Here on the east coast there is one nursery that I would recommend visiting, Sylvan's Nursery in Westport, MA. They have hundreds of conifers and specialize in "landscape size" trees and shrubs although they have huge supplies of small affordable plants. They have several "farms" and cover a total of 350 acres or so. They are mostly wholesale but if you sign in and sign out (I guess in case you get lost) they let you roam around the greenhouses and grounds; they'll even drive you in a golf cart. I don't know why they even let me in there as I have seen professionals buying tens of thousands of dollars worth of premium stock. They do, and they are always very friendly and treat me just as well with my $60 purchase as the guy next to me shelling out thousands; of course the mark-up is higher with me (5% discount for cash though). Prices for the premium stuff is premium and the smaller stuff is higher than the box stores, but they no doubt probably have what you want, when you want it and the size you want at a fair price. Anyway, it is worth the trip (probably not from Oregon) as they are located along the Westport River and Buzzard's Bay and it is God's country. Don't go at 3 PM as the irrigation goes off (strange, they always say to water in the early AM) no matter what and you will get soaked. Not bad if its hot. I'm jealous of all the great places and choices you have in the Northwest, but thought I would give a plug for some decent people here. Here is a link that might be useful: Sylvan's nursery

This week I'll review my experiences with Stanley and Sons nursery. ***************************** STANLEY AND SONS ***************************** Stanley and Sons Inc. is a Wholesale nursery located in NW Oregon. They have specialized in rare and unusual conifers and Japanese maples since the mid-1970s with some ten acres of nursery grounds and grafting/offering more then 2000 different conifers. While they are 'wholesale', they do occasionally offer their wares to avid collectors, provided you meet certain requirements. Since Stanley and Sons is a wholesale seller, often the prices of the plants are unbeatable. To acquire such plants, retailers or collectors usually must have a retail nursery or membership into the ACS - American Conifer Society. Also, orders must contain a minimum number of plants(depending on the size of the plants). www.stanleyandsons.com Inventory: ***** S&S has the largest overall offering of conifers that I'm aware of online. Offering some 2,000+ conifers, including new ones every year from Holland/New Zealand, they offer both common plants you might find at Lowes, to very rare plants seldom seen in any but the most exclusive online nurseries. They also offer large stock supplies of many of their conifers, with some conifer inventories listed in the thousands. For the retailer, S&S offers a gigantic selection of very well priced conifers covering both large and small. I have friends who run a landscaping business and they have recently pledged future funds in return for unique conifers to provide their customers landscapes. I have also found S&S to be an extremely reliable source to find rare and unusual conifers - particularly 'large upright' conifers that I've had a very hard time finding online. Stock quality/size: **** S&S offers many sized plants, but the overwhelming majority of plants listed for sale are 4" pot and 1 gallon sized plants. S&S does offer 3-gallon and 10-gallon(or larger) plants, but these are much less common and are also sometimes too large to ship via UPS. The size of the plants varies from small one-year grafts to large, overflowing plants that are 3-5 years old or more. I've ordered a half dozen plants in three gallon sizes and I was impressed every time. Generally speaking, the 4" pots are 'starter' plants, often very recent cuttings. Where the size might be lacking is more then made up for in quality - Stanley and Sons offers some of the healthiest looking plants I've experienced from any nursery online. General experience/Customer service: *** Stanley and Sons has an impressive packaging/shipping routine. Every conifer is well labled with size/habit details and every box is extremely well packaged. Shipping for me here in the Northwest is both inexpensive and very quick, usually overnight. Of course I live within 3 hours of S&S nurseries, so East coast travel times may be longer. Stanley and Sons is a WHOLESALE nursery, so they operate much differently then other nurseries you may have experienced. From what I have seen and read here on these forums, it can be difficult to contact them directly and they may even scold customers from calling/asking specific details. Really, any collector/conifer enthusiast should be happy enough if they are offered these conifers in the first place. Complaints/pestering, etc. are not likely to be well received, especially given the huge discount you're already looking at on very fine plants. Orders are usually placed online with a pre-given CC# and confirmation of the order is usually given in 24 to 48 hours. Sometimes stock may not be present even if it shows on their availability list - again, another aspect of the wholesale industry. I've never had a bad experience with Stanley and Sons and would recommend them for anyone with retail needs or looking to add to their collection. Just keep in mind that they are wholesale, so being able to even shop from them is a huge perk. Value: **** Unquestionably, S&S offers some of the least expensive plants I have come across. I've purchased several dozen plants between $7.50 and $15 that have thrilled my landscaping friends. Though they aren't 'instant gratification plants', the rarity of some of these plants gives them top value. While other nurseries offer older stock, S&S has the best prices. This of course is an uncomfortable point - Stanley and Sons is WHOLESALE, and their are ethical questions whether or not 'retail consumers' should even have access. It's not one I'll argue either way as I am just a small fish and new to all of this - just keep it in mind if you're considering placing and order - and certainly don't be upset if you're denied access. Personally I have found many nurseries to have redeeming qualities when it comes to their own offerings, and I have and will continue to place orders with other nurseries, but for the conifer enthusiast on a budget, S&S really is sort of your holy grail of nurseries. If you have more time then money, it is probably one of your best options. In the end, whether you're a retail nursery owner or a very avid conifer collector, Stanley and Sons offers an extremely reliable, inexpensive way to further increase your wares. It's impossible not to recommend them. A typical 'cart' of 15 4" pots. Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Confucious' 1GAL - $7.50 Cryptomeria japonica 'Black Dragon' 1GAL - $7.50 Cryptomeria japonica 'Elegans Compacta' 1GAL - $7.50 (Huge plant for 1 gallon sized) Picea abies 'Chrudim WB' 4" POT - $10 Picea abies 'Hildburghausen' 3GAL - $25 Pinus nigra 'Gaelle Bregeon' 3GAL - $25 Psuedotsuga menziessi 'Valdstejn' 1GAL - $15 Next week: Cloud Mountain Farms and Girards Nursery. Will

tina, I need to check on that. The one Walgreen's I use it's the same as their old 35mm film policy. You sit at the little machine, pick & choose, hit submit for your order and a receipt is printed. Then you can do 1 hour express or return next day for your prints. At least the last time I used it was like that, maybe 2 years ago? Maybe it's changed in that time? As an aside, there is a certain irony to this discussion for me. I love to take photos, family, trips, nature, whatever. Often have a camera in hand. I was diligent about keeping them in albums, neatly organized. When things started to go digital, I remember being so disappointed, thinking some day that's all it would be. The days of sitting alone or with someone, touching & holding real pictures and reminiscing would be going the way of oh..8 track players? :) Sitting around a PC just somehow isn't the same. Now today, here I am, with all my pics on PC, backed up on an external drive. (Which is not enough to prevent loss, need to do something extra.) I rarely print out photos anymore, unless I want to frame them. Share, no problem, zip them off in email, or to Facebook, or my private Pbucket album that family has the password to. Whodathunkit? ;)

Thanks for the tip on Mpix, I was just getting ready to find a place to have 12 of my travel photos printed 8"x10" in black and white. I have 12 black frames waiting for pictures. I will choose my favorite photo from each of the following places I've traveled in the last two years: Antarctica (I'm choosing two from Antarctica), Buenos Aires, Kobe, Toyko, Hakodate Japan, Russia, Kodiak, Homer, Sitka and Glacier Bay Alaska. I will add the 12th photo when I return from the Iditarod dog race in Alaska in March. I can't wait to see them lining my boring hallway. Jodi-