hi blue.. long time no talk to ...

your garden is an inspiration ..

thanks for sharing the latest batch of pix.. i have been waiting for the garden overview pix ...

if you ever have spare time.. while edging your garden.. you ought to do a tutorial on such ... there is something so precious with a perfectly manicured 'edged' garden .. sans brick.. wood plastic.. metal edging.. etc ... its becoming old school for sure ... [or maybe you already have the pix]

here in MI .. we have been having frost like that.. since mid October ... is this your first.. or did the camera fairy just strike .. when you gazed out the window ... this frosty morn??

in fact.. my soil has been going in and out of frozen for 3 weeks or so ... mostly frozen ... though not deeply..

take care..

ken

just the right proportion of "lawn" to borders!

Actually, I tell a lie, this was last Saturday, and probably closer to 8am .... ;o)
Ken - we have had a few frosts this year, but ground is not frozen, that doesn't happen that often where we are. Keeping the lawn edges neat is very important to the overall look of the garden, always think a yard looks a bit scruffy if border edges aren't maintained to at least some degree.

Wonderful!

Thanks Stephen.

I always enjoy the beauty and manicured look of your garden.

Nice balance and flow. I wish I had access to some of your cultivars.

Of course you know I use brick for my edging. Once its installed no further up keep is needed. Not for everybody. Just works better for me.

Dave

Blue, absolutely perfect garden!! That is precisely what I like and what I am striving.

I know very well how important it is to take care of the lawn edges exactly. But if it is done quite regularly, than is not that difficult. The key is finding the right bends :) Although the plants themselves are often indicates a curve is required ....

Love your garden!!!!:) This is my style, at least I'm trying to achieve this (as a reduced copy). Maybe someday succeed ....

Ireena

I love a good frosty garden! I seem to recall you posting some even more frosty pics of your garden a few years ago. Nothing like a bit of foggy frost in good early morning light! Your garden looks great, as always.

In the second photo what is the identity of the spruce or fir in the centre of the picture/bed?
Richard

The key is finding the right bends :)

===>>>>

i found two variables with this ...

if you use a 'sharpened shovel' .. the sky is your limit as to what you create ... and trust me.. this is one job where a sharp took makes all the difference.. who knew.. to sharpen a shovel .. lol ..

but when you graduate to a riding lawn mower ... you better use that tool to create the 'right bends' .. i once spent two days.. creating the most awesome bend ever ... only to find out.. i could NOT mow the lawn inside that creative design ...

so from then on ... i created beds with the lawnmower ... otherwise known as the tool that cuts the lawn ... see link ... even though it is in the hosta forum ... you can see how tiny my conifers were.. way back when ...

blue's grass ratio .. is perfect for a garden club bus tour.. enough space.. no matter the crowd.. for many peeps to amble around ...

it also draws the site line deep into the garden .. adding a three dimensionality [new word there??? .. lol .. though my spell choker says it isnt so new.. lol] to the garden scape ... see i know all the big words.. and even make up a few to show how smart i are .. lol .. smart i is??? .. one thing for sure.. i AM digressing wildly ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Awesome! Which Platycladus is that in your first images Stephen? Does it change colour in winter?

Fotis

Wonderful garden,Stephen.

Beautiful views.

Here near the border to Denmark it is very cold the last days and nights.-9�C in the night, -4�C during the days.

Wolfgang

Now you've got to tell us what kind of mower you're using Blue! T.

A nice new view to a beautiful conifer garden!
Thank you very much.
Mike

Gorgeous!

Richard, me thinks it is 'Skylands'.

You've awesome talent Stephen. Not many people could pull off what you did.

Dax

Dax, thanks but I mean the small plant with what looks like a red label at the base in the centre of the frosty bed.
Richard

That's an easy one, Picea pungens 'Spring Ghost' (lol).

Dax

Richard - if you mean the plant below, it's just an Abies lasiocarpa 'Compacta' .. a young plant grafted from my original specimen that I removed a couple of years ago.

Another view of the same bed.

Picea mariana (omorika) 'Karel' - in the same bed.

Stephen, yes that is the plant I was referring to. It looks like it will develop a great form already.
Richard

Fotis - The Platycladus (Thuya) orientalis in the first pics is 'Southport' has finer foliage than most, the taller one in the third pic is 'Shirley Chilcott', again finer foliage and possibly the best upright cultivar IMO.

Stephen, you can almost feel the crispness in the air in these beautiful photos. The paths look so inviting and everything looks so perfect. It didn't take long for the reimagination of your garden a few years back to result in a spectacular result with your artful placement of premium cultivars. Always a pleasure to see photos of your amazing garden.

Dan

Shazam! If you ever want to sell that place, just place the listing on this forum and you'll have it sold in no time!

Thank you Stephen! Both of them are brilliant! and from a quick google I see that 'Southport' has very nice winter coloring.

Fotis

Blue, your gardens are so breath taking. Just gorgeous, they flow so nicely and everything is so healthy looking. Your plants are mature which sure makes for beautiful photography. Thank you for sharing.

your garden is fabulous & inspirational! would you mind sharing how many hectares you garden & how many specimens you have in them? trying to get an idea for my own bit of ground! Thanks

googling 'foxhollow conifer garden' would get you to the link below

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link