Got a Camera-here's a tour
Background: We live on ten acres on the top and Southern slope of a small mountain in northern West Virginia. I planted a few conifers, mostly hemlocks, and 10 Japanese maples 15 years ago. Six years ago during a garden tour I discovered there were such things as conifers (and trees in general) that had small growth rates. Since then I have planted about 100 conifers with a mortality rate of 20%. There are now about 50 Japanese maples in the garden as well. This forum over the last two years has helped me to discover some great plants.
The garden has naturally divided into several garden rooms that have created the structure of the garden. I thought I would give a tour of two rooms-an overview. Except for the Hemlocks I planted years ago, the conifers are just starting to show their beauty. Another warning is I just got the camera-my first since I was a child which was many decades in the past. Also, the pics are from the last few days, which include snow, rain and fog, then snow again.
Our driveway is more of a wide walk way. After about walking 75 feet on it and passing three garden rooms, stairs of rock appear on the left and lead to the main garden room. The weeping hemlock is one of three. I recall they were sold as Tsuga Canadensis SargentiiÂ. The tree in front of it is Acer Japonicum var ÂAureumÂ. Vinca is the ground cover. The rhododendron species is maximum.
The stairs are really much wider than shown in the above picture so I thought I would show all of it. Of course it snowed. The plant on the right of the stairs is a yew. It is really quite upright without the snow. Yews are not at the top of my list, this plant really does anchor the garden though. They also grow well in partial shade, which is all I have.
As you walk down the stairs the garden flows to the right. On the left is a pinus parviflora ÂTanima No UkiÂ. It is the second one planted in this spot. The first one died in 6 weeks. I bought a bigger specimen, actually the most expensive conifer in the garden. There are a few other conifers in this area most are alive.
On the right are two Tsuga Canadensis ÂColeÂs ProstrateÂ, a generic pinus mugo and at the end a really nice pinus strobes Ânana ( although not as full as one would expect in full sun). All of these plants were put in the ground 15 years ago.
This part of the garden is about 80 feet in length. One of the nicer plants is a picea sitchensis ÂPapooseÂ. It was quite big when I planted it two years ago. I got a good deal. Spruce seem to do well here considering the partial shade.
Another nice plant in this area is a Sciadopitys Verticillata I think it is ÂDwarf FormÂ.
Nearing the end of this area, if you turn around to see where you came from you would see
The plant in the foreground is Abies Alba ÂPyramidalisÂ, behind it is ÂPapooseÂ. To the left of Papoose is a little Cryptomeria Japonica ÂGyoku RyuÂ. Further left is a Pinus Koraiensis ÂNanaÂ. I think Dax posted a picture of one a while back and I knew I wanted one. I hope this area can approach a sort of baby version of what I see posted here by others.
Behind this location is another room, but to save time we are turning left to go through a wooded area to the next room. However on the right is a flat rock about 5 ft high.
This is a quite shady area and so I planted a ÂBetty Rose and a ÂLewisii Hemlock. The pine on the top is a species Leucodermis. There are lots of perennials( dwarf hostas, gingers, violets) on the rock as well. If you continue walking you see another weeping hemlock(Sargentii) framed by branches of the species Tsuga Canadensis. The valley in front of our house has many of these trees. I know the wooly adelgid is coming.
Walking into this area you would go right and see
The weeper is a generic Picea Omorika ÂPendulaÂ. Left of it is a nice Chamaecyparis Obtusa ÂKosteriÂ. In the middle of the picture is a Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana ÂSnow QueenÂ. There is a set of concrete stairs between the spruce and the Kosteri. This place has a feeling of a sunken room.
Here s a close up of the ÂSnow QueenÂ. Made it through the last two winters. I suppose I should appreciate it while it is alive.
Walking up the concrete stairs and tuning around you can see the big rock that helps define this area. It was raining that day and the picture was taken from inside our living room.
You can now see the species hemlocks. Here is another picture of the flat rock you saw earlier from the veranda where you are standing now. You can also see the Pinus Leucodermis again. This is where a lot of the little conifers are planted. (Ken, if you are reading can you recognize the sad looking Thuja Occidentalis ÂTeddyÂ?)
Because these pictures seem so dreary I thought I would end this little tour with a nice winter picture with sun and a summer picture my brother took of the rock where the weeping hemlock is growing. The winter picture is a clear sunrise after a nigh time snow. The sun lights up the valley.
Thanks for looking.
Gary
Comments (15)
karinl
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
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