I just got my list today, too! I've been happily marking it (and myself--I'm not the tidiest of people) with a pink highlighter and working out my choices.

I hope that next year I can be a donor. So far I KNOW I'll have Penstemon palmeri and Digitalis thapsi seed, provided I see D. thapsi seedlings emerging everywhere this spring (I don't want to send non-viable seed). I have no idea what else I might have to harvest at this point--I'll do my best to come up with at least three more species.

The good news is that I don't really have much room left to plant bulbs, so my late summer and early autumn won't be consumed with planting, and I can take the time to enjoy and gather seed. Or so I hope.

I see a few GW participants on the donor list too.

I was so happy to see the NARGS seed list yesterday in the mailbox! For the past few years I've been a donor. This year my chapter (DVC ) worked on packing some seeds as well, which was a great learning experience.

I sent over 300 glassine enveloppes last year (a toal of 40 species), to NARGS.
Unfortunatly, this year, I had no time for harvest, so I'm not a donnor.
I ordered some, at Nargs, but also in British Columbia alpine club, Ontario Rock Garden society and androsace group.
Last year, I tried over 200 new species, most perform very well. In a few year, I'll have a lot of new stock to share
I'm really seeds addict

Here is a link that might be useful: Clovis's little oriental garden

Clovis, your troughs are gorgeous! Did you make any of them yourself? Is that a Larix species in one of them?
I had a lovely tour round your garden site. Wonderful hardscape and pond, and I felt quite relaxed and inspired.

We have many little trees in there.
Yes I maked them, you can gives a look to this link:
The making of troughs

Here is a link that might be useful: For birds eyes only

Relaxed! Yes, that is it. Clovis, you have graced this forum with your web site before and each time I see somethings new, but always calming. It is a tribute to your design and planting of such a huge undertaking. Thanks for posting.

Carol, the first time my chapter took on the seed distribution job, o' so many years ago, I was such a total greenhorn. I remember that it was the comraderie that kept me there helping. I couldn't maked head or tails of the species and genera. And it was so cool because we did it in the basement of the member who had the second best rock garden in the club. Still, it was that "forced" immersion into alpines that really got me got me on my way. I think you'll find that you have learned even more than you think.

Hi Clovis,

I love your troughs, but can I ask you a few questions about them?

Do the inside plywood molds come out easy(and what are you putting on them to help you)? Do you disassemble them to get them out of the inside of your troughs?
And what about the stryofoam pieces that you use as spacers. I assume you pop these out of the sides of the trough(is that easy?), and if, what, and how do you fill those spaces they leave behind?

I loved your website!!! I just wish I could follow all your instructions...because the pictures almost tell me the whole story.

thanks for the wonderful info

michele

Hi naturemitch !
Yes the plywood pieces are easy to remove.
I use linen oil,and adapted disign; maybee you have noticed the internal plywood pieces aren't square. The base of the hole is smaller thant the top. So the plywood pieces are trapezoidal.
(Wall of the troughs are 2 inches thick on top, but 3 inches thick at the base)

For the foam, you're right, they are there to create hole for plantation. They don't pop out. You'll have to destroy them when removing it.

We always remove external mold the day we pour the hypertuffa in, for surface finishing, but, the internal mold stays there for a few days. Just to be sure the trought will not break when moving it, especially the big one's.

Hope this fully answered your questions...

Great Clovis!!

Thanks so much for the response...I have these troughs chasing through my head for the last 2 days!:) I am sooooo anxious to try one, and really appreciate the help.

I am off to the store and the basement...gotta go play.

take care
michele

If you forget to put styrofoam in, or if you just wanted a small hole in the side, you can carve it in when you first remove the outer frame. It's a good time to make drainage holes if you forgot that, too.

Another way is to add little pieces of wood, or foam in the preparation. Wen the trought is cured, you put the trought in the fire. When burning the wood add very nice effetcs.

Good suggestion, Clovis. Maybe some coloration akin to an unevenly heated kiln? Very cool. I wonder if anyone at the hypertufa forum has tried this.

I saw somebody somewhere, don't remember where, using kiln and oxyde, really original.