How to enrich soil in steep rockery?

[museumum]

Hi

I suspect my steep sloped rockery could do with a load more nutrients. We've recently had some clover appear which I've ripped out and the peony rose only had one flower this year.
The trouble is there's no way to fork in manure and no space to dig it over.
Would I be better with a liquid feed? Or bonemeal? I'm not sure how the bonemeal could be dug in?
And what feed do I use for a real mix of plants - the ones I've seen look quite specific.

Thank you!

[shovetheholly]

Ideally, in a rockery you should be growing plants that thrive in the conditions on offer - things that get going in poor, thin, very well drained soil, like alpines. I would swap out the peony and put it somewhere you can give it loads of manure and compost, because that is what it likes??

[Cathpot]

Completely agree- some lovely things grow in absolutely rubbish soil- I've waved this photo around before because it cheers me but these are growing in sand with no enrichment at all and only the soil that came with them as very small plants

[shovetheholly]

That's really inspiring cath. What are the red flowers? They are lovely!

[MrsBertBibby]

They're gorgeous! Need to know what they are, for our newly restored rockery border.

[Cathpot]

I always forget the name- I think they are called ice plants , if I find the right name I'll come back. They are a succulent and that one started as a tiny plant- I've got another one that's covered about 1.5m now. The other plants in the picture are thyme, and a creeping mint. In the same area it's mostly thyme with some sedum and lots of a creeping tiny leafed thing that spreads brilliantly and has little white flowers pop up all in early summer. Basically I went to the alpine section of the garden centre and bought loads of different things that were cheap and tiny and they all spread within two years to cover the gaps.

[shovetheholly]

Delosperma?

You know, I had thought they weren't hardy, but I just looked online and it looks like they can be!

It looks gorgeous, cath, you must be really pleased.

[NanTheWiser]

Yes, I think they're Delospermas - the best are the 'Jewel of the Desert' range which come in 6 different colour forms, and are pretty hardy - I have some in a trough, which I plant with succulents in the summer months, but the Delos stay there all winter. It might be Lampranthus though - some of which are also hardy especially in the South and Southwest.

[Cathpot]

Lampranthus rings a bell- we are southwest and they pop up in dry stone walls as well. I must write the name down- someone identified them for me before and I promptly forgot. I am chuffed with how it all worked out, especially as its part of a larger area and the paving is really cheap and it's covered the gaps so well you don't notice the slabs now. I might find a picture of the whole area- slightly nervously as I posted it once before and killed the thread which I put down to punishment for trying to show off . I've had wine so I'll risk it

[gingeroots]

That's lovelycathpot .
Is that a pond in the middle ?

[Cathpot]

It's fire pit. Shortly after that photo DH cracked the stone burning an old rotten bench that was some sort of hard wood that burnt at a billion degrees. We still use it lots but it's much less pretty - will need replacing at some point - it's on the end of a long list!

[shovetheholly]

I could look at that for hours! It's beautiful. I love the way that you are growing things between the rocks. I'm hoping to have some of those plants on my green roof and if they look even half as good as yours, I will be well chuffed!

[AnyTheWiser]

That's gorgeous cathpot!

Algerian irises grow v well in poor soil, and are very beautiful. Just make sure you trim the leaves back so you can see the flowers the next year!