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fotisr

Investment!

fotisr
10 years ago

Hello, it's been sometime since I last posted. I'm coming back with a bang! This is not a spring purchase. This is an investment!! I've been collecting wanted trees since last November from all over Europe (mostly Edwin!). I finally found time to move them to my garden and now most of them are in the ground. More images with the plants in their positions will follow after Easter holidays! Here are the new babies and the list.
{{gwi:690559}}

{{gwi:690561}}
from right to left:
Picea omorika (seedling I'm trying to save) local
Picea pungens 'Iseli Fastigiate' Edwin
Abies x vilmorinii 'Pendula' (pinsapo x cephalonica) Edwin
Pinus mugo 'Jakobsen' ebay
Picea omorika 'Bruns' Edwin
Abies koreana seedling ebay
Cedrus brevifolia 'Kenwith' H.Geers
Pinus schwerinii 'Wiethorst' Edwin
Pseudotsuga menziesii seedling ebay
Picea abies 'Filips Mystic Black' Edwin of course

{{gwi:690563}}
Acer rubrum seedling ebay
Cunninghamia lanceolata 'Glauca' Edwin
Larix Kaempferi seedling ebay
Ginkgo biloba 'Everton Broom' ebay (I think Stephen's introduction)
Picea smithiana 'Sunray' Specimen from Stephen Grubb
Abies procera 'Glauca Prostrata' Edwin
Abies numidica 'Pendula' Edwin
Picea abies 'Cranstonii' Edwin
Picea abies 'Virgata' Edwin

{{gwi:690565}}
Abies sibirica Edwin
Pinus reflexa 'Vanderwolf's Pyramid' ebay
Cedrus deodara 'Feelin Blue' local (my 3rd. This one will be stalked for height)
Sequoia sempervirens 'Kelly's Prostrate' H.Geers (I've been looking all over for this and finally...)
Picea mariana 'Aureovariegata' Edwin
Cedrus brevifolia Esveld (the one of the four true cedars I didn't own but now..!)
Picea pungens (seedling with fastigiate habbit)

On the back there are Acer palmatum 'Firemoon' and 'Bi Hoo' plus some seedlings and one Pinus heldreichii 'Smidtii' ebay
Most of the plants have their spring growth already hardened. Spring has come and gone for Athens. All of the trees planted are under irrigation just to keep them alive through their establishment period... More to follow in two weeks!

Best regards,
Fotis

Comments (13)

  • monkeytreeboy15
    10 years ago

    Nice hall, Fotis!
    Thanks for keeping us all in the loop. It's great to see such a variety in a country I don't often think of as an area of conifer-collecting!

    -Sam

  • Garen Rees
    10 years ago

    Very nice! Can't wait to seeing the plantings.

  • coniferjoy
    10 years ago

    Fotis, it's good to see that all your requested conifers made it safely to your place.
    I'm surprised that all these have new growth which are already hardened off.
    Here in The Netherlands the buds of most the needle conifers are just breaking...

    Can you show us a pic of the Picea pungens with the fastigiate growing habit and what is the story behind it?

  • Cher
    10 years ago

    Fantastic looking conifers. You have a lot of work a head of you. Can't wait to see all the photos of placement.
    Cher

  • gardener365
    10 years ago

    Fotis, you chose many stunning conifers. Are you planting a new space?

    Dax

  • maple_grove_gw
    10 years ago

    Wow, Fotis, that's a very nice investment indeed. Looks like a great selection and high quality. Can't wait to see them in their new homes in the ground. It's always interesting to see your garden.

    Alex

  • fotisr
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you my friends!

    Sam, you're completely right. Although there is hope and I've been to places where conifers are becoming a part of life slowly.

    Garen, Cher and Alex, thank you! Images of completion are coming although plantings are young and spaced far so they look sparse and I don't know if they show any exciting show for some years. I'm still lacking any plants that have developed carachter. Still quite young garden!

    Dax, I'm still developing my own space plus my conifer hedge for privacy from the next property and I'm becoming full, something like your situation (but way smaller)! Some places left for some abies seedlings (alba, numidica, nebrodensis, homolepis, lasiocarpa, cephalonica, pindrow, koreana) and some for redwood seedlings-cuttings and I'm done with the big stuff!

