Aubrieta 'Rock On Pink'

Aubrieta 'Rock On Pink': Pink Mats That Tumble Over Stone

'Rock On Pink' is what happens when a rock garden gets a punk makeover. Dense sheets of bright pink spill over stone like they're crowd surfing, and the deer don't even try to get in the pit. MOSH PIT, BUT MAKE IT PRETTY.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Aubrieta gracilis 'Rock On Pink'
• Common Name: Rock Cress
• Height: 10–15 cm (4–6 in)
• Spread: 40–50 cm (16–20 in)
• Flowers: Small, four-petalled, bright pink flowers in dense sheets over the foliage
• Bloom Time: Spring (April to June)
• Foliage: Grey-green, mat-forming and semi-evergreen

Where to Plant: Use it to soften the edges of stone walls, rock gardens, alpine troughs and sunny slopes, or let it creep between pavers. In a container it spills nicely over the rim. It's a good fit for a hot, dry, gravelly spot that most perennials would find too harsh.

Companion Plants: Use 'Rock On Pink' as the spring carpet of a dry, sunny bed that turns yellow in summer. Sedum 'Tricolor' adds pink, cream and green leaves at 10 to 15 cm with pink flowers from June to August. Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb' brings golden threadleaf daisies at 30 to 46 cm from June to August. Phlomis russeliana adds whorls of soft yellow hooded flowers at 90 cm from June to August. Pennisetum 'Hameln' arches at 50 to 70 cm with soft fountain-grass plumes.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun, in lean, sharply drained soil. Gritty, sandy or limestone-based soil is ideal; rock cress dislikes wet feet, especially over winter. If you have heavy clay, plant it on a slope, in a raised bed or between stones. Water through its first season, then only during long dry spells. Shear the plant back by about half right after it finishes flowering. That keeps the mat dense and tidy and can bring a light second flush. Don't cut it back in fall, and don't pile mulch over the crown. Rock cress is best left undivided while it's thriving. Older mats that open up in the centre can be refreshed by division or by rooting a few cuttings in early fall.

History: The genus Aubrieta was named in 1763 by the French botanist Michel Adanson in honour of Claude Aubriet, a French painter of flowers and natural history. Its twenty or so species come from the mountains and rocky slopes of southeastern Europe and western Asia.

Final Thoughts: Hot, dry and rocky is exactly the venue it prefers. Plant a few and give the early bees something to scream about. PINK IS THE NEW PUNK.