Steppe and the Garden
By Panayoti Kelaidis
Views of
Denver Botanic Gardens in 1977
(all annual
bedding)
Transformation
in Watersmart garden
Perennial
border with Mediterranean
And Steppe plants
Western
Panoramas: meadow garden
Ratibida columnifera
Asclepias tuberosa
Penstemon grandifloras
Hordeum jubatum
Plantasia
meadow with Eremurus
Eremurus stenophyllus
Clematis
integrifolia Mongolian bells’
Clematis tenuiloba
Meadow at
Chatfield
Plants lead
the way to Steppe:
Allium aflatuense
Helianthemum
numullarium
Artemisia
frigida
VENN Diagram
of Steppe
Dryness due
to being in the lea
of Mountain
Ranges:
Rocky Mountains
Andes
Himalaya and Tian Shan
Drakensberg
Rainfall in
the USA much less than Europe
Cradle of
Mankind outside of Johennesburg
Larges concentration of
Hominid remains due to geology
Humans
evolved on the steppe for over 3 million years
The Human
M.O. as Conqueror due to Steppe
Civilization
rose from domestication of grasses
Grass family
still most dominant
N America: Sorghastrum nutans
Asia: Calamagrostis
wrightii
S
America: Cortaderia selloana
S Africa: Merxmuellera nutans
Petaloid Monocots
Iriodyction
section of Iris
Iris
x reticulate ‘Spot on’ etc.
(Alan McMurtrie hybrids)
Iris iberica ssp. elegtantissima
Iris vicaria
Iris bucharica
Tulipa sprengeri
N America: Penstemon crandallii
Asia. Veronica
bombycina
S America: Ourisia microphylla
S Africa
Aptosimum procumbens:
Scutellaria
pectinata
Salvia hypargeia
Salvia phlomoides
N America: Astragalus aretioides
Asia: Astragalus
angustifolia
S America: Anarthrophyllum desideratum
S Africa:
Lotonio sericea
Most of the
plants in Plant Select are
From the
Steppes
University
of Wurzurg
Asphodeline Taurica
Aubrieta deltoidea
Steppe
Garden
Troughs and
Crevice garden
Erinacea pungens
Alpine House
Crevice
Gardens invented in Czechia
Many fine exaples at DBG
Kenton Seth,
Kenton J.
Seth ineedacupoftea@gmail.com
Check out website
and business site
Large garden at Radio Station in G.J.
Tulipa linifolia & Erigeron compositus
Phlox nana
Ruschia pulvinaris
Aloinopsis spathulata
“Alonanthus” hybrid
Alyssum strybnriyi
Inspiration
by design:
Garden in
New Zealand
Jo Wakelin
Bannockburn:
NZ Steppe
Growing
Eremurus robustus
E. himalicus for sale
Inspiration
by Nature
Centranthus ruber
Reseda sp.
Thymus vulgaris
Rheum nanum
Matthiola montana
Pterocephalus depressus
Pulsatilla albana Yellow
Tradescantia albana
Erigeron algidus
Phlox nana at Pat and Joel Hawyard’s
Eriogonum corymbosum In nature and the
garden
Zauschneria
septentrionalis
Monardella
macantha ‘Marion Sampson’
“The land of
Soria is cold and dry
Over the
hills and bald peaks
Springtime
passes
Leaving
among the aromatic herbs
Her
diminutive white daisies”
Antonio
Machada
(Spanish
Poet)
Website:
www. Prairiebreak.blogspot.com
Twitter:
#Telesonix
Don’t forget
Steppe related events:
aTree Diversity Symposium March 10 at
Denver
aCactus and Succulent Sale on March 25-26
aRock Garden Sale April 22 @ DBG
aSpecial lecture by Tony Hall, on Juno
Iris May 30
(See DBG course catalog on website for all
of these)
