As colourful trailing little plants, rock roses — or helianthemums — take some beating. All they need is well-drained soil and full light and they will happily spread themselves around and flower their hearts out, perhaps in a gravel garden or pouring over the edge of a low wall. The season’s first crop of flowers is passing, but you will be in time for the second if you plant them now. And if you already have rock roses in your garden, now is the time to do a little maintenance to keep them in hand and looking their best.
Rock roses are little Mediterranean evergreens. The body of the plant, the woodier part, is only 8-10cm high, but the long flower stems laden with blooms
