Epic! If I had nothing but a box with windows to live in on a setting like this, I'd smile until my cheeks cracked. What an astounding place, this wonderful earth of ours.

Enjoy yours, Will, from this Will.

Great stuff Whaas. We'll be in your neck of the woods later today, visiting at my son's in Cedarburg. OK, not exactly near you, but pretty close.

+oM

Great pictures Will, wishing you and your family all the best this Christmas.

The 2013 story of your garden is eagerly awaited.

I love the pictures, great shots of real winter beauty. That grouping of large conifers looks impressive..what's the species? and are they yours or are they the borrowed scenery?

Glad you got some snow. It'll be heading down to the 30's for highs here later in the week, so far it's been a repeat of last winter with unusually warm weather. I don't know if I'd consider a good thing or a bad thing if that were to keep up...

Merry Chistmas and best wishes for the holiday season.

Alex

All, thanks for the comments. Surely doesn't do any good to have them sit on my hard drive! And Merry Christmas to all of you and I wish everyone a perfect and healthy 2013. My new year's resolution is to not complain as much, lol. I don't think 2013 could be any worse on a personal, family and gardening level than 2012. So there is hope!

Will, I'd say the same thing during the growing season in your neck of the woods!

Tom, I must admit I really like Cedarburg and Grafton my self. If I had one place to live in SE WI, that would be it. So close to downtown yet its charming and country. Both our (other half) workplaces our in the opposite direction though.

Severn, I'm two growing seasons in it now so I should have alot more to share coming up in spring!

Alex, I wonder the same thing regarding the winters. If its cold (lets say in the teens and lower on a regular basis)snow cover is a blessing. If its on the warmer end not sure if it matters as much just as long as you have good moisture levels going into winter and going into summer. The only problem I have now is my dog is running all over some of the plants. I just hope we don't get the unseasonable warm weather in March causing things to break dormancy early...unless April stay warm.

They sure are borrowed views!lol. First pic is Picea glauca, Pinus nigra and Juniperus virginiana. Second pic is all Pinus strobus.

In Cedarburg, there are, as is true of all of that part of the state, numerous large Norway spruce. But there's one, occupying the center of a little grove in the front yard of a house right on the main drag, a truly gigantic one. It's just S. of where Western Ave. cuts off, if that means anything. At any rate, now that I know I'll be travelling to that town periodically, some effort towards measuring this giant will happen sooner or later. It's a really big spruce.

The town of Grafton has a wooded park area also which happens to have many very large old red oaks and other hardwoods present. There too, there is one NS, planted who knows when, of epic proportions. D-tape material also.

Happy holidays, fellow coniferites!

+oM