    Edwin all the plants I brought to Athens from northern Europe came to spring very early. Your plants were breaking bud in late January. But the winter was mild here so almost all are perefect! (Bruns and Abies sibirica had some needle damage due to heat I beleive but the new buds are fine).
    I've posted the story of the P.pungens seedling earlier
    http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/conif/msg1210314421769.html
    since it's grown here, it's now breaking bus slowly so I don't know how the new growth will look like. Last years growth made about 25 leader-like branches and made this seedling VERY different from 100s of others I saw last December, so I bought it. I'll let you know as soon as new growth is hardened.

    Best regads,
    Fotis

  • coniferjoy
    10 years ago

    Fotis, I remember your nice fastigiate pungens now.
    If it keeps this growing habit you should call it 'Red Ribbon Column' because it was wearing one.

    What happened to that curly Pinus mugo seedling, is it still around?
    Is it the one in your third pic, front row?

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    i hope your understanding of the language.. allows a joke ...

    but when you say this: This is not a spring purchase. This is an investment!!

    i had to smile... we all justify our addiction in various ways.. lol ...

    i tell my wife the same thing.. and she rolls her eyes .. lol

    ken

  • barbaraincalif
    10 years ago

    Wow, nice selection of beautiful and healthy plants!

    Believe your climate in Greece is similar to ours in central California, so I've been watching your posts to see what grows well for you. I'd like add some small dwarf Abies to my garden in full sun...any you can recommend which have done well?

    Thanks,
    Barbara

  • davidrt28 (zone 7)
    10 years ago

    "Believe your climate in Greece is similar to ours in central California"

    Well, sort of; Greece is somewhat more humid, thus warm at night and prone to a pop-up thunderstorms in summer. The Mediterranean gets a lot warmer than the coastal CA Pacific ever does. I have no doubt that the most fussy of California plants like the manzanitas would struggle in parts of Greece, though maybe not at Fotis's elevation.

    Impressive collection Fotis! I look forward to seeing you post progress pictures of these over the years. I'm particularly curious how Larix kaempferi will do in the long run for you. Do you have spots in swales or depressions that can capture what limited summer rainfall you do have? It comes from a climate with very reliable summer rainfall as you know.
    I can't remember, did you already plant an Araucaria araucana? I don't remember details of our prior discussions but it seems like something you should at least try, if you are willing to try Japanese larch. Maybe they are harder to find?

    This post was edited by davidrt28 on Sun, Apr 28, 13 at 16:02

  • fotisr
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Edwin you know you have very good eyes!! That's the plant. I'm waiting to see the new needles!

    Ken, lol! You can't have a garden like yours with rolling eyes! It needs investments!

    Thank you Barbara! Unfortunately, I still don;t have good experience on Abies cultivars. I can tell you this. Abies lasiocarpa 'Compacta'! If you haven't one or two go and get one tomorrow! I planted 3 years ago a 5litre pot and it behaved excellent! Heat and drought tollerant and perfect form here for me. Also Abies pinsapo 'Horstmann' and 'Aurea' performed very good for 3 years. Also Abies nordmanniana 'Golden Spreader' is fine under shade cloth without irrigation. My second one is in afyernoon deep shade lost all 2-year and older needles so looks a bit ugly but it has now many fat buds so I know it's coping just fine now and it will look great soon! I lost one Abies koreana 'Kohout's Icebreaker' and one Abies procera 'Blaue Hexe' in full sun without irrigation. I now have them in afternoon shade. Still too early to tell. All my other Abies cultivars are young and still in pots. I'll post with news.

    David, very true. I'm even willing to try one Larix gmelinii seedling I have! I'll be sure to irrigate them for many years. Thank you for that! I haven't yet tried araucana. All of my seedlings are quite small, 2 years and they are still in pots. Yes I'm trying them. They look good for me. I'm thinking of purchasing a bigger specimen though for faster gratification!

    Best regards,
    Fotis

  • barbaraincalif
    10 years ago

    Thanks Fotis...you must have wetter summers than us because very few garden plants can survive here without summer irrigation.

    Was excited to see your beautiful Abies lasiocarpa 'Compacta' on a previous thread and it went to the top of my want-list. Abies pinsapo 'Horstmann' and Abies koreana 'Cis' are successfully growing in partial shade, while a potted Abies concolor 'LaVeta' has been doing well in the shade house and is now big enough to get planted out....it too will get afternoon shade. I'm just not brave enough to put these out into the blazing heat!

    Please keep us updated,
    Barbara

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