Androsace dasyphilla

These plants are great for the rock garden. Some are easy to care for and some need special treatment. They need a well-drained soil consisting of loam, sand, leaf mold and grit. Most of them need a spot that is partially shaded and plenty of water during dry weather in the spring and summer. Some will thrive on sloping or level parts of the rock garden; others should be planted in vertical crevices among the rocks.

As soon as they are done flowering, the old plants can be separated into pieces and repotted singly in small pots of gritty soil and placed in a shady frame until well rooted. Seeds can also be sown as soon as they are ripe in late summer in pans of gritty soil kept in a shady cold frame until they sprout. When they re large enough to handle, the baby plants are set 2 inches apart in new flower pans and, later, they re potted separately in small pots. They are kept in the frame until they have formed a good root system, which is when they can be planted outdoors. Cuttings may also be inserted in pots of sandy soil in June or July and set in a cold, shady frame kept closed for a few weeks.