How come you didn't take me along? I've always wanted to see the Milford Sound area, including the mountains. What a trip! I've been to the mountains in Costa Rica a few years ago. Looks a lot like Guatemalan mountains. Nice conifer enable job on the guide. Way to go! Mike

A few plants from the garden that could use some identification: 1. This dwarf spruce appears to be a Picea abies. However, it can be very difficult to distinguish between the many different cultivars derived from witches brooms. Any guesses? 2. These pine trees were here when the garden was first started. They appear to be either Pinus contorta or Pinus banksiana in my opinion: 3. This juniper has new growth that emerges a goldish color in the early spring. Juniperus chinensis 'Plumosa Aurea'? 4. This yew came up volunteer. Seems to be growing VERY slowly. Any guesses on the species? 5. This Cryptomeria does not have a cultivar label. 6. This Japanese Umbrella Pine is growing in a very narrow shape, quite uncommon for the species. There is a suspicion that it was left in its container too long. Is this what is happening or is it some unknown cultivar? 7. This Mountain Hemlock was purchased under the name Tsuga mertensiana 'Sherwood Dust'. Is this supposed to be 'Sherwood Compact'? It seems to be developing a definite leader... 8. These two dwarf Abies cultivars were purchased under different names, but they both look like Abies nordmanniana to me. One was purchased as Abies nordmanniana 'Broom' (probably should be 'Hunnewell Broom) and the other was purchased as Abies balsamea 'Verkade's Prostrate'. Are they even different plants? "Abies balsamea 'Verkade's Prostrate'"? "Abies nordmanniana 'Broom'"? Thanks so much for all the help! -Sam

Oh plenty of seeds and cuttings returned with me of various conifers. So far none of my seeds have sprouted but failed to consider possible stratification requirements but will hope for the best. The cuttings were sent to someone else who has all the proper equipment to hopefully get them to grow.

Tasmanii, I had the impression that the Phyllocladus genus liked cool temperate climate. I tried one from New Zealand in Georgia (USA) (I forget the species name), and it melted in the hot and humid summer. When I saw Phyllocladus hypophyllus (from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Papua New Guinea), I thought, Well, maybe, hypophyllus could handle the summers. Another consideration, as you indicate, is cold-hardiness. I was thinking about trying hypophyllus in coastal Georgia (not zone 7b), where the winters are milder. At the coast, there are different zones warming up as one goes closer to the ocean. At landÂs end, the temperature in winter may stay above 32F for many winters and dip below only in the odd winter. How far does it dip in that odd winter? Maybe, to 30F. Maybe, to 29F for a short couple of hours. On islands farther inland from the open ocean, the dip may go to 28, to 27, and so forth, every 4 to 5 winters. So if a plant is cold-hardy to the above degree, IÂm back to the consideration whether the plant can handle the hot and humid summers (and whether it can handle, as salicaceae mentions, the pathogens that rage at the summer peak of heat and humidity). I always imagine that Tasmania is like coastal California  not too hot, not too cold, cool temperate with dry summers(?). The moderate temperatures allow all manner of plants to survive and even thrive. The dry summers seem to allow plants to stay on top of pathogens. In other words, plant heaven.