Rock soapwort (Tumbling Ted)

Hardy Herbaceous Perennial.
Flowers: Summer.
Height: 6 inches.
Ideal For: Bedding, Border, Ground Cover, Rockery.
Germination: Experience Useful. Aftercare: Easy.
Spreading rockery, or paving plant, myriads of ½in pink flowers.
Sowing Instructions: Sow in trays, pots, etc of good seed compost in a propagator or warm place to maintain an optimum temperature of +15+18 °C.
Sow in well drained compost, just covering the seed with compost.
Sowing Time: February- July. Germination usually takes 14-30 days.
Growing Instructions: Transplant seedlings when large enough to handle into 7.5 cm pots.
Grow on in a cold frame and plant out the following spring 30 cm apart in full sun.
Aftercare Instructions: Prefers a well drained soil.

* Homeland: Southern European mountains, the Alps. Sunny slopes and limestone cliffs. A profusely flowering perennial plant that requires very little care.
Soft cushions up to 20 cm high, formed by long low-growing shoots. The leaf is narrow, oval, linear, matte green. The inflorescences are pink-red, fragrant, small, star-shaped, in the form of numerous umbrellas at the end of a forked stem. It blooms very abundantly from June to August. Winter-hardy.
Location: prefers a sunny location, tolerates light shading, overwinters without shelter.
Soil: moderately dry, fresh, loose, moderately fertilized, limed. Does not tolerate damp and heavy soils! Good drainage is required.
Care: cut off 1/3 of the basil-leaved soapwort after flowering, this will make the plant compact. In September, new, weaker inflorescences will appear. Trim the soapwort for the winter.
Propagation: by seeds, dividing the bush in autumn and by green cuttings in spring and summer. The tops of young shoots are used for cuttings. The feeding area for adult plants is 30 x 30 cm. They can grow in one place for up to 6-8 years.
Use: in groups, flower beds and mixborders, sometimes for cutting.
Partners: soapwort looks good in combination with aconites, ferns.
Campanula garganisa, Cerastium tomentosum, Iberis saxatilis, Veronica spicata ssp. incana are suitable for basil-leaved soapwort.

Eng.: Rock soapwort, Tumbling Ted.