you have a lot more space than i ever imagined ...

i dont think spring will ever hit MI .... it was 20 something last night.. i am afraid to get things out of the garage .....

thx for the tour.. and the pix

ken

Alex, Thanks for brightening up my day! I feel conifers and JMs are great together. Nice garden. Jay

Yes, conifers and Japanese maples go together quite well. Here's a few under an Abies procera.
Mike

Thanks for the post, Alex. Spring has yet to arrive in central Wisconsin, so your pictures are a nice reprieve from the snow and frozen ground. I really like the landscape shots, do you have perennials growing in there with the conifers and maples? Also, nice order from Coenosium! I typically don't like things on standard but the three Bob sent look very nice.

How is your grafting operation coming along so far?

Matt

Very nice, Alex. Appreciate you taking the time to post.

tj

Alex, thanks for showing us the spring in your garden pics.

Pinus thunbergiana 'Koto Buki' must be written as 'Kotobuki'.
I'm not sure if your specimen is the right one.
It's needle colour is not right for this species, normaly seen They're a true dark green.
Also it's needles are pretty short.
Do you've another pic of it taken in autumn or winter time, one from which I can see it's buds more clear?
Thanks in advance!

You bought yourself some nice additions, those are good quality conifers.
Picea abies 'Norrkoping', must be written as 'Norrköping' or 'Norrkoeping'.
It was found in Norrköping, which is situated in Sweden.

Thanks Ken, Jay, Mike, Matt, tj, and Edwin. Ken, I've got a bit over an acre. Hope things warm up for you soon. This past Monday night, we had a frost warning which got me scared for the maples, thankfully it only got down to about 33. Since then, lows in the 40s and nothing colder going forward.

Mike, I love your maples, the branch architecture is very nice. Did you grow them from seedlings? How old are they?

Matt, today I have about 10% as many perennials as i did five years ago. In fact, I spent yesterday afternoon removing Russian sage and sunflowers, and replacing them with five specimens of Picea omorika 'Pendula'. I'd say that my focus has changed and I don't have as much time to devote to work-intensive perennials. I'd like to use perennials more intelligently in the future, and I plan to selectively design in perennials that can work well with conifers and don't require too much care. Grafting's going well, and I'll post some pictures next month when I bring new grafts outside.

Edwin, thanks for the help with names, always appreciated. Unfortunately, I don't have older pictures of my 'Kotobuki'. I'll post some pictures later in the year to get your opinion.

Alex

Alex, the maple is almost 40 years old. If I remember right, it's a 'Garnet'. I prune from the bottom inside and go up, making a thin umbrella.
Thanks for posting pictures of your garden. You're busy!....and all that space!
Mike