Although I showed my favorite vignettes here, the "working" part of my yard also makes my toes curl. Beyond the Abies lasiocarpa 'Glauca' are my tomatoes, the bird feeder center left holds pole beans and squash, unseen but to the right of the bird bath (on the barrel) and in front of a Tsuga canadensis is a lettuce patch and the spicy nasturtiums arch over the arbor where climbing peas stood earlier in the year...just to name a few of my edibles. Good enough to eat...why, my toes curl just thinking about garden food.

tj

nice idea Dave. This is one of my favorite views of the garden. It's from last year and actually looked a little better this year up until a couple of days ago when a pesky storm blew through.

~Dave
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Tis the season. A good combination of Summer bloomers, Autumn colors and the conifer background.

-Will

The tree on the right is a Cryptomeria japonica, 'Sekkan'.
The tree in the center is a blue form of Lawson Cypress.
Mike

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Morning Fog

This has always been my favorite photo. Bickelhaupt Arboretum with Abies koreana 'Silberlocke' up front:

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Dax

June 5, 2011. 8 years of clearing a century old farm from overgrown bush honeysuckle, multiflora rose, grape vines and poison ivy. Conifers and companion plants are the perfect solution for year-round interest. Thanks to so many here on GW for endless inspiration!

Awesome photos folks!

Kim, how old is that spread as shown above? The depth is quite tremendous.

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Great post Dave. I have to say that all of these are inspiring and I know that those posting have many other great views, but....Kim, it is hard to believe that such a grand view could be achieved in 8 years.

Spectacular seems like an inadequate adjective to describe the work you have accomplished in such a relatively short time.

A fun post to be sure.

Kim, have you been around lately? I don't recall seeing you as often as a few years ago. Your garden is *epic*! We're all jealous of your space and setting but the work involved to create such a photo/landscape is staggering. I hope you've paid for some of the work! :)

Mike's photo, and all of the others here, could easily make one heck of a conifer 'calendar'. Speaking of which, we should compile one, sell it on for $12.99 and make millions, wait, BILLIONS of dollars. We can split the billions evenly, well, maybe Kim can get a double share for that epic shot!

-Will

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I remember when Kim came on board in 2006. Then we were just beginning to see the results of her hard work. Beginning with a vision, then a plan put into motion, will always bring rewards to those who preserver. Her photo tells it all.

Hubby involved also?

Also, the purpose of this thread is for those just getting started. The ideas and thoughts incorporated into a design that use conifers and companion plants have no limitations. You become your own landscape designer, well versed in plant character and selection. As the years pass you have something unique to enjoy for years to come.

I am sure there are more photos lurking out there. There is no competition involved here. A simple photo with one subject matter that is dear to your heart is all that is needed.

Dave

Beautiful thread! Beautiful inputs.

Best regards,
Fotis

Fotis, every time I see your garden I can practically FEEL the sunshine! What is it, 90 degrees(35 C!) every day there! I'm a bit jealous today!

Oh and the blue garden hose against that rock and setting, perfect! :)

This thread was a great idea Dave! It gives everyone the opportunity to share what we all work so hard on and derive so much pleasure from. All of the gardens are beautiful, and unique to their surroundings and the individual who creates them. All very special and beautiful in their own way. And we all take a little away from each garden and apply it to our.

As for our garden, we were mostly just fortunate in finding a unique canvas to work on. The plant and bed designs would not be much without the natural contours of the land and the stone outcroppings -- those things were here and we just cleaned them up and embellished them a bit. The fun is in figuring out what to do with what you have, and everyone has a different situation to work with.

Thank you for all of the kind comments--it especially means a lot coming from this group! And yes, hubby is very involved, we do all the work ourselves (except we have hired a few guys to help us mulch the past couple years), and Will, I love the calendar idea!

Keep the photos coming everyone. CONIFERS RULE!!

Kim

The texture and cinnamon color of new growth on Pinus strobus 'Mini Twists'

tj

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I have a large' older garden, and one photo just won't do. Hope you don't mind.
Mike
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this is like asking me to post a pic of my favorite child.. whats that all about

ken

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Ken, that sure looks like a very nice place to relax with your favorite beverage at the end of the day! I especially like the shape of the lawn. You can see a distance, but not to the very end.
Your garden would be fun to explore, even though I'm no conifer or Hosta expert. Well, I know a little about conifers, but almost nothing about Hostas. In order to grow Hostas here, in the Seattle climate, I would have to mulch with slug bait three inches deep.....and right up against the plant.
Mike

thx mike ...

the biggest change from suburbia to my eye .. was the depth of view .... i always notice on your pix.. that particular thing ...

what kind of camera do you have??? ...

ken

I can't seem to stay at any particular house long enough to get a nice landscape going. This was close to a blank slate...I moved out after 3.5 years.

