Ivydene Gardens Evergreen Perennials Gallery:
Introduction

The Alpine Garden Society Encyclopedia of Alpines Volume One (A-K) (ISBN 0-900048-61-1) and Volume Two (L-Z) (ISBN 0-900048-62-X) superceeds The English Rock Garden (1919) by Reginald Farrer and its supplement The Present Day Rock Garden (1937) by Sampson Clay.

The above encyclopedias by the Alpine Garden Society describe 1000 genera of all alpine plants in cultivation, as well as many found in the wild but not yet in cultivation. All have rock garden or alpine house potential and the larger plants can be used in herbaceous borders. From page Viii of Volume One:-

"What is an alpine plant? Technically and from a botanical perspective alpine plants are those which grow above the tree line in mountain regions of the world in what are called subalpine and alpine zones; this includes species found at low altitudes in severe climates devoid of trees such as the Arctic and Antarctic. From a horticultural point of view, however, this definition is extended to include many other small flowering plants and ferns from low altitudes, whether from the seashore, marsh or woodland. 'Alpine' and 'rock garden' are frequently used to encompass this wide spectrum of different plants. In reality any small plant suitable for growing on the rock garden, scree, raised bed or in a trough in the open garden, as well as a great range of others more easily grown within the confines of an unheated glasshouse or cold frame, are included here within the definition of 'alpine'.
By general agreement, rock and alpine plants are thought to be small, often with a hummock, mat or tufted habit and often less than 1-1.25 feet tall. However, anyone who has visited a mountain region will know that not all the plants seen there necessarily fit into this handy definition; larger perennials and shrubs may sometimes be seen cheek by jowl with the hummocks and mats. A visit into any large rock garden, such as those of the well known botanic gardens at Kew and Edinburgh reveals a similar mixture and it is this larger concept that is used here. In general 2 feet in height and 3.25 feet spread has been taken as the maximum, but at the same time some potentially larger plants are included, for example the large yellow gentian found in the Alps and Pyrenees, Gentiana lutea, or the stately giant rhubarb of the Himalaya, Rheum nobile; both large plants but indisputably alpine."

The Alpine - Evergreen Perennials that have Plant Descriptions in this website can be linked to in the Alpine - Evergreen Perennial Index Pages from the menu on the right.
This plant gallery has thumbnail pictures of flowers from all the Evergreen Perennials in the other EVERGREEN PERENNIAL Galleries in the following colours, one for each month of the year that that flower blooms from the menu above.
Direct access to an individual Evergreen Perennial description page is available from that Evergreen Perennial's name in the Evergreen Perennial Index Pages from the menu on the right.

Some of these gallery photographs were provided by Christine Foord and they were photographed by Christine and Ron Foord and others were provided by R. V. Roger and D. Rankin of Kevock Garden Plants.