You have such an amazing conifer garden, Dan! I always save the pictures of your garden into my "Inspiration" folder.

I think I write for everyone in saying that two pictures is not enough!

Matt

Just beautiful, I'm always so envious of those fortunate enough to be able to grow japenese maples and pavliflora, emaculant garden

Things will look better in a couple of weeks? It looks way beyond perfect to me lol. What's that red Acer?

Wow! Your gardens are a true inspiration. Gorgeous photos and that bed is to die for. Glad you are getting ambitious again, but we don't want you to lose it. Maybe a new post every week or so with a few photos could be worked in. The same would be nice in the Hosta forum. Oh-oh now I am getting greedy for eye candy. :)
Cher

Looks great Dan.

I knew you would be on board again with spring in the offering.

The extension on the first bed really jumps. Also the right mix of plants is sometimes difficult to do in a given area but you have that down to a science.

Things are growing and soon over crowding will become and issue as it has been with me. Dealing with it is not easy and sometimes you have to say goodby to old friends.

Thanks for the photos.

Dave

Thanks Matt, harv, Rick, Cher and Dave!

Rick, the concolors in the bed will pop with more blue in a couple of weeks and there's a Picea omorika 'Peve Tijn' in there too that will add a touch of gold. The red acer is Acer palmatum 'Sumi nagashi' (at least that's Vertrees spelling, some spell it as one word) I got it as one of those e-bay "twigs" (8" new graft) which I definitely wouldn't recommend, but shows it's possible to end up with a nice tree from them. One of those newbie mistakes that turned out okay :)

Cher, I'll see what I can do ;) :)

Dave, I've been "saying goodbye to old friends" already this year. An eight foot Abies koreana 'Aurea' went as well as a Pinus densiflora 'Jane Kluis'.
Tough decisions to make but necessary.
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Dan

Incredible display! I like the Picea abies 'Gold Drift'.

Excellent job of layering the plants. Can't wait to see more!

What does saying goodbye mean by the way? New owner or composted?

Dan...Youve got talent! Awesome gardens.

Very good to see you here again, Dan. Thanks.

tj

Beautiful!
Richard

Thanks sluice, whaas, alleycat, tj and Richard.

whaas, Unfortunately both plants went to the compost bin. The A.k.'Aurea' was too big and the other was too tight to move.

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thanks again,
Dan

Super lucious Dan. I love the ferns though to be honest, they are native here and soo numerous in my garden I pull them! Yours look perfect as do your conifer beds. Remarkable compilation of plants and proof that while plants may collide one day, gardening is about pleasing the owner, not others, and also not necessarily about having ten feet of mulch seperating plants like an arboretum.

Perfect, please share more.

-Will

Hi Will, Good to hear from you. The ferns can be invasive here too but they are easy to remove and I find that a little bit of naturalizing sometimes helps tie things together as long as you don't let them take over. I also like the texture they provide. Appreciate the nice comments !

Dan

Dan,
I love your pictures of your gardens! All the layers of colors and texture are pleasing to me and something I am trying to emulate.

The talk of outgrowing beds and changing things is one that I've heard referenced on some of the other guys threads and here again in this one. Since some of these trees start off sooo small, it's natural to want to plant them closer than they should be. I'd love to hear you and some of the other knowledgeable people here talk further on "how" you decide how far to push the planting distance....and how large some trees can be when you decide they must (and still can be moved?)

I've decided that for my zone, I love seeing Japanese Maple, conifers and hosta interplayed (other things too of course). If heather would/could grow for me, I would be growing that also as I love seeing that in gardens : )

Coming to these forums and virtually visiting yours and so many other beautiful gardens is a gift that I look forward to. Please keep the pictures coming!

Beautiful bed!

Does your acer palmatum suminagashi retain its color well through the summer? I'm looking for one that does well with a good deal of sun and will hold its color.

I love how they are closely planted in the last photo, but when you have to thin them eventually, will you be able to (or at least plan to ) save them?

Also, how long did it take it to grow to that height. I'm not going to start with anything nearly as small as you did, but would don't want to underestimate its growth rate either.

Thanks!
Angela

Thanks Windhaven and Angela!

I'm probably not the best person to take spacing advice from. Gardening on a lot of just over a quarter acre with woody plants has its challenges. My advice would be start with anchor plants
that you really like and give them enough space to grow for the next 20 years or whatever time frame you decide. Do whatever you'd like in between to make it a garden you enjoy. Then substract things as time goes by.

The maples have been there for about ten years.Growing Japanese Maples in zone 5a is not the easiest either so things are placed in more protected areas which adds to the crowding. They were small 1-3 gallon plants when I got them. I've had mixed results moving maples so we'll see when it's time. The Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum' will stay, the other two we'll see. I had hoped that I could get the Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum' to grow up and over the A.p. 'Red Dragon' but the shirasawanums grow really slowly here so I'm not sure this will happen. I think with careful pruning I can get by for a few more years and in the mean time I'm going to enjoy the combined colors and textures of cool foliage :)

Thanks again,
Dan

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P.S. A.p. 'Sumi nagashi' does get that green/red color towards the end of Summer but it is accented by bright red new growth. This tree has a western exposure in my garden and has performed well for me.

Dan, any chance of a pic of your Pinus heldreichii 'Irish Bell'? Must be pretty big now...

I'm always amazed at how you make this work on a 1/4 acre. Perfect planning to say the least.

Which A. concolor cultivar is that behind the Picea glauca 'Pendula'?

