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To introduce you to the way I became involved in Trough Gardening and to explain how this hobby has developed, let me take you back some 15 years and many plants ago.......................... |
When I first had the desire to plant a trough, my main problem was in finding
one. Twenty five years ago, it was commonplace to find troughs lying in
fields, having been discarded in favour of high-tech replacements.
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Firstly, obtain your polystyrene box. Consider even the smallest of them
as there is usually space to be found for a small trough. Consider too,
that they can be readily modified by glueing two, three or even four of
them together. The possibilities are endless.
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PREPARING THE TROUGH FOR PLANTING |
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Ok, so you were impatient after all.....so what next? Here is a tip that
not everybody knows but I find it works well. Line the bottom of your trough
with fine Plastic netting, similar to the material you buy for shading
at your local garden center. This serves two purposes, 1. It stops the soil from running out of the drainage holes and 2.It stops those horrible slugs from getting in from the bottom. Having done that, lay a rotted turf, the size of the inside of the trough, face down onto the plastic netting. I would not dream of telling you what compost to fill your trough with because everyone likes to think that their recipe is the best. However, let me add a caveat. The compost will house these plants for 5 years or so and must therefore be of good sustenance and good drainage, whilst never drying out completely. So decide on the type of plants you want to grow and give them something suitable. On filling the trough with compost- and here's where more patience is required- overfill the trough as much as you dare and allow for settlement, because settle it will and if you just fill it to the rim, it will settle a good 50mm lower in 12 months. Having allowed the compost to settle, you can begin the next stage...........
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LANDSCAPING THE TROUGH |
The
trough need not look like a mini-Eiger, but neither need it look like something
devised by the Flat Earth Society. Careful planning can not only make it
look very attractive but can also incorporate many areas of special interest
and effect. The majority of plants suitable for troughs would seem to require an aspect in full sun. Indeed, this is usually most beneficial. Not all plants however, relish sun-stroke and whilst it is not always possible to find a spot that can provide shade at the appropriate time of the day, it is possible with thought to use a suitably placed rock to provide shade on one side and sun on the other. Rock in fact has more uses than providing shade. Two pieces placed closely together will provide a home for the finest crevice plants, pandering perfectly to the twin desires of a cool root-run and superior drainage. Several strategically placed rocks can also be used to simulate an outcrop, to give extra height to a larger trough.  There are materials other than rock which are ideally suitable for landscaping troughs. For example, I have a trough which is planted with ericaceous plants accompanied by 'tree stumps' and 'logs'. These can be made from young prunings of shrubs and trees etc. and can be quite attractive if used correctly. Be sure though, to strip off all the bark from these bits and treat them with a non-toxic wood preservative. The top dressing need not be conventional chippings either. Any appropriate dressing can be used, as exhibitors demonstrate with their show plants. I would suggest that chipped bark, pine needles and slivers of slate can often provide a more pleasant ground covering for many plants and, of course, tufa was just made for the trough garden. When landscaping the trough, pay particular attention to the needs of the plants that will find their home there. I have already suggested fabricating crevices and providing shade but remember the corners and use plants that will cascade over the edges. Mat forming alpines will also be useful on larger areas of uninterrupted surface. Dwarf shrubs and conifers are a 'must' for providing a focal point and supplying much-needed height to the flatter areas of the trough. But please, before you dive headlong into trough-making, give it a lot of thought. There is no point in constructing something that will not provide a happy home for your plants. DON'T use water-worn limestone for ericaceous plants. DON'T put shade lovers in full sun, And DO remember that, above all else, the landscaping is secondary: THE PLANTS COME FIRST.
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I have already mentioned Ericaceous plants for the trough. We naturally
think of Rhododendrons in this context but, as pretty as they are, I would
suggest you stay away from them for all but the largest troughs. Even the
dwarfest rhodo will soon outlive its space in a trough. There are many
other, more accomodating members of this family suitable for trough culture.Vaccinium
vitis-idea var minus, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi var minor, Arcterica
nana, Cassiope hypnoides and the many dwarf forms of Andromeda
and Kalmia. Remember too, that many other plants associate well with members
of the Ericaceae. These include shortias,celmisias and
many of the asiatic primulas. A mixed planting including such items will
help to give a colourful display over a much longer period.
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With a little planning and a spirit of adventure,
your trough can look
good for many years without the need to amend the planting scheme. It will
however take a little time to fill out the unplanted areas, so why not
scatter a few of your spare seeds into the empty places between the plants,
or in the narrower clefts in your rockwork. Something always comes up and
it can often be more than a very pleasant surprise.
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I have only barely scratched the surface of the trough adventure. Given the room and the funds, you could carry on making and planting your troughs for years to come. So start soon, or even better....START NOW.
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For other interesting views on troughs, take a look at Duncan McAlpine's
"Troughs"
link
for an article on Hypertufa. |
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Growing plants in a trough is one of the most satisfying ways of
viewing one's treasured alpines. Probably the most difficult aspect
of this type of gardening, is finding the trough to start with.
They
could be had for the asking. Nowadays, however, the farmers have realised
the value of these antiquities of the agricultural revolution and can make
large amounts of money by selling them at auction. I don't know your feelings
on this,but I prefer to spend my hard-earned cash on the plants rather
than the containers and so, as a last resort, I decided to try to make
my own.
PLANTING THE TROUGH
Lime-loving plants are perhaps the most suited of all to trough culture.
Saxifragas will give possibly the widest choice of colour, form and foliage
effect. The 'silvers' with their symmetrical rosettes of leaves edged with
white lime deposits look magnificent, all year round, whether in flower
or not. The 'porophyllum Saxifragas are superb from January through to
April and there is a wide colour range from red, pink, yellow, apricot
and every hue in between. Be careful not to place them in full sun though;
when temperatures rise, the foliage will soon burn up.
Aquilegia jonesii, bertolinii
and discolor. The globularias; GG repens, bellidifolia
and incanescens
are thoroughly rewarding and the helichrysums, especially the silver
rosetted 
H.pagophilum
and H.sessile will light up the darkest corner.
CC herzogovina nana and zoysii
(beware
of slugs) and their relatives Edraianthus will love the crevice conditions
as too will the less vigourous Lewisia
species. Exquisite plants such as Bolax gemmifera, Chionohebe densifolia
and
Ranunculus glacialis despite being difficult, will be especially
satisfying, if successful.
and dwarf conifers that will grace any
trough but they must be the subjects of careful selection, or they will
draw too much emphasis. They need to fit in with the scale of the rest
of the planting and should never be planted in the dead centre of a trough.
"Dead" being the operative word in the case of the Noah's Ark Juniper,
(Juniperus communis 'Compressa'), 
which will look like a cenotaph
to the Unknown Alpinist. Off -centre and towards one corner, they are likely
to look more natural. In addition to the juniper, I offer the following
for consideration: Daphne
petraea var grandiflora, Cyathodes (Leucopogon) fraseri, Kalmiopsis leachiana
(acid troughs only), Salix x boydii and Hebe tetragona.