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dansgrdn

Spring color 2013

dansgrdn
10 years ago

{{gwi:738675}}

{{gwi:738677}}

Dan

Comments (58)

  • ogcon
    10 years ago

    It doesn't get any better than that and for me the concolor
    almost steals the show,which is it?Doug

  • ogcon
    10 years ago

    Sorry,Imeant the concolor after your words"a few more".D.

  • dansgrdn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    John, I got my 'Gold Drift' from Coenosium about 9 years ago as a 1 Gallon plant. It's now 8 feet tall before this year's growth. Patience will pay off, but I know it's hard :). I used to be in a hurry for things to get bigger, but now since I have some larger plants and lack space, I enjoy the process of buying smaller and watching things grow. I saw a couple larger 'Gold Drifts' at Stonewall in Wisconsin last year. I think he kept one and sold one. You might want to give him a call if you just can't wait ;) :)

    Dan

    P.S.

    Took this pic of Picea pungens 'Walnut Glen' this morning so figured I'd share it too.

  • dansgrdn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    edit double post

    This post was edited by dansgrdn on Sun, May 26, 13 at 13:02

  • outback63 Dennison
    10 years ago

    Dan the guy that shows up once or twice a year with photos of his beautiful conifer garden.

    One of the best when it shows up.

    Thanks Dan.

    By the way the 'Perry's Gold'. What are you plans for it when it gets this big? 7-8 years away.

    I see it's trying to put up a central leader which is its nature. You might want to go with it instead of the horizontal path it is now on.

    {{gwi:682087}}

  • Fiddlegal08
    10 years ago

    Illinois-John, call Conifer Kingdom. They have some pretty large Picea abies 'Gold Drift'. I actually drove down there to pick one up that was too big to ship. They don't always have all the sizes listed on their website.

  • Fiddlegal08
    10 years ago

    Dan, WOW! Not enough superlatives to describe this little heaven you've created! I love the mix of conifers and acers. You are an artist!

    Ellen

  • dansgrdn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks Ellen!

    Nice 'Perry's Gold' Dave!

    The Picea engelmannii 'Bush's Lace', Picea abies 'Gold Drift', Picea glauca 'Pendula', Picea pungens 'The Blues' and Picea omorika 'Gotelli Weeping' are all staying in this bed. Everything else including the 'Perry's Gold' is slated for moving and incorporation into another "project".
    Thanks for the comments.

    {{gwi:738685}}

  • whaas_5a
    10 years ago

    Dan, what a spectacular show! Who would have thought that conifers would rival spring blooms.

  • coniferjoy
    10 years ago

    Dan, again you showed us some fantastic pics, your garden is getting nicer by the year!
    I like your combination of the several Picea cultivars very much!
    Which is the one at your 6th pic?

  • sc77 (6b MA)
    10 years ago

    Incredible garden!! Color combinations are exceptional and you selected so many of the cultivars I have on my wish list.

    Thanks for the tour.
    Shawn

  • dansgrdn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Doug, sorry I missed your question, the concolor I got as 'Wattezii' but Edwin has suggested it's more likely 'Violacea'. I started pruning it last year but I have a few smaller cultivars to replace it with eventually.


    Dan

  • maple_grove_gw
    10 years ago

    Wow, Dan, your garden is truly exceptional, and nicely shows off the potential of many of our favorite plants under best-case circumstances. Love your rock work too. The way you bring it all together is artistry indeed.

    How old is the garden?

    Alex

  • dietzjm
    10 years ago

    I always look forward to your posts, Dan. Great pictures of a great garden. Feel free to post more. :)

  • alley_cat_gw_7b
    10 years ago

    Dan, Ive hoped more than once to see your gardens this spring.Very impressive and inspiring. Thanks
    `AL

  • barbaraincalif
    10 years ago

    There's not much left to be said about the gorgeous landscape you've created Dan, except that we all appreciate and admire the planning and work involved in creating and maintaining such wonderful piece of art!

    It must be a joy to walk through, especially first thing in the morning with a cup of coffee in your hand. Wish I was there right now....

    Please post photos year-round for us to watch the seasons change,

    Barbara

  • dansgrdn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks whaas, Alex, dietzjm, Al and Barbara, really appreciate the nice comments.

    Alex, I started the pondless waterfall as a weekend project the fall of 2004, so this Fall the oldest parts will be nine years old. It turned into more than a weekend project but I am amazed to say that this is the first winter where I did not buy one mail-order plant. Kind of proud of myself for that, since I've been saying I have no more room for years :) In years past I had metal halides lights in the garage for early leafing maples, doing the up and down garage door shuffle trying to avoid late frosts. A few years ago I started hybridizing hostas and growing them in the basement in the Winter and that has kind of been my "thing" for the last few years. If anyone's on Facebook which I finally just recently joined, you can find me at Dans Grdn if you want to check out some of the Hosta stuff, some conifer pics too.

