Meet the crevice garden – wild, sculptural and surprisingly easy

What is a crevice garden?

A crevice garden is made using thin flat slabs like slate or sandstone. These are placed vertically, parallel to each other, and then plants are placed between them, into the narrow gaps. This style of gardening can be used in small spaces such as a trough, or expanded to create a display within a border.

Why does it work?

The plants' roots grow in deep crevices where the conditions are cool, like they would on a mountain. It's a low maintenance version of rock gardening, because the plants don't need much watering and the drainage is good so alpines are less affected by heavy rain. The deep holes also mean that plants stay cool in summer and warm in winter.

How is it different from alpine gardening?

The stones are thin and vertical in crevice gardening. In a typical rock garden, boulders or large stones are laid horizontally. Alpine gardening can range from planting in a trough filled with soil and topped with grit, or planting in gaps between rocks of different sizes. Planting may be flat or on a slope, but the rocks are wider than they are high, and the planting gaps are bigger.

Best plants for a crevice garden

When planting a crevice garden, you can position the rocks to create a south-facing side and a north-facing side, or east/west. Plants on the north-facing side of the tall rocks will be suitable for shade, for example. This means you can grow a wide variety of plants.

Saxifraga
These alpine plants are evergreen perennials with rosettes of leaves and small flowers on tall stems. They grow well in rock gardens, in the cracks of walls or crevice gardens. There are hundreds of species, with some thriving in shade and others in full sun. Check before buying that the saxifrage is suitable for your planting spot. Good choices include Saxifraga cotyledon or S. paniculata.

Lewisia cotyledon
Lewisia also has leaves that form rosettes and tall stems with bright flowers that can be pink, gold or apricot coloured. It reaches about 30cm tall and thrives in a sunny spot.

Thymus vulgaris
This species of thyme will grow well in crevices and has aromatic leaves as well as pretty purple flowers. Look for low-growing varieties – other thymes that will thrive in crevices include Thymus 'Hartington Silver' or 'Pink Chintz'.

Sempervivums
Also known as houseleeks, sempervivums are perfect for growing in crevice gardens. Plants have a rosette of succulent leaves and produce flowers between spring and summer. They're very hardy and easy to grow. Plant in a sunny location, ideally south facing.

Erodiums

The flowers of these pretty perennials are attractive to hoverflies, and a good way to add colour to your crevice garden. The most colourful have pink blooms, but there are also varieties with yellow or white flowers. The scalloped or fern-like leaves are attractive too.

Top tips for success

• Use a mix of sand, peat free potting soil and grit to ensure good drainage
• Make sure each stone has at least a third in the ground or soil so that it doesn't tip over
• Use plants that are suited to the aspect of the crevice garden, whether that's shade or sun
• Use a knife to lever plant roots into the narrow crevices when planting