60's Yesterday & 70's Today

16 years ago

I started at 3 p.m. yesterday. Almost all of this I moved from my old home to here, my new home.

Enjoy,

Dax

P.s. Did I ever mention that I'm a pro. Just kidding...

Pinus contorta 'Chief Joseph' up near the garage "Overlooking the garden(s)."

{{gwi:692300}}

More of the chief's view, a 'Mandarin Lights' deciduous Azalea/Rhododendron. Everything planted was either a conifer or a deciduous Azalea with one 'PJM' Rhododendron. Big swelling buds:

{{gwi:692301}}

Looking up this time toward the chief, a 9 foot Picea glauca 'Pendula' I brought with me:

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This guy has his own space all to his own. Picea engelmannii 'Bush's Lace' is not only viewable from my chair but the only conifer in a section of what will be my lawn I'm carving out. It's also in front of my greenhouse but a good 50 feet away. A special plant this one is to me. It started a lot of my attraction to seeking more and more weeping, conifers.

Have a good one now, sweet huh?

Dax

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Comments (11)

conifers
Original Author
16 years ago
In order:
Pinus nigra 'Walter'
Picea abies 'Hildburghausen' (sorry if spelled wrong or right I don't remember).
Picea abies 'Pusch' barely noticable (front of Hildbur...)
Manchurian Viburnum (Fragrant White Flowers and Berries For Birds -- will someday be a small tree. I'm looking forward to seeing the birds through the windows and certainly also on the deck. Today I walked right up to a downy woodpecker until I was 4 feet or less from him. He watched me as I walked toward him because when I made eye contact, he looked right into my eyes and then flew away. I was looking down and walking 25 feet to him before we made eye contact so he was watching me all along. I could see that he was interested to know if I had any potential harm. It was a great moment in my day. I must say...
and then a PICea pungens "Viola' followed in the distance, my Picea engelmannii 'Bush's Lace'. It's finally getting a little beefy, ay:

These photos came out exceptionally well:
{{gwi:692304}}

Picea pungens 'Viola' - grows about 6" a year on the leader and inches less on everything else (4"), a Jerry Morris introduction. I gave this one room. I've seen specimens of 'Montgomery' in their 25's and 30's and the were nothing short of 12 feet tall and 2/3 as wide. 'Viola' has that appearance now. The same applies to Pinus nigra 'Walter' except that
'Walter' grows slower. It'll be a pyramid and low spreading I read today:
{{gwi:692305}}
kim_dirtdigger
16 years ago
Fantastic Dax!! You've been busy, and I know you're having a great time. You've got some beautiful specimens there -- love your 'Bush's Lace', and that 'Viola' is gorgeous. Did you just get the 'Viola', or did you move it from your old place? It has a great shape and color. I've got a small 'Bush's Lace' coming later this month -- been wanting one for a while now.

I'm curious how you're deciding what to put where -- are you laying out all your plants in what will be island beds, or borders, or will they be individual specimens, or ?? I've found it really difficult to decide on placement when working on a blank slate. Really nice that you can get all these plants in before planting grass -- much better than planting all the grass then digging it back up -- which is what we have been doing :( That's tough work.

Oh, and the birds will be thrilled with all your plantings. We planted a large Norway Spruce a week or so ago, and within 3 days a Mockingbird had built a new nest in it!

Have a great day planting!! So happy for you. Keep the pictures coming! It's going to be 70 here today and it sucks to have to go to work -- I want to be planting, and weeding, and mulching, and .....

Kim
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conifers
Original Author
16 years ago
I just read a story in 'Birds & Blooms' about a Mockingbird. Real great story.

I have the landscape bug I guess. I used to sell entire landscapes based on setting them out in the parking lot of the nurseries I worked for. I just see a vision. I know when they flower, fall color, "everything all at once" AND I go! Fast! And then I'm done... lol Seriously though.

I'll put island beds in sometime but this work is the bulk of landscaping my front of my home terrace where I can't use my (riding) mower plus meeting with my driveway plantings.

The 'Viola' was a transplant. I bought it as a very large one-gallon from Stanley & Sons in 2003. That one and the Picea glauca 'Pendula' were real sweeties if you know what I mean to dig up.

Thanks Kim,

Dax
oakiris
16 years ago
Very nice trees, Dax.

I would think it would be a luxury to have a clean slate in which to plant - no removing something else or modifying old landscaping to plant what you want. The folks that lived in my house before we bought it thought that applying Round Up was a soil amendment, so you can imagine what a mess we inherited!

Holly
conifers
Original Author
16 years ago
How silly of them :)

Today I used a Mantis tiller and quickly ripped out a backyard and got almost 20 pounds on probably a 5,000-6,000 square foot lawn. Think about this, the distance or diameter of the tines is maybe eight or nine inches. LOL I feel a little short of half a wit but what the heck, to me, it needs to get done. It is interesting to say something this entire rural lifestyle. Big flies that follow you for minutes on end, huge hawks over the sky, winds so strong my 200 + frame was shown who was boss and it wadnt me!

I'm going to make this place look like there are ski paths as my hills are such that they roll and they slope on a plot that might remind you of a football stadium, but a perfect square darn near.

I'm not much of a thinker when it comes to this. My mom is the other gardener in the family and she buys what she likes and somehow makes it work. I've known a better gardener than us because she was my girlfriend and I was with her for several years and she too just was I guess an interesting person. I can't put any of this in words. Maybe that's a real good thing.

Dax
conifers
Original Author
16 years ago
This one shows spacing or putting together a little better. I'm excited of course hence all the photos. Now I know what it's like to do whatever I want, yes....

{{gwi:692306}}

Dax
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
16 years ago
I'm excited to see your yard take shape!
Such an enviable opportunity. Thanks for
allowing us along for the ride,

Josh
oakiris
16 years ago
Very cool, Dax. I had a Mantis at one point, but it couldn't do a thing with my lovely clay soil so I sent it on its way. I can't imagine tilling a 5000+ sq. ft. area with such a small tiller - good for you!

Holly
dansgrdn
16 years ago
Hi Dax, Things are looking great! I'm glad you decided to move a lot of your plants from your old place to the new. Thanks for sharing the photos, Dan.
mrgpag SW OH Z5/6
16 years ago
Man - I don't know if I'll recognize your place or not when I come out your way in a bit. Nice work - and with a Mantis - you gotta be kidding us.
Looks like a bit of rain for you today and that should be welcomed as long as it's not too heavy.
See you in a while.
Marshall
conifers
Original Author
16 years ago
That Mantis is the machine. It is sort of funny I did a lawn huh? It's gotta get done like I said and I was trying to get it done so I could seed and time it with the rains that were in the forecast.

Marshall, I look forward to our visit this morning. Maybe Pam (his wife) will get out of the car today to take a peek at the inside of my new home :) She's not much of a plantslady folks. Marshall wears the pants in the family there.

Cheers everyone, many thanks!!

Dax

60's Yesterday & 70's Today

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