Troughs are a great place to grow alpine plants away from the larger border plants.
Arrange tiny plants, perhaps around a piece of stone, to create a miniature alpine landscape with a dwarf shrub or conifer at one corner to add a sense of scale and maturity. 1 Alpines need good drainage so make up a gritty planting mixture combining equal parts of grit and loam-based compost. Then fill the trough. Ensure the pots of alpines are moist before they are planted. As each plant is inserted into the compost mixture it should be firmed in well.