Say the words “rock gardening” to most young(ish) gardeners and they’re likely to gently wrinkle their noses and shake their heads in amused bewilderment, almost as if you’d asked them if they enjoyed stamp-collecting, or Morris-dancing, or crocheting.
The truth is that rockeries, or alpine gardens as they’re also known, have been so firmly out of vogue for so long that it’s difficult to find anyone under the age of 40 that actually has one.
Yet the irony is that these petite plants are perfectly suited to a younger generation of keen gardeners increasingly short on growing space but eager to flex their green fingers.
Given the right growing medium, many of these diminutive, slow-growing species will thrive in small terracotta pots, stone and tufa troughs and other containers including window boxes, making them a great choice for anyone living in rented accommodation who wants to take their garden with them when they move.
Not only that, most alpine and rock plants are also highly ornamental, with a beguiling, dolls-house beauty akin to that of tiny ivory carvings or enamel portrait miniatures.
"But for whatever reason, they're just not fashionable", agrees the Dublin gardener and alpine-plant enthusiast Triona Noonan, who is so captivated by these dainty plants that her small town courty