Just wanted to give this a quick bump for the couple of St. Louis peeps around here. Today I discovered the conifer area in The Word Outdoor Emporium nursery in Wentzville. (I've been there before, but not looking at conifers). By far, the best conifer selection I've seen in this area. If anyone knows of better, please let me know where so I can check it out! :-) Anyway, they had more stuff than I can mention. Several gold/yellow varieties of Hinoki, Thuja, etc.. plus some fairly good sized Picea abies 'little gem' and other neat stuff. Weeping Serbian Spruce. Baby Blue Eyes. Teddy. The list goes on. It's nothing like what we'd find at nurseries in Oregon, of course, but for those in the area, worth checking out.

The few photos I've seen showed a plant looking like Cedrus deodara 'Repandens', one of several habit variants of Himalayan cedar sold routinely as weeping Cedar-of-Lebanon cultivars. Three distinct types are recognizable and more or less prevalent just in Seattle. 1. Scarecrow: A sparse, totem-like tree perhaps represented by older examples of full size as well as newer plantings, as there are tall specimens that look quite like it; youngsters in nurseries have few branches, resemble staked weeping Sierra redwoods; being Himalayan cedars they are quite glaucous when young, thus, presumably "C. libani 'Glauca Pendula'" (or vice versa), as well as "C. libani 'Pendula' 2. Blue Pyramid: A steel blue, comparatively low and spreading tree consistently having both a leader and large side branches; called "C. libani 'Pendula'" by nurseries; A fairly big one at South Seattle Community College arboretum (but not in the Coenosium garden donated by Bob and Diane Fincham) is labeled "C. libani 'Glauca Pendula'" (or vice versa); quite similar to the next except for habit and color; two, small, staked, not-yet-developed specimens I am growing could be interchanged except for color 3. 'Repandens': Forest green, variably sideways-oriented cultivar introduced by the old Clarke nursery in California; sent to Beacon Hill Park in Victoria, BC, where prominently placed specimen(s) may have been basis for more than one of multiple superfluous cultivar names used over the years, including C. libani 'Beacon Hill'

Yea,the Botanical gardens are huge,you could spend the whole day or more there. Thought of you when I took that pic of JC Greg. I think most gardens are not going to risk their reputation by planting cold hardy palms,would be cool though. The Japenese gardens are huge,they also have some great Cypress and.......... Dawn Redwoods over 60 years old. Not sure about that palm Andy,I looked and looked for a lable with no luck! Argh!

In the same boat here in northern Ohio. We were treated with 3 separate 60 degree days. Now, for the last 4 or 5 days, we have had highs in the low to mid 30's and lows in the teens and twenties. UGH is right! Next week is featuring increasing into the mid 40's or so but nothing like what we had a week ago. My blues are amazingly STILL here but the Tree Swallows fled and haven't shown back up. How can they be finding insects when it's 30?! And I trapped the HOSP when it was warm and they haven't been back at my boxes. Seems like this cold is affecting everything...including HOSP! Which usually isn't the case...but I've trapped 3 - 5 males already too. This time last year, the blues were about to begin a nest...it was the last day of March last year. Looks like they'll be delayed this year:( Oh well. Keep your spirits up guys! We haven't got any snow accumulation but for March it has been down right cold! It's almost April. The closer to May, the better! Hang in there everyone! ~Tim~