ingeborgbot,

Designing a landscape plan and then recommending what to plant is one of the most difficult things to accomplish over the internet. I can think of a half a dozen unknown factors that would prevent me from helping you.

Let's start with a few photos of your house and area you want to landscape with conifers. If possible a 1/8-1/4 scale = ft. drawing of you foundation is needed including any steps, patios, or basement window wells factored in.

I would say go to the landscape forum but since you want to feature conifers the plan needs to be designed to accommodate small dwarf shrubs and trees. A lot different then a perennial bed of flowers.

If you can post those two basic needs I asked for I am sure you will get enough input from the group to get you started.

Dave

I lost a ton of soft pines (5-needles) i.e. strobus/parviflora. My hard pines (2-needled) survived. Last summer was no different here.

All Picea were almost un-phased. Firs, mixed results. Cedrus deodara, you bet, they tolerate about everything.

I'd go with pines and spruce & the species' of pines:
mugo
heldreichii/aka leucodermis
banksiana
aristata
ponderosa
rigida
virginiana
thunbergii

I don't know if you can grow firs, but if you can, get those grafted on Abies firma and species' should be:
pinsapo
koreana
concolor

There's a start.

Dax

come on.. you are thoroughly enabled .... like a junkie to heroin ... sop you may as well learn to post pix ...

i need a pic of the area .. for an opinion ... see link

but for sure.. a space of 7 to 10 will fit ONLY ONE conifer..

UNLESS you go the MINI route...

and do NOT be confused into thinking that dwarves will fit either ... someone link her [inge?] to the intro to conifers] ...

pic please

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: how to post pix

I will try to get a pic uploaded as soon as possible. There are no window wells for sure. It is pretty much a space in need of some dwarf conifers. So dwarf conifers won't fit in a space of this size? I have tons of spaces like this with dwarf conifers. They do grow, and if they get too big, I take them out and either give them away or take them to the dump.

My parviflora struggled the most but are doing fine. I have four parviflora and all but one are thriving. My strobus Horsfords dw. is doing great. So, I think most pines should do well for me too.

Dwarfs will fit for a time. Some longer then others.

Like you said..."if they get too big, I take them out and either give them away or take them to the dump".

I think most conifers will work for you with the exception of Abies...in Western KS....a stretch for sure. Cham. obtusa can be a problem for you also. You will just have to try them.

You seem to have a good collection and some experience for growing conifers. What is your source for all these. In western KS I would think you would have to look long and hard for a place that sold anything worth having. Of course there's always mail order but your dealing with small plants.

I would like to see some photos of your conifers also.

Dave

I have gotten many from Don at Porterhowse Farms. Some from Stanley and Sons, others from r&r a sister to Porterhowse where Don referred me to sometimes for bigger and have had a semi bring them to me for my place and some projects I had done in the past and some I got lucky and found at a local dealer. Not many locally though. I could design this by myself as I have done so in the past but I just thought that picking peoples ideas that are truly experienced with this would help me make the best choices possible. I am just asking for suggestions from people and will make the final decisions after I look up the plants in question as to space requirements etc. I hope people don't think I am getting lazy. I just like suggestions from those that are in the know.

I will take some pics and get them out sometime.

go to the link..

study up on GROWTH RATES ...

a mini grows one inch per year ...

a dwarf grows twice to 6 times as fast ... up to 6 inches per year ... its all about how fast it will get too big ...

never forget.. a dwarf of a 365 foot redwood.. might only be.. 285 feet tall ... but the mini.. well.. you get the idea ...

what you need in a 7 by 10 foot area ... is something akin to the pics below

ken
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Here is a link that might be useful: link

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This is a pic of the front garden you wanted to see. I am embarrassed for how messy it is right now.

you know, with that tiny space, I'd add a bunch of rock and some gravel to create a montage of mini and ultra-mini conifers. Something like this:
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that was right after creation and planting. Here is the same space after a season (from a different angle):
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I'm not sure how far your property goes over or out, but is it possible to make that bed a little larger and wrap it around your house in a circle? Then perhaps in the middle of that circle add a nice center piece conifer... then some rocks and mini's in the section you took a photo of as mentioned above?

ingeborgdot,

You little space is a start but it is pretty generic. It lacks character and flow.

Give us a photo of the front yard.

Dave I like your presentation with the large boulders. Cool setting that is conifer friendly.

Dave

is snow removal an issue..

if not.. why not go down the driveway ...

ken