Hello bindersbee,

It certainly looks like you have done your home work.

Do you have a drawing or plan that will complement each one of conifers. Remember the tag growth figures are for 10 years and most of the above mentioned will last much longer. Well into your senior years and beyond.

A great selection of conifers that if properly placed in your setting will pay great dividends in value and appearance to your property.

One word of caution concerning the Picea orientalis 'Skylands' and 'Tom Thumb. Proper placement is critical. They will burn as young plants when exposed to full sun. Give them some shade especially from afternoon sun. I used a filtered screen for 2 years. Worked quite well. After they acclimate burning is not a problem.

Not so sure climate wise of your zone 6a micro climate in Utah. Abies k. 'Silberpearle' with regard to heat & humidity factors. Cedrus d. 'Aurea' could be border line on cold tolerance. Others will be more qualified to give you specifics on these two as well as others in your list if they see problems.

I am growing all these ,with the exception of 5, in my Zone 5. garden. Great performers and each one a thing of beauty.

Your opinionated friend,

Dave

I think the cedrus will be problem. If you want a deodara there are several selections that are hardier such as Karl Fuch's and Eisregen. One other plant you may want to ad to your collection is a Pinis Parviflora. There are a lot of cultivars to choose from and most of us conifer nuts have at least one.

David

I was also concerned about the Cedrus but there are quite a few growing around the area. I've been watching 2 specimans at a local nursery that have spent the winter in pots and are still looking great. There are also two gorgeous golden foliaged ones about a mile up the road from me. Those specimans look to be about 7-8 years old and have weathered our rather harsh winter this year beautifully so I'm going to give it a try. It will be located in a very prominent position and will be flanked with a 'Hoopsii' on either side. You know, I ought to go and meet the person with the golden cedars because judging by the rest of what they have in their yard- there's at least one conifer freak in that household!

I just read the thread on the Pinus parviflora so I'll be watching that too. I have to save some things to 'want' later because no matter how full my yard may get, there will always be some new, fabulous must-have.

And, now it's time for my slightly embarassing confession- I'm trained as a Landscape Architect so obviously I'm embarassed that my knowledge of conifers was not more extensive. Then again, I've yet to meet an LA whom I thought had an extensive knowledge of plants so I'm probably exactly what you'd all expect- but I'm aiming to be different. I DO have a rather elaborate landscape plan but I've thrown it out and will have to make another one since deciding to significantly alter my ratio of evergreen to deciduoous trees. I have paid attention to 'ultimate size' which is why I've TRIED to go with some of the more moderate growers and just a few large trees (I think- correct me if I'm wrong).

I'm not so sure about the Cedrus being a problem or not. Which part of Utah do you live in? I've seen Chinese Windmill Palms (Trachycarpus fortunei)growing great in Southern Utah (zone 7 and zone 6) as well as some other trees which are more tender out East. I think the drier climate helps with some of these things surviving winters better in Utah and the Western US.

Other than that, I think you have a good list. It's nice to see some LA's trying to expand their knowledge of plants. It can only make your landscape plans better and more interesting IMO. Way too many identical unimaginative landscape plans around my area!

Are you on the valley floor or up on the bench? You will have a lot more luck up on the bench. On the valley floor it will likely be too alkaline for the chamaecyparis and certainly for the Abies. The hot dry summers also make any of the firs a real challenge. You may well have some problems with the Pinus strobus as well if you are on the more alkaline valley floor. But if your are getting them at wholesale and not starting with big plants go for it and see what happens. I have tried a few firs and lost them all in less than two years. Though they too prefer more acidic soil, I have had better luck with Japanese maples but have had mixed results there as well.

Bindersbee,

What is the coldest you have gotten the 5 years? I would be interested in the yellow cedrus if I thought I could grow it. All the info I have seen on the plant indicated it would be marginal here at best. A nursery nursery located between Cincinnati and Columbus had one in a 3 gallon and said it lost all its needles last winter.

If you are interested in expanding you plants knowledge base that you may eventually use on designs check out Coenosium Gardens Webs site. Bob Fincham developed a Gold Weeping Norway spruce called 'Gold Drift' that would look great in the right settings. Another. He also has some nice pictures of other rare plants. Another plant that you may want to check out is picea pungens'The Blue' It is a very blue spruce that weeps like a weeping norway.

