Winter Hardy Ice Plants (Delosperma congesta) for the Rock Garden

Instead of pure stone deserts, which are now found in many front gardens, colorfully planted rock gardens can be a good alternative. These are also easy to care for and moreover impress with their vibrancy and individual charm. However, making a selection from the great variety of different rock garden plants is usually difficult. A small tip: The rock garden proves to be particularly easy to care for if only winter-hardy plants are selected. Very decorative representatives include, for example, the Winter Hardy Ice Plants (Delosperma congesta), whose varieties can bear various flower colors, or the cheerfully yellow Midday Flowers (Delosperma congestum). Both plants belong to the genus Delosperma, and are excellent rock garden plants not only due to their frost tolerance.

The fleshy, evergreen leaves of Delosperma are a vibrant green. Representatives like the Midday Flowers are also characterized by their low growth and carpet-like spread. With a maximum height of under ten centimeters, they are ideally suited as ground cover. Besides their growth habits, the beautiful, striking blossoms of these small exotics are also noteworthy. Whether the yellow, tubular flowers of the Midday Flowers or the basket-like, differently colored blossoms of the Winter Hardy Ice Plants better suit your taste – each of these plants offers countless design possibilities for your rock garden. These succulent, or fleshy, plants prove to be extremely undemanding: a sunny location and dry, well-drained soil are sufficient for these African native plants to thrive splendidly. Under these site conditions, the perennials require hardly any care and only need to be protected from waterlogging and winter wetness. In case of doubt, a simple drainage system can ensure that these beautiful exotics don't get wet feet.

The main blooming season for Midday and Winter Hardy Ice Plants is in spring. However, with proper care, flowers will continue to appear in summer. To extend the blooming period as long as possible, simply nip off the capsules of the hermaphroditic plants directly after they finish blooming. If you can't get enough of these colorful flowering perennials, you can also propagate your plants via cuttings or by sowing seeds. For the latter, however, it must be noted that these plants are light germinators. Therefore, the seeds are not covered with planting substrate. By the way: The best planting substrate is a mixture consisting of equal parts sand, gravel, and potting or coconut soil.
A particularly nice idea: Self-propagated ice plants in specially designed rustic pots can also make a beautiful, unusual gift.

These vibrant blooms offer a wide range of uses. For example, they look great not only in rock gardens but also in balcony boxes, planters, flower pots, on slopes, embankments, borders, dry stone walls, on walls, or along wall edges...

As companion plants for these small exotics, other flowering cushion perennials can be particularly recommended. Due to similar demands on soil and climate, almost all succulents are suitable companions in a rock garden bed. Stonecrop, Sedum, or winter-hardy Opuntia are just a few examples of suitable representatives. A final tip: When designing your rock garden, make sure to place all low-growing species towards the front and taller plants towards the back. Only then will you achieve a visually appealing result and ensure all plants receive an equal amount of sun.