M. g., 'Ogon' in the ground six years. Mike Metasequoia glyptostroboides, 'Ogon' and a Japanese maple grown from seed. Species Dawn Redwood on the left. Fall color is a little slower than the 'Ogon' in my garden. Mike

Where I live (Amager near Copenhagen) we are close to water so I got at the worst down to -15C, although more typical night temperatures ranged from -5C to -10C. In central parts of Jutland and low lying parts of Sealand I think the temperature got as low as -19C, which is quite low by recent danish standards. The only real loss I had was my Cupressus macrocarpa 'Gold Crest' [not 100% sure about the name]. It had survived 4 winters with temperatures down -7C and average night temp at -2C to -5C - although with consderable signs of frostbite. But this winter killed it off completely. Luckily it was netiher large nor expensive. Should add also that very uncommonly the frost started late November and stayed on to early April, and we had lots of snow. Usually the frost starts in January we have no snow and often a very mild December. So early startes are sure to be damaged by that dry late spring frosts. /Hans Olav

Hi Livingfossil, Those look nice. I have had a blue selection for 5 years now and can't get it to form a leader. Plus the needs seem to burn evert winter. Do you know anything about the following plant offered by Arrowhead Alpines CUNNINGHAMIA UNICANALICULATA ....................................... S. P. -1@ $19.00 A rather newly described species from China, similar to lanceolata but with longer steeley blue needles and longer shoots. Hardiness is untested here but Tony says it should be fairly hardy despite the tropical look. It has taken us years to work out a cutting method (foot long cuttings of current years growth taken in winter with bottom heat), but we finally have a few to offer. The plant is spectacular and very fast growing.

Blue fescue mounds ( Festuca glauca ) definitely make a nice blue accent around conifers. Another silver plant you could use is silver mound or Artemisia schmidtiana "Nana', It makes nice little basketball sized feathery silver mounds. One last plant you might think about is there are several types of Sage that make 18-24" nice shaped silvery green shrubs. Now back to conifers.....I like Cedrus deodora 'Blue Ball'...tight small mounding shape. As for a large cedar you could go either Karl Fuchs which is really thick or Sanders Blue which is thinner and more whispy looking. Both good blue color. On Spruce varietals, your list will shrink quickly if you remove all the types that do not like and would be high risk growing in long hot humid days and nights. The strongest blue color and successful trees in heat would be Hoopsii or Fat Albert ( Fat Albert being the better of the two ). But even those will take a strong watered root system to sustain them. I'm in Oklahoma and a drip system was the only salvation for mine. I've also got an Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica 'Glauca Compacta' coming for the fall I want to try as a different option to Picea pungens. I have also had good luck with Picea pungens 'Bakeri' when planted as a young tree and given a little break from late afternoon sun. I've tried various Cryptomeria japonicas a few times and have not found one yet that can take our heat. Mark