Garen's Garden 2015
I'll start with a few for now and will be adding more.
The guardians, Dingo and Piper, at their usual look out location.
Picea abies 'Summer Daze' - One of Bob Fincham's many wonderful crosses between 'Acrocona' and 'Gold Drift'.
New buds have set at the tips of some of the cones or semi cone/branch tip thing-a-majigs. Quite interesting. I'm hoping that the leader cone will poke out a new bud as well.
Hostas in full sun. What! My Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Ogon' use to provide afternoon shade for the blue ones but it kicked the bucket last summer from bark beetle. The gold-ish ones, 'Sum and Substance' and 'Guacamole' do just fine for me in full sun. here's hoping the blue ones can handle it. So far so good.
Comments (22)
severnside
8 years agoGaren Rees
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Garen's Garden 2013
Comments (15)Thanks everyone. Alex - I may have to try your approach on the recurva. Thats if it makes it through the summer. I wouldn't have thought of that. =^) Dave - Nice suggestion on the Cryptomeria japonica 'Tansu'. I have been needing a Cryptomeria. 'Tansu' has been add to the list. The screen is for no other than Picea orientalis 'Skylands' for the suggested 2 year screening. It needed screening from the top as well as the side last year. Had some burn. It seems to be doing great with just the side screening this year. I think the screen will come off next year. Yay, no more giant tent in the yard! I changed Picea glauca 'Echiniformis' to Picea mariana 'Ericoides' in my database. Just what I needed. Thanks. I have one Juniperus horizontalis 'Mother Lode' that's looking beautiful. I may replace some of the Creeping Jenny with more 'Mother lode' or it's slightly faster growing twin, Juniperus horizontalis 'golden carpet'. The Creeping Jenny is quite nice and not difficult to remove where I don't want it but the juniper would be less to maintain in the long run. Though the creeping Jenny does create an excellent weed shield I'm afraid my beds could become nothing but gold in a few more years. Has anyone done a mixed planting of Juniperus horizontalis 'Mother Lode' and 'Blue Carpet'? Thought that may look interesting weaving in and out of each other. Ken - Yeah, I will probably throw a little mulch around the Pinus parviflora 'Catherine Elizabeth'. I have a hard time judging my soil as it varies all over my property. I have a lot of clay and my beds crack heavily every year. I get confused because the beds will have huge cracks but then I stick my finger down in the crack and it's moist below most of the time. We've had a lot of rain this year but my soil still cracks. I kind off like the cracks because the rain washes the older mulch into the cracks thus improving my clay soil. So I like to tell myself. I've gotten to the point of not worrying about it too much anymore. I just plant and hope for the best. It's interesting to roll the dice and see what will survive and what thrives in my climate. Matt - I have about 5 acres. Most of it's covered in Indiana jungle but I may hack it a way here and there to add more conifers. The 'Ogon' was planted as a mail order 5 footer in 2010. Ha ha, I mail ordered a 5 foot tree after I gave away my 1 foot 'Ogon'. I guess I'm impatient. She took off last year and grew 4 feet. It looks like she may put on some crazy growth again this year. My little garden crew only comes out when I'm gardening. We have bald eagles that I have to keep an eye out for. Man they are huge birds! I was out near the coop one day when I saw a female bald eagle swoop down on the coop and run into the fence. Scared the crap out of me because it took my stupid brain a few seconds to register what it was. Thanks again for inspiring Some older pictures of the property that I posted last year too....See Moreunique public garens
Comments (1)Iris, your work is absolutely beautiful and inspiring! Thank you for sharing. Natalie...See MoreGarden tours and open gardens 2015
