones, like this one
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2...
As it is though, I have the abominations that I have created and I quite like them too
I have never had the goal to recreate a natural mountain top scene or restore my native habitat (if I want to look at sagebrush and rabbit brush and dodge rattlesnakes I don't have to go far). I went with the acknowledgement that whatever I do with islands in the lawn and around the edges or whatever is already so defiant there is no point in attempting to make it look like it was here first and that then I decided to plant lawn around it (who in their right mind would do that?). Instead my intents are always just to create something that I think is cool in the moment, something I've never seen before but feel like trying, and to grow a variety of plants to stagger the show from spring thaw to first freeze, for me! and so that the bees always have something good to eat.
Our snow just melted, and the run-o-the-mill, regular old C. chrysanthus don't seem out of place for me or the early bees
although I did acquire a ridiculously $ single corm, fancy, special crocus just for fun last year. Still waiting on that to bloom, and I hope the bees like it too!