David

You might have too much yellow going on.

opinionated,

Dax

ahhhh ... we have taught you well .. live long and prosper, young grasshopper ...

we hooked you good .. didnt we... lol ...

as an LA .... peruse Adrian Blooms book for some spectacular landscape pix ... but be aware... GBritian is NOT the US ... so dont put too much weight into cultural suggestions ... they are a pale people for a reason .. and IMHO ... it has to do with latitude .... and the north atlantic drift as resin described it once ... in other words.. his version of zone 6 most likely wont be your version of z6 ....

and one other lesson .. you break down your list according to TREES and SMALL TREE/SHRUB ..... learn the growth rate differentiations .... and use those .. its much more informative in general ... you are correct that all conifers are trees. ..... but not all trees are conifers ... and dont get me going on how useless SHRUB is as a descriptive term ...

and NEVER FORGET ... the difference between MINI and DWARF .... if momma gets to be 385 feet tall .. a dwarf of her can be a miniscule 250 feet ... lol ... dwarfs grow 3 to 6 inches per year .... minis 1 to 3 .... think out 10 years .. and you can see the potential difference ... since my newbie days .. i have had to move too many dwarves .... for lack of such insight ....

regardless.. it will all come in time... because as noted.. you have ACS ... in a bad way ... lol ....

good luck

ken

Bindersbee,

Your 'Skylands' will loose about 1/3rd of its yellow color in winter as shown in the 1st photo. I think depending on the severity of your winters and soil conditions might possibly have a bearing on color retention also.

I posted 3 other Picea conifers for your consideration. All in winter foliage. All have great spring foliage.

Dave

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Picea orientalis 'Pendula'
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Picea orientalis 'Aurospicata
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Picea pungens 'Pendula'
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Dax,
What is this "too much yellow" that you speak of??? I have never seen anyone use these words in this order before. Is it even possible to use these words in this way and have them make any sense??? Hmm... this is going to take some research. (:o)
Mike
(loves yellow in the garden, especially yellow conifers)

big trouble here Mike :0)

I've decided on a garden with a few huge goldens on six acres and what will end up being probably (I can see it in my mind) *eight* I came up with large shrubs over time...

I will be using these for sure:
Pinus contorta var. lat. 'Chief Joseph'
Pinus sylvestris 'Aurea'
Picea orientalis 'Skylands'
Picea omorika 'Aurea' just because I have one, but this one dulls significantly due to age.
I gotta have at least one (debating this) Pinus contorta 'Taylor's Sunburst'.

I have a graft of Pinus jeffreyi 'Golden'. The scionwood is doing well in zone 5 Chicago area so I hope it to be hardy. Don't know the plant at all, however.

I would say, Pinus parviflora 'Goldylocks' should be on everyone's list.

Pinus resinosa 'Aurea' is a good one. So is Picea orientalis 'Aureospicata' (Spelling here is correct).

I still have to not kill this, but I'm looking for, Chamaecyparis/Xanthocyparis/Callitropsis nootkatensis 'Sparkling Arrow'. I killed two now by not potting them up to a large enough pot. Real dumb.

Of course Picea pungens 'Golden Feathers' and some others are good.

Dax

'Bob Fincham developed a Gold Weeping Norway spruce called 'Gold Drift' that would look great in the right settings.'

I actually have spent a lot of time on Coenosium Gardens website, indulging my love of acid yellow coloration in plants. I have considered the 'Gold Drift' but it would be such a small speciman if I buy it from there- it will take a very long time to get some size on it and I'm tired of my baren yard.

Kvolt- I actually am along the valley floor. Right above Gardener Village at pretty much the dead center point of the valley. The two specimans I have been watching this year are also located at the same west coordinate but a little further north. I guess if I really want to try this one, I should go and talk with the person growing those specimans and find out how they are working first hand.

Most of the landscape work we do is on the east side and I grew up there with basically the opposite gardening conditions that I have now. I've noticed a lot of Metasequoias there- I wonder if a 'Gold Rush' Metasequoia would be an option for me?

I do have very alkaline, clay soil which is the reason I am not attempting any firs that are more than small minis. If I could grow an Abies Concolor 'Candicans' rest assured, I would- but I know that's asking too much. The soil the 'silberperle's' will go in is heavily ammended down 18" with the Utelite Church Blend extremely expensive soil ammendment so the 'Silberperle' shrub MIGHT work. It won't cost me too much to find out but I think I'll still put it at the bottom of the 'to purchase' list.

I just not a promoter of amending soil conifers are grown in.

Amendments for flower beds consisting of annuals and perennials and various other companion plants is an accepted practice exercised by most gardeners and heavily promoted by all nursery's.

Conifer roots will not stay confined to the area where planted for no more then a year at most. So why spend money on expensive amendments when the roots don't hang around long enough to take advantage of it.

I have never amended any soil for conifers...

Save your money and go buy another plant

Dave

For your firs, keep your clay soil but get in practice of annual pelleted sulphur applications (to any of your conifers) showing any sign of chlorosis. I believe but you'll need to read the instructions it's a twice a year application where you'll either scratch them in the top soil surface or, you'll bury the pellets under mulch. This provides acidity of course.... The pellets work wonderful and are the best. If you need instant correction, use aluminum sulphate, however, the pellets take longer to break down and are the better of the two choices.

I don't know about all of these, but you may broaden your list for these firs which I'll be growing here in my muddy clay:

Abies
concolor
koreana
nordmanniana
balsamea
fralsam fir
phanerolipsis
borisii-regis
holophylla
firma
bornmuelleriana (these break bud early so beware)

Dax