Comments (14)I got to the garden tour in Keene NH on June 20. The plant sale in Ashuelot River Park was small but very nice. Enjoyed the tour. Map was pretty clear and frequent bright pink trail markers helped me find all of the gardens. Yesterday I went on the Concord South Church garden tour. This year there were 5 gardens in Bow and Concord so not as spread out as last year. None were professionally designed or maintained but I thought two were exceptional (retired couples sharing the work). Can anyone else report on where they've been?...See MoreGaren's Garden 2016
Comments (22)Thank's so much everyone! Warning, chicken stuff, skip to the next paragraph. Pete and maackia - Norris was a young cockerel when we rescued him from our local animal shelter. We raised him like a dog, letting him in the house to hang out, taking him for walks and car rides, so he is extremely loving and personable unlike most roosters that usually just want to beat the crap out of you. He's my bro but he does get mad and pecks me if I don't pick him up, pet him, and give him attention when I first greet him. He talks a lot (in chicken of course) and is a huge benefit for keeping the flock safe, alerting them to take cover when hawks and eagles are near. We have bald eagles and hawks that like to routinely scope out our lot. I can't preach enough about how cool chickens are if you spend time with them and don't mind having your mulch strewn across the lawn lol. I've had this property for about 15 years. My gardening obsession was spawned in 2009 when I cleared a bunch of locust, hedge apple, and black walnut trees, then planted a dawn redwood and a few other trees. I stumbled upon these forums and it was all over from there. Bless/Damn you enablers and your irresistible conifer crack. coniferbros - No free range! Free range = free chicken feed during spring and summer = free eggs = more than you can eat, renewable, complete protein made by happy deck pooping garden pals. Ok, I apologize for all the chicken talk. =) The maple is indeed Acer palmatum 'Mikawa Yatsubusa'. One of my fav's. Colors up in fall. 'Hupp's Dwarf' is nice as well and slower growing. I need one of those too. Ken - I'm in rural Patriot Indiana (Population 205) overlooking the Ohio river, 50 min down river from Cincinnati. I would happily give you a photo from my deck chair but it has fallen through my neglected, rotting, white trash deck. =) The surrounding trees have grown since I bought the place and now block most of my view of the river but the view is visible in the winter and especially nice at sunrise. If you find the time, I would love to see some recent views of your great place again. Ontario - I don't have kids, just a lot of furry and feathered friends. My wife does certified wildlife rehab. It's not unusual to see me doing my gardening at night, after along day at work, with a headlamp, sometimes in the rain, wearing a Chinese rice paddy hat. Thank god I don't have close neighbors. They would think that I'm a meth head lol. Gardening is my meditation from the stresses of the day. stewartlawrence - The Juniperus communis 'Horstmann' is a wild one. I've had it about 3 years now. I love it and it has taken off in all directions this year. July 2014. July 2015 Sept 2016...See More
davidbard
8 years agoGaren Rees
8 years ago
Picea pungens 'St. Mary's Broom' with Sedum spurium 'Voodoo'
Pinus parviflora 'Catherine Elizabeth'
Ginkgo biloba 'Mariken' - I think I may try to prune this one like a bonsai as it ages.
Acer shirasawanum 'Junihitoe' - Fantastic spherical leaves
Pinus mugo 'Sherwood Compact' - One of the best mugos
Picea omorika 'Peve Tijn' - Outstanding gold with a silvery blue underside.
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Chirimen' - A very strange one that has a face only a conifer collector would love.
Acer palmatum 'Japanese Princess' - A very slow growing seedling from 'Mikawa Yatsabusa' that has the same awesome form but the new leaves are a nice pinkish red. I've been trying to find this one for 3 years and Sam from EastforkNursery.com was so kind to sell me one of her only two last year.
Pinus parviflora 'Aoi' - Aoi means blue in Japanese.
whaas_5a
8 years ago
gardener365
8 years agoGaren Rees
8 years agoThanks guys!
Will, if you get some time you'll have to post a picture or five. You've got some cool stuff a growin.
Picea abies 'Pendula'
Pinus strobus 'Niagara Falls'
Cupressus nootkatensis 'Green Arrow'
Ginkgo biloba 'Ross Moore' - Strongly weeping compared to the other semi weeping Ginkgo cultivars like 'Pendula'.