If anything needs to get the boot, I'll have my shovel and burlap ready to go!

Severnside, the 'Irish Bell' got moved to a spot that it didn't like very much for a couple of years. It's in a better spot with better drainage now. It hasn't increased much in size because of the two moves but is looking much better. I'll try to snap a new photo in the next week or two.

whaas, 'Watezii' I think is the one you're talking about. I'll keep you in mind when something else needs to go.

Dan

Glad it's on the up again Dan, look forward to a pic.

Dan, if your Abies concolor is the true 'Wattezii' then it's new growth must be creamy white now at this moment.

I think we're talking about the one at the 3th pic, left side...

To me it looks more like an 'Compacta'.

That fern hosta JM photo is so beautiful- I am so stealing that design for a project area!

Dan, another request.

You have the only other Picea pungens 'Millcreek Broom' I've seen pictured last time I checked. Do you still have it? Mine is a bicolour at present wheras yours seemed to be all blue. Any chance of a recent pic?

Mine today
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Whole plant a few weeks ago
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Severnside,

Here's a couple pics of the one I bought labeled as Picea pungens 'Millcreek Broom' from Gee Farms a couple of years ago.

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If someone thought it might be Picea abies instead I probably wouldn't argue.

Here's the Pinus heldreichii 'Irish Bell' pic you wanted unfortunately the Robinia pseudoacacia 'Frisia' decided to drop all of its flowers today :)
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Coniferjoy, Here's the one I got labeled as Abies concolor 'Watezii' from Rich's Foxwillow Pines about 6 years ago. I don't think it's 'Compacta' which had tighter form an thicker needles to my recollection. Let me know what you think.

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Dan

Thanks Dan, wow that has confused things, which is which and what? Hopefully Edwin will step in.

The 'Irish bell' looks non the worse for it's double move, great specimen, not long until it starts to make the 'bell'.

Dan, thanks for the close up pics of your Abies concolor.
These pics are showing us a differend vieuw and colour.
I can say for sure now that your's isn't a 'Wattezii' because it's needles are to blue, the true one do have grey green needles and it's new growth do have a pale creamy colour.
Your's is an Abies concolor 'Violacea' which will grow into a large tree some day.

Also Dan's Picea pungens 'Millcreek Broom' isn't right.
It's a Picea glauca 'Cecilia'...

I hope I helped the both of you with this info :0)

How do I always end up getting dragged into these nomencalture debates, just wanted to post a few pretty photos ;) :).

Hi Edwin, I appreciate your efforts to try to keep cultivar pics and names as accurate as possible on the internet. I believe your definitive I.D. of the one I have listed as 'Milcreek Broom' as Picea glauca 'Cecilia' is incorrect however. Here's a closeup of the one I have marked as 'Millcreek Broom'
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Bud color and shape as well as shoot color are incorrect for Picea glauca 'Cecilia'.

At the risk of opening up another can of worms, here's a closeup of Picea glauca 'Cecilia' :)

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Thanks for the feedback on the concolor,
Dan

P.S. a little color,
Picea pungens 'Gebelle's Golden Spring' pics from today
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First and foremost your pictures and specimens are appreciated Dan. Great stuff.

Here's the only other picture I've seen of P.p 'Millcreek Broom' showing a similar green bicolour, yet tantalizingly too small to really see.

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I'm also thinking its not 'Cecilia'. I'm a few weeks behind Dan, but last year this is how my 'Cecilia' looked while buds were extending.

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tj

I thought Picea abies......

Dan, stunning. What else can I say. And, it sure is good to see you around.

Dax

Ahhhh.... there is nothing quite like spring-time. Thanks for posting these photos.

Yes Dan fabulous pics as always ..

Dan,

I always enjoy your photos. Are any of the hostas your seedlings?

Keith

Awesome photos and gardens Dan, awesome. Hard to get enough, but then again that's how I garden too!

Keep them coming.

-Will

Thanks for the nice comments guys!

Will, you're right I do see definite similarities in our gardening styles :)

Keith, my hosta seedlings are in different beds. I've got no room for them either ;) :)
Thanks again,
Dan
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OMG that's the fabulous photos I remember. That Hosta is breathtaking. In fact the one in the lower corner is beautiful also. That second shot especially just makes me want to leave this photo up the rest of the day and look at it. Envy setting in over here. :)
Cher

I was just thinking after looking at your last post that 'the bench photos' would keep unruly(s) from visiting the house therefore giving a quiet atmosphere to enjoy to ones' self. Now I realize that all my friends would congregate, to my house. Enough said? I think so.

Dax

Surprised that someone has not said this regarding Coniferjoy's post.

"I can say for sure now that your's isn't a 'Wattezii' because it's needles are to blue,"

Should be written as "too blue."

Dan, your gardens are amazing. Very tastefully done and I love how you have incorporated a few perennials in with your conifers. Thanks for sharing your photos.

The hostas in your last photo are BEAUTIFUL!!! What variety are the last two?

Thanks Cher, Dax and ladylotus!

ladylotus, the hostas in the two photos are seedlings of mine. I do crosses during the Summer, mark the crosses , collect the seeds in the Fall and grow them in the basement under fluorescent shoplights during the Winter.

Thanks,
Dan

Dan, those are some very beautiful seedlings. Will you be naming them and registering them eventually? Just curious, what cross did you make?

I hybridize peonies and daylilies. It is so exciting to go down to my seedling beds and see the new flowers blooming.