(The Communicator, June 1997)
At the Memorial University Botanical Garden we have 11 different display plantings, each depicting a different plant habitat or theme. The largest and first to provide widespread color in the new season is the Rock Garden.
Our Rock Garden can be divided into two sections, the old and the new. The old part, which extends from the Alpine House along the drive to the gate, was constructed in 1972 and is in the traditional style, with a sloped bank located in full sun built up with a series of rocks and little terraces placed to represent a mountainside. The rocks are fairly small and were placed by hand. The area was filled with a well-drained soil mix of screened topsoil, leafmold, and coarse sand (1:1:1) and then the whole area was mulched with crushed rock, about two-inches thick. The south end was made into a scree garden and is a reconstruction of a talus slope where pieces of rock have broken off and rolled together. There is little real soil in a scree and the plants growing there are usually rooted quite deeply.
The new section has three distinct features: a limestone garden, a mountain gully with a stream, and the Alpine House. The limestone garden was built in 1989 and further developed over the subsequent years. It is constructed with limestone rock from a quarry in Corner Brook, donated by Lundrigans. In this bed we grow lime-loving alpines that need the "sweet" soil found here. Many native plants (mostly from the west coast) are grown, such as yellow lady's-slipper, pussytoes and several species of dwarf willows. The main difference between the mountain gully, opened in 1993, and our other rock gardens is the size of the rocks and the immaturity of the plantings. The rocks are quite large, some the size of small cars, and were placed using heavy equipment and lots of "elbow grease." more than 200 tons of rock and 80 tons of mixed soil were used to create the mountain gully. Most of the plant material is still "filling in" and the many shrubs are settled and growing quite well. A small pool, stream, and series of waterfalls were added in 1995 and they have already become a favorite with visitors. There is something about the sounds of water trickling among rocks that is relaxing, and it also helps mask some of the traffic noise from Mount Scio Road. The handcrafted, "eyebrow" bridge built by the Friends of the Garden volunteer group spans the stream and is a popular stop for visitors who wish to have their pictures taken; it also provides a great "viewing stand" from which to observe the garden.
Most of the plants in these gardens are true alpines, well suited to the harsh windswept life above the treeline. With their low-tufted habits and tough foliate they survive where most plants would not. Alpines generally bloom in spring or early summer (you have to be quick off the mark in the mountains if your seeds are going to mature before winter) but we have complemented these with many later-flowering plants, such as geraniums or cranesbills, potentilla and spiraea, to prolong color during the growing season.
A great place to view and photograph alpine plants is the Botanical Garden's Alpine House. Built in 1991 with funds raised by the Friends of the Garden, this structure has two viewing benches along the sides and a small rockery built at the south end opposite the entrance doors. The plants are displayed in clay pots sunk into sand which helps keep roots cool and allows for some moisture absorption from the damp sand. The beauty of this design is that plants can be easily removed when they have finished flowering and replaced with others just coming into bloom. The roof shelters the plants from heavy rains that can easily ruin delicate alpine flowers, and the slight shading provided allows the flowers to last longer.
An interesting and relaxing garden to visit throughout our open season (May to November) the Rock Garden is at its peak from the middle of May to the end of June.