The newest landscape will be ready for action next spring!

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Spectacular all! Thank you for sharing them!

I've nothing to post, I'm sorry. I'll try to get one next year though. =)

~Tina

Indoor and outdoor conifer gardening

Last spring
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This fall

Really, really impressive. All of them. Kim's shows what can be done - I love it.
Gary

Another favorite.

Once in a while I get lucky when the sky gives up its best for a perfect back ground.

Dave

Picea omorika 'Pendula Bruns'
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In the deciduous category: Fagus sylvatica 'Roseomarginata'
A specimen tree that does well under the canopy of a larger tree or grown in filtered shade.
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Ken, I have a Sony SX210 IS.

When taking pictures I try to frame them, and as far as the distance goes, I try to make a place for the eye to go rather than just flat on.
Mike

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My absolute favorite! She is just having a blast in the rose garden.

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What a cutie! My girls are all grown up and in their thirties.
I didn't know you grow Roses.
I only have a couple....My wife likes em'. I find them difficult to weed.
Mike
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Will, this was a mid-May image when the spring colors were great and tempratures closer to 25C at mid day. Though we have 35C for two months (July-August) and plenty sunshine. Unfortunately more sunshine than Abies procera 'Blaue Hexe' and Abies koreana 'Bonsai Blue' could handle, so I lost these precious plants early September.

One of the greatest threads! Very beautiful gardens!

Ken, I love your second image!
Botann your 'forest' is great!

Best regards,
Fotis

Alas, my garden is still a work in progress (8 years of progress, but at least another 2 years before it's ready for a big reveal shot).

But here's a photo I like of Pinus mugo 'Gnom' grafted to a 2 foot standard.

The understock, I believe, is P. mugo 'Gnom' var boilermakerensis.

The badger would eat him alive!

Yeah, except he's hiding a bottle of Liquid Fence under his cap!

Touche my friend!

Great thread Dave! I really enjoyed the photos. Thanks for sharing them everyone. I couldn't decide, so I did a little slideshow.

Dan

That was fun to watch!
Now THAT'S a garden.

Thank you Dan.
Mike

The coloring is superb Dan.

Bright Regards!!

Dax

Wonderful thread, beautiful gardens.

Fantastic , Dan ! Very good arrangements.

Wolfgang

Thanks Mike, Dax and Wolfgang!

Dan

Hi Dan,

Thanks for posting one of the best conifer gardens that I know of. This conifer garden is a maximum effort as to what can be accomplished with a limited area to work in.

I like the slide show. A great presentation.

Dave

This isn't the best photo, I'm afraid. (It was for the insurance company and I didn't save the original.)

If you look closely near the center, you'll see the very rare C. Jeepiana that sprouted almost instanteously one morning this past April. From this angle, it's a very boxy looking plant. The foliage was pure white. Almost luminescent. It had four black-rimmed, perfectly circular, reflective blooms that looked like they'd last forever.

Alas, it had to be removed. It was clearly in a spot where it didn't belong. I'm thinking of putting a Rutgers Dogwood in its place next spring.

Outstanding Fall color Will! I always enjoy seeing pictures of your garden.

Nice property restorephoto, despite the wayward Jeep :)

Thanks for the comment Dave, Your photos are an extremely tough act to follow. That first one has me coming back again and again . It's absolutely amazing!

Dan

Seems appropriate to add a few more while we are waiting for Stephen, Edwin and a few others across the pond.

Dave

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Will, Dan, Dave do you mind sharing the size of your yard?

Really beautiful and large garden have in the Americas. We very much like the way they are designed with flair. Here is a shot of my minigardens. Frantisek Topinka of Bohemia (Czek republics){{gwi:832873}}

I was searching for an old thread and came across this one.

Great thread.....worthy of bringing it to the top.

Robyn

This doesn't really show the scope of what we have done but it is one of my favorites anyway-

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Especially when you consider that only four years ago there was this-

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I stood in front of my bedroom window for this shot.
I'm more of a designer than a collector, although you guys have started me collecting a bit. :-) I guess the reason is you're showing me things I would not normally have seen. I hope I don't get caught up in too much detail though.
Mike
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The wood is an upside down driftwood stump.