    Here's a couple pics from the side yard bed with mostly miniature conifers. Still tweeking this space, there are a couple miniature firs that don't like this spot and need to get moved. Everything else seems to be doing okay though.

    {{gwi:360285}}

    Dan

    P.S. I know the Pinus jeffreyi 'Joppi' and Pinus thunbergii 'Thunderhead' in the background get big but you'd be amazed what I've been able to keep in check so far with a set of pruners :)

  • sprucebud
    10 years ago

    You have a really beautiful garden with some outstanding plants.
    Love it.
    Richard

    Love your garden chair too.

    This post was edited by sprucebud on Tue, May 28, 13 at 6:54

  • ricksample
    10 years ago

    Looks great... easily one of the best here on Gardenweb. It looks like you have done what I just started doing... mixing a lot of greens/blues/yellows/reds together.

  • bobfincham
    10 years ago

    Hi Dan,

    Things are really looking great. It is nice to see some of my plants are living in such a nice home.

    Bob

  • coniferjoy
    10 years ago

    Dan, is this the real colour of the Picea pungens 'Walnut Glen' or will it get more yellow later on?

  • coniferjoy
    10 years ago

    Double post...

    This post was edited by coniferjoy on Tue, May 28, 13 at 13:19

  • firefightergardener
    10 years ago

    What a garden. The amazing thing is that this shows maybe a quarter acre/half acre and the plants are all so well planted they have enough space(for now, of course, like in my own garden), and work off eachother SO well. People call it noisy, I call it spellbinding.

    I sure hope you're part of the ACS and that they visit soon if they haven't yet. It's one of the most beautiful small gardens I've seen in the world.

    -Will

  • dansgrdn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks Richard, Rick, and Will! All three of your gardens are favorites to see pics of.

    Edwin, mine always flushes a light limey green to dusty chartreuse color before hardening off and becoming blue brushed in gold. I always find it difficult to photograph.

    Bob, thanks for the nice comment. I owe a large portion of my garden to being able to purchase your wonderful plants.

    I tried to take a pic that incorporated what 'Walnut Glen' looked like today along with Bob's Picea abies 'Honey Pot' which is a new favorite purchased last year.
    {{gwi:738691}}

    and a couple more photos...
    {{gwi:738692}}

    {{gwi:738694}}

    Dan

    This post was edited by dansgrdn on Tue, May 28, 13 at 14:34

  • gardener365
    10 years ago

    Super duper Dan.

    Cheers,

    Dax

  • dansgrdn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks Dax.

    Picea orientalis 'Mt. Vernon'
    Picea pungens 'The Blues'
    To me this pic looked like a tree on a mountain with a river winding around it . It should waterfall over the ledge soon. Active imagination I guess :)

    {{gwi:738695}}

    Dan

  • Windhaven
    10 years ago

    I can't express just how much I enjoy seeing the pictures of your gardens Dan. The artistic way that you paint your plantings is so pleasing to the eye.

    Thanks for posting and please make it more often!

    Robyn

  • dansgrdn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Glad you are enjoying the pics Robyn and thanks.

    Here's another area with minis

    {{gwi:738696}}

    Dan

  • dietzjm
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the additional pics, Dan. Everything looks perfect! What is the long-needled pine in the third picture from the bottom? Is it a Pinus ponderosa?

    Can you provide us with some names of the mini cultivars you have pictured?

    Matt

  • alley_cat_gw_7b
    10 years ago

    Holy cow Dan! Have you ever been inside the house? lol ... Im in a stupor over the effort it takes to accomplish gardens like that......Well Done!
    `AL

  • tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
    10 years ago

    Dan's back and hoo-whee, lookee what he brung!

    That Pinus parvaflora 'Bergman' always strikes me as one of the finest specimens I've seen. It's been nice to see it grow up along with the rest of your artwork.

    Thanks for the cameo appearance. Now don't be a stranger.

    tj

  • dansgrdn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks AL!

    Matt, the long needled pine third from last pic is Pinus jeffreyi 'Joppi'

    Closer pic of side yard, seventh from bottom has Acer platanoides 'Curly Lamp Post' in back, to it's right Picea pungens 'St. Mary's Broom', in front of it Pinus edulis 'Farmy' to left of that Pseudotsuga menziesii 'Stormy', in front of it Picea abies 'Brno', to its left Pinus edulis 'Trinidad', to its right Abies concolor 'Charming Chub', in front of them Abies broom I got as a gift from
    Dennis Dodge for sending scions, labeled "Jerry Morris WB Weird'.

