Alpines look delicate but are some of the toughest plants you can grow — what actually kills them almost every time isn't cold, it's wet feet in winter.
Alpines evolved for thin, sharply-draining mountain soil and full sun, which makes ordinary garden borders a surprisingly poor fit — most alpine failures come from rich, damp soil rot rather than frost damage. Grown in a rockery, trough or raised bed with plenty of grit worked in, they’re some of the lowest-maintenance plants in the garden once the drainage is right.
Sowing & growing calendar
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protect | Protect in January | Protect in February | Protect in March | Protect in April | Protect in May | Protect in November | Protect in December | |||||
| Job | Job in March | Job in April | Job in June | Job in July | Job in August |
Care details
- Protect March – May
Watch for slugs and snails through a wet spring — soft new growth is far more vulnerable than the tough, established plant.
- Job March – April
Top-dress with fresh grit each spring to keep the plant's neck dry and suppress weeds.
- Job June – August
Trim back spent flowers once blooming finishes, to keep growth compact rather than straggly.
- Protect November – February
Protect from winter wet rather than cold — a pane of glass or cloche over the crown in high-rainfall areas does more good than any amount of frost protection.
Growing tips & common problems
- Plant into sharply-draining, gritty compost rather than ordinary garden soil — alpines are built for thin mountain soil, not rich, moisture-retentive ground.
- A stone or grit mulch does more than look tidy — it keeps the plant's neck dry and stops rot setting in where the stem meets the soil.
- Resist feeding. Rich soil or regular feed produces soft, leggy growth that alpines aren't built to support, and shortens their life rather than extending it.
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