You have a wonderful site and garden there. Thank you.
Richard

Thanks for posting all of these pictures. You have put together some amazing color combinations. Those last 3 photos are extraordinary. Alan

Nice! Your garden's looking great. Everything looks well-designed, and will look better and better year after year. I really like your use of rocks, and the slope you're on really helps to add some drama.

Sorry to hear about the poor root system on the J. recurva. Since it's newly planted, my approach (and I expect others will disagree with me here) would be to dig it up and overwinter it in a container, since sitting in cold wet soil over the winter can cause more of the roots to rot. If it has not developed a strong root system by fall, the stress of making it through winter may be too much for it, especially if it's marginally hardy in your area. In a container (with a well drained potting mix), you have better control of its conditions over the winter and can give it what it needs to help it recover. Then, come spring, replant in the same location.

Alex

Good mix with the conifer cultivars and companion plants. The color jumps.

A few comments and observations.

You should find a Cyrptomeria japonica cultivar, maybe 'Tansu', that blends nicely with the Japanese pagoda. The Tsuga canadensis 'Pendula' is a good fit.

What are you screening?

Psuedotsuga menziesii 'Graceful Grace' is one of the few cultivars of this species that seems to acclimate quite well away from its natural habitat. Looks like your is taking hold.

Picea glauca 'Echiniformis' is really Picea mariana 'Ericoides' aka bird nest spruce.

Creeping Jenny a great ground cover filler that is evasive but easily controlled. A great substitute for that is Juniperus horizontalis 'Mother Lode'. Would do very well on those sunny hill sides.

Great looking 'Ogon'

Acer shirasawanum 'Autumn Moon'..your favorite and mine also. Yours will become a beautiful specimen when it adds a little height and girth. Leafs out late so it always avoids late spring killer frosts.

Cupressus nootkatensis 'Sparkling Arrow'. Great find. Buchholz and a few other finally getting a few on the market. A great focal point addition. Yes the high price I would guess based upon the lack of availability.

Cupressus nootkatensis 'Green Arrow'. The best one out of the many cultivars offered with the Cupressus nootkatensis tag. The weeping foliage is second to none.
{{gwi:608250}}

The garden crew...great companions offering a splash of added color.

Thanks for the photos.

Dave

great pix ....

Pinus parviflora 'Catherine Elizabeth' -- the soil is cracking.. you need to at least mulch the plant.. and moisten the soil ... because if the soil is cracking.. there might not be adequate moisture below ....

anyway... you are cracking me up.. living my life.. the computers broken.. the deck is rotting.. and the garden is full of as many expensive cultivars as you can stick in ... lol ... i am with you on the logic.. lol...

keep up God's work .....

ken

Amazing.

Dax

Amazing garden, Garen! I can't say enough good stuff about it. That 'Ogon' is magnificent, I can't believe how fast it's grown for you. How long ago did you start it, like 2 or 3 years ago?
I love all of the color everywhere, and the chickens are great too. How much property do you have? Do the chickens stay around or do you just let them out when you're outside?

Matt

Thoroughly enjoyed the pics of your beautiful garden! Everything looks wonderful! Wish I could have chickens, those beauties are too cool.

Dan

Lovely gardens, very inspirational. Thanks for sharing!

Garen...Youve been busy!...Place looks great. The crew on patrol is just icing on the cake!...Kudos

Al

Thanks everyone.

Alex - I may have to try your approach on the recurva. Thats if it makes it through the summer. I wouldn't have thought of that. =^)

Dave - Nice suggestion on the Cryptomeria japonica 'Tansu'. I have been needing a Cryptomeria. 'Tansu' has been add to the list.

The screen is for no other than Picea orientalis 'Skylands' for the suggested 2 year screening. It needed screening from the top as well as the side last year. Had some burn. It seems to be doing great with just the side screening this year. I think the screen will come off next year. Yay, no more giant tent in the yard!

I changed Picea glauca 'Echiniformis' to Picea mariana 'Ericoides' in my database. Just what I needed. Thanks.

I have one Juniperus horizontalis 'Mother Lode' that's looking beautiful. I may replace some of the Creeping Jenny with more 'Mother lode' or it's slightly faster growing twin, Juniperus horizontalis 'golden carpet'. The Creeping Jenny is quite nice and not difficult to remove where I don't want it but the juniper would be less to maintain in the long run. Though the creeping Jenny does create an excellent weed shield I'm afraid my beds could become nothing but gold in a few more years. Has anyone done a mixed planting of Juniperus horizontalis 'Mother Lode' and 'Blue Carpet'? Thought that may look interesting weaving in and out of each other.

Ken - Yeah, I will probably throw a little mulch around the Pinus parviflora 'Catherine Elizabeth'. I have a hard time judging my soil as it varies all over my property. I have a lot of clay and my beds crack heavily every year. I get confused because the beds will have huge cracks but then I stick my finger down in the crack and it's moist below most of the time. We've had a lot of rain this year but my soil still cracks. I kind off like the cracks because the rain washes the older mulch into the cracks thus improving my clay soil. So I like to tell myself. I've gotten to the point of not worrying about it too much anymore. I just plant and hope for the best. It's interesting to roll the dice and see what will survive and what thrives in my climate.

Matt - I have about 5 acres. Most of it's covered in Indiana jungle but I may hack it a way here and there to add more conifers. The 'Ogon' was planted as a mail order 5 footer in 2010. Ha ha, I mail ordered a 5 foot tree after I gave away my 1 foot 'Ogon'. I guess I'm impatient. She took off last year and grew 4 feet. It looks like she may put on some crazy growth again this year.

My little garden crew only comes out when I'm gardening. We have bald eagles that I have to keep an eye out for. Man they are huge birds! I was out near the coop one day when I saw a female bald eagle swoop down on the coop and run into the fence. Scared the crap out of me because it took my stupid brain a few seconds to register what it was.

Thanks again for inspiring

Some older pictures of the property that I posted last year too.
{{gwi:608252}}
{{gwi:608254}}

Garen, Beautiful garden and great selection of plants. Where are you in Indiana? We are on the north side of
Indy. If you are ever up north look us up for a garden walk. Jay ............ If you are not a member of the ACS you certainly should be.

Very nicely done, Garen. Bet that slope is a bear to mow. Do the chickens throw the mulch around? I know they must keep slug and tick populations down.

tj

Jay - I'm located in the tiny town of Patriot Indiana (population 208), right on the Ohio river, about 50 minutes from Cincinnati. Thanks for the garden walk invite. I would love to visit if I'm up your way. I've never been to a botanical garden or arboretum, let alone anyones garden.

I'm not an ACS member yet, but your right I probably should be. I've just been lazy and haven't looked into it.

tj - Mowing that hill requires chains on the tires and a skill that I call riding mower ballet lol. It's taken me years to learn every slope and how to properly counterweight myself off the side of the mower to keep it from rolling. I probably look ridiculous hoping around on that thing. It's slowly turning into a mower go-cart track with all the paths around the beds.

The chickens throw the mulch around, but I don't mind so much. They are just too damn innocent, cute, and happy. They have a few spots that they regularly use to take dust baths. I generally design my garden around those spots and the dog paths too. =^)

My Tauntaun (White Silkie Chicken) with Cupressus nootkatensis 'Green Arrow' and the blob to the left that you can barely see is Picea omorika 'Pimoko'. Means Goblin in German.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chicken vid clip

Super garden. The video is great too!