Cracks and Crevices – The art of rock and crevice gardening

Paul Spriggs, owner of Spriggs Gardens Landscaping

I have collected rocks for years, cannot go for a beach walk without coming back with a pocket full of them.  What do I do with all these rocks you may ask, well display them in jars, on windowsills, and around planters outside. They hold good energy.  For me personally what can be more fun than creating with rocks and plants, they go together naturally.  As most gardeners on Vancouver Island can attest, we live on rock-based soil. In my own backyard, whenever I dig down 2-4 inches I hit rock, and my back wall and along the driveway is a rock face, filled with cracks and crevices just asking to be filled with plants. However, I have not had any luck as it is steep, and the soil gets washed and blown away, leaving only weeds that thrive.

Paul Spriggs is the owner of Spriggs Gardens Landscaping and past President of the Vancouver Island Rock and Alpine Garden Society. He has been rock gardening for roughly 23 years and building crevice gardens for 16 years. Having learned the craft of crevice garden building directly from one of its innovators, Zdenek Zvolanek from the Czech Republic Paul has a passion for all wild plants especially those of dwarf stature and collects and cultivates them at various gardens in Victoria and in the last decade and half has built many gardens in public parks and private homes.

Paul has just finished his work on the first North American book The Crevice Garden with co-author Kenton Seth and is now available.

There will be potatoes for sale for the Potatoe Contest, who will be the biggest potato grower this year?

If you are a current Sooke Garden Club member, or would like to join, come to the meeting on Wednesday, March 22nd at 7:00pm at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church. 

You can also check our Facebook page, or email us at Sookegc@gmail.com to learn more.