Step by step guide to making an Alpine Trough
Friday 17th March 2023An Alpine trough is an eye-catching and low-maintenance addition to any garden. Alpine plants are hardy, extremely resilient and easy to grow. Alpines naturally grow at high altitude on scree, or in well-drained growing conditions, which makes them ideal for our gardens being hardy and needing little water.
- Select a container, ideally shallow for easy drainage, but anything can do as long as it has a hole in the bottom.
- Place some stones at the base of the container for drainage.
- Mix John Innes No 2 compost with some grit to add more drainage.
- Plant up with a selection of plants. We have used Dianthus deltoids ‘Maiden Pink’, Cotula hispida, Iberis sempervirens ‘Erber Zweg’, Campanula ‘Clockwise Blue’ and Lewisia cotyledon ‘Elise’.
- Top with gravel, grit, slate or some other attractive topping.
- Place container in a light spot and water sparingly.
Items you’ll need for making your Alpine trough.
Fill your container with John Innes No 2 mixed with grit.
Plant your Alpine plants leaving good space between each one.
Top with gravel, scree or grit.
