Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing Alpines

Book excerpt: In this handy alpine-growing guide, Kew Gardens' alpines expert shares tips and advice on how to grow and maintain these unique plants, including 12 practical projects to try at home. Alpines are often considered tricky to grow, but given their natural mountain homes, they are actually remarkably hardy. They’re perfect for dry, free-draining soils and do well in containers, gravel gardens and in walls and other crevices and small corners. Plus, their miniature stature makes them perfect for those with small gardens or a tiny space to fill – in fact, you don’t need a garden at all! Alpines do very well on either a balcony or doorstep. Packed with information and inspiration, this book teaches you everything you need to know about 50 specimens of alpines, from ideal humidity, light and temperature, to maintenance instructions so that your plants can thrive. It includes 12 easy-to-follow projects for you to try at home, so you can grow a vibrant array of alpine plants, whether you are a complete beginner or a keen enthusiast. Combining beautiful botanical illustrations and practical advice, The Kew Gardener’s Guide to Growing Alpines is the definitive introduction to growing these wonderful plants. This book is from the Kew Experts series, in which the top gardeners and botanical scientists from Royal Botanic Kew Gardens offer up advice and information as well as suggesting handy projects on a range of gardening topics. Other titles include: Companion to Medicinal Plants, Guide to Growing Bulbs, Guide to Growing Fruit, Guide to Growing Orchids, Guide to Growing Herbs, Guide to Growing Roses, Guide to Growing Cacti and Succulents, Guide to Growing Vegetables and Guide to Growing House Plants.