From left to right in the foreground, Picea pungens 'The Blues', Taxus cuspidata 'Nana Aurescens', Sciadopitys verticillata 'Joe Kozey'
Juniperus squamata 'Dream Joy' - Nice blue and creamy gold effect. I'm not sure if there is a difference between this plant and 'Holger'. Perhaps they are the same.
Dingo snuggling up to Picea abies 'Little Gem'
Pinus mugo 'Jakobsen'
Little Lu Lu. She likes to hang out on my shoulder.
Garen Rees
8 years agoChamaecyparis obtusa 'Fernspray Gold', three Platycladus orientalis 'Morgan', and Acer palmatum 'Shishigashira'
Pinus sylvestris 'Gold Coin' - I love it's summer color and in winter it turns bright, punch you in the face, yellow.
Tsuga canadensis 'Pendula', Juniperus horizontalis 'Mother Lode', Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana 'Wissel's Saguaro', Pinus parviflora 'Kinpo', Pinus leucodermis 'Schmidtii', and an unfinished pond project.
Picea orientalis 'Skylands' and Picea engelmannii 'Bush's Lace'
Pinus mugo 'Short needle'
Pinus mugo 'Ophir' - Dusted with a pale soft gold in the summer that intensifies in the winter
Thuja occidentalis 'Concabe' aka Fire Chief™ - This color is simply awesome
Acer sieboldianum 'Seki-no-kegon'
Picea abies 'Gold Dust'
Garen Rees
8 years agoJuniperus communis 'Horstmann'
Thuja occidentalis 'Brobeck's Tower'
Cedrus atlantica 'Sapphire Nymph'
Pinus densiflora 'Golden Ghost' - Needs to come with sunglasses
Prunus 'Bonfire'
Picea bicolor 'Prostrata'
Ginkgo biloba 'Green Pagoda'
Acer shirasawanum 'Autumn Moon'
gardener365
8 years agoGaren Rees
8 years agoThank you! Thank you!
Lu lu is a tiny silver sebright chicken.
Yeah, the chickens and the dogs hang out together. They even eat snacks together and drink from the same water bowls at the same time. I integrated them slowly until the chickens simply became fixtures in the yard and part of the pack. For a long time the dogs would only see the chickens through the chicken run fence. Once the dogs no longer showed interest in the chickens I brought them out together except the dogs were on a leash. The key is to get the dogs completely uninterested in the chickens. If the dog was interested in the chickens then I would walk the dog away until they were no longer alert on them. Then bring them closer only if they weren't interested until I could walk them right with the chickens. Every time the dog would so much as raise an ear or look at the chickens I would tell them no. I would hold the chickens and interact with them in front of the dogs to let them know that the chickens are part of the pack. I would even bring our rooster, Cluck Norris, into the house on a regular basis to hang out with us. I think that really helped. Norris would even play hide n seek with us lol. I have wood and tile floors so picking up a chicken poop every once in a while is no prob. They even make chicken diapers.
There is nothing like the taste of happy chicken eggs for breakfast every morning. Not to mention using the eggs to make fresh homemade mayonnaise made with coconut/MCT oil. I can't even eat non free range, sad chicken eggs from the store anymore. There is no comparison. It's like tasting a home grown heirloom tomato compared to the tasteless store bought tomatoes.
These little friends have so much personality and beauty to offer if you simply get to know them and spend time with them. If you get a rooster you must hand raise it from a chick, take it for walks everyday like a dog to bond, and you'll be best buds. Otherwise you'll have a mean rooster that just wants to beat the crap out of you.
Norris, Wonton, and the wife
Garen Rees
8 years agoplantkiller_il_5
8 years agoGaren Rees
8 years agogardener365
8 years agoplantkiller_il_5
8 years ago
severnside