    Blue in last pic is Picea pungens 'Blaukissen', Pseudotsuga menziesii 'Shell Creek #72' to its left, Pinus uncinata 'Xenie' to its right , Abies concolor 'Eagle Point' in front of that, Pinus monophylla 'Blue Jazz' to it's left and finally Picea abies 'Van Bemmel'

    Dan

    P.S. another photo taken today, nothing special just like the foliage combo.

    Acer shirasawanum 'Autumn Moon, Picea pungens 'Mrs. Cesarini' and Picea orientalis 'Skylands'

    {{gwi:738697}}

  • conon
    10 years ago

    Outstanding work! I'll be using a few of your photos for upcoming screen savers.

    Is that 'Bergman' in the 7th photo from the top?

    Thanks

  • dansgrdn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks conon and tj.

    conon, yes it is Pinus parviflora 'Bergman'

    tj is was great meeting you at the ACS National Convention last year.

    A few more pics from this morning...
    Abies concolor 'Archer's Dwarf' is starting to form a nice little specimen.

    Tsuga canadensis 'Jeddeloh', Abies koreana 'Blauer Eskimo', and Pseudotsuga menziesii 'Blue Lullaby'

    Another view of the Spruce bed

    Have a great weekend,

    Dan

  • wannabegardnr
    10 years ago

    I am drooling.

  • abciximab
    10 years ago

    Wow Dan! Truly a magnificent garden!

    Patrick

  • Random_Treelore
    10 years ago

    Your plants look amazing... and I'm also very impressed by your lack of weeds. Your garden is very well tended!

  • dansgrdn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the kind comments Patrick and RT!

    Pinus strobus 'Squiggles' (center)
    Picea pungens 'Early Cones' (on standard)

    Dan

  • botann
    10 years ago

    Wonderful garden and always a joy to see. A top example of what a conifer garden should look like.
    Mike

  • dansgrdn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hi Mike, Thanks for the positive feedback. I much prefer the look of your beautiful garden with its natural look and open spaces, hoping to some day have a larger canvas to work with so I can achieve a similar look. Your fantastic photos always make me dream of more space :)

    Firs are no slam dunk in my climate, but concolor, koreana, and lasiocarpa have done the best for me. Fortunately they are three of my favorites :)
    Another pic from this morning:
    Abies concolor 'Tubby'

    Dan

  • aztcqn
    10 years ago

    Have never seen a conifer garden, before. Wonderful variety you have. Love the cultivar names, too - Charming Chub, Squiggles, Tubby and their appropriate cute shapes.

  • dorotamon
    10 years ago

    Hello Dan,
    Just amazing! If I may ask, what is the tall light green conifer tree in the first picture, center left back. Thank you!

  • dansgrdn
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Thanks, actcqn. Dorotamon, sorry, haven't been on this forum quite a while, if you can be a bit more specific, I'll try to answer your question.


    Dan

  • Olychick
    8 years ago

    Dan, I am just in awe of all the beautiful trees you've collected and arranged so artfully. I hope you didn't already answer this, but I'd love to know the tree in the center of Pic #2. A tall, slender drooping conifer. Thank you!


  • Linda's Garden z6 Utah
    8 years ago

    Dan, you have truly created one of the most beautiful gardens that I have seen. I noticed this post is quite old...Do you have any updated pictures?

  • plantkiller_il_5
    8 years ago

    Dan , thanks for bringing this post back up. Mandatory to see this 4 times a year,,,forever,,,

    Where HAVE you been ? We need you KramerXXXX I mean Dan

    ron

  • dansgrdn
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Thanks Olychick, the conifer in the middle of the second pic is Picea orientalis 'Skylands'.

    Linda, thanks, hoping to take some pics soon. Things should be looking nice pretty soon. I had a terrible Winter two years ago and the Japanese Maples took a big hit. This year the buds are looking good and I'm looking forward to seeing that nice mix of conifers and Japanese Maples again. Hope to take some new pics in a few weeks.

    Ron, appreciate being missed, hope to post some new pics soon.


    Dan

  • Olychick
    8 years ago

    Thank you, Dan, for the i.d.


  • Linda's Garden z6 Utah
    8 years ago

    Dan, I will be looking forward to seeing some updated pictures. I am trying to do something similar in my yard and am trying to decide what trees to buy. I already have a few JM's and lots of hosta but need some more conifers. Which conifers would you recommend for smaller areas? I just bought a nice weeping white spruce since it seems it stays fairly narrow and won't take up too much space.

    Thanks a bunch!

    Linda

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