As I did not get around to writing an article
for Vivi before I left to go away, the
wonders of modern technology allow me to do
it from afar, from the top of a mountain in the
Dolomites to be precise!

Before the more sensible members of our
holiday party fly out to Venice, I thought it
would be a good idea to introduce Oliver
and Elliot to the joys of the mountains in the
summer, by doing some walking and tackling
the ‘Via Ferrata’.

Whilst walking today, it made me realise how
many of the wonderful plants that we sell in
the Garden Centre, look so fantastic in their
natural habitat. I am not sure that the boys
appreciated a lesson in Alpine plants, but it
sure helped to take their minds off walking
uphill.

When we see all the plants on the Alpine
benches at the Garden Centre, they look
great, but they also look like a lot of other
beautiful plants in pots which we sell. Seeing
them in their natural environment makes you
realise how tough these little plants are. They
spend half the year buried underneath snow,
and when the snow melts, they manage to produce
a beautiful display with the tiniest amount of soil in
which to grow. This soil is also very low in nutrients
as the constant rain and melting water washes all the
goodness away. So when we plant Phlox, Saxifrage,
Helianthemum and the numerous other Alpine plants
in your garden, just think how they may thrive, and
look fantastically natural, if you can plant them in tiny
amounts of well drained, low nutrient soil, amongst
some rocks. It doesn’t have to be an epic rock
garden; I have seen some wonderful Alpine displays
in broken terracotta pots. Be creative!

As you can see from some of the pictures on this
page, the plants look fantastic, and will encourage me
to find out their real identity when I get back. Perhaps
if you go skiing this winter you should think about all
the wonderful plants laying dormant beneath you as
you glide across the snow?

Not Just A Garden Centre Finedon Road, Burton Latimer Northants, NN15 5QA

Only minutes from J10 off the A14 and midway between Kettering and Wellingborough

OPEN: Mon-Sat: 9am - 6pm Sun: 10am - 5pm • Disabled Access All Credit Cards Accepted 01536 722635 www.bosworthsgc.co.uk Visit our online shop: www.shop.bosworthsgc.co.uk www.facebook.com/BosworthsGC

LANDSCAPING All types of landscaping undertaken from Consultation to Design, Construction and Aftercare

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