Last night, as my wife was enjoying the dancing styles of Donny, Mya and Kelly, I was sitting next to the woodstove with a warm herbal tea and a pile of conifer catalogs that I have accumulated over the past few years. My catalog collection is of great value to me. Full of plant photos and descriptions, my notes written in the margins of the pages, plants circled and starred, I’ve turned my collection of catalogs into an analog version of my own personal plant Wikipedia.

Happy Thanksgiving to my gardening friends!

Even though the economy is a challenge, and like many people I’ve needed to tighten my budget and cut back on frivolous spending, I have made sure that I have a New Conifer section in the budget plan. I am thankful that my wife has always been very patient with my conifer expenditures since, after all, my hobby does keep me close to home and we do love to garden together.

I’m thankful that we live in a country with a rich history of freedom with a Constitution and Bill of Rights to guide our leaders. I’m thankful that we have a strong military filled with young, dedicated men and women willing to risk their lives so that I may enjoy those freedoms. I’m thankful for my family and friends and hope that my garden may inspire them to begin their own conifer gardens. I am thankful for the friends I am making as a result of this blog – may it be a positive and uplifting experience for my readers and may your gardens be a source of great joy for you and yours in the many years to come.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Last year I was a little too late when I wrote about two great conifers selected by the  American Conifer Society as the 2009 Collectors Conifers of the Year. This year I want  to make sure you don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to order the three plants  chosen for 2010.

Larix decidua 'Puli'

Larix decidua ‘Puli’ is an absolutely gorgeous weeping Larch. This deciduous conifer  has bright green needles densely covering weeping branches that will cover the ground  if allowed to naturally spread. Staked to any height desired, ‘Puli’ can either be a low  mounding, sprawling groundcover or a tall specimen that matures with great character.  Its deciduous habit gives a show of yellow foliage in autumn before needle drop  exposing an interesting silhouette that will sway in the winter breeze.

Taxodium distichum 'Peve Miniaret'

Taxodium distichum ‘Peve Minaret’ is a wonderful contrast to ‘Puli’ in that it has a very  upright growing habit. Some annual trimming will produce a neat and formal looking  tree. Growing naturally, ‘Peve Minaret’ can become a little unruly, but some may enjoy  its unique character. During autumn, the soft textured foliage will turn reddish brown and will persist on the plant for weeks before it drops to expose a fascinating, layered  branch work.

Ginkgo biloba 'Mariken'

Ginkgo biloba ‘Mariken’ is a delightful dwarf version of this fascinating tree. Not quite  a conifer and not quite a traditional broadleaved tree, this gymnosperm dates back to  the dawn of time and is classified in a division all its own called Ginkgophyta. In Asian  culture, the Ginkgo has been used for thousands of years for culinary as well as  medicinal purposes. ‘Mariken’ is very dwarf, growing three to five inches per year and  will mature into a multi-branched small tree. Its bright golden autumn foliage color will  brighten the garden for a few weeks until leaf drop.

All three selections for 2010 are very unique and will be rare in the trade for some time. Members of the ACS have a tremendous opportunity to order these plants for spring  delivery. Not a member? Don’t be late and join the American Conifer Society today!

Ed-
Conifer Lover

I took a trip to visit the pot lady. She sells absolutely the best pots in town. Her selection is quite varied and when considering the potential lifespan and quality of her pottery, they are a great value.

There really is nothing that can dress up and make the entry, patio or deck more inviting than a collection of premium plants in quality pots. My preference is to collect and plant dwarf and miniature conifers, but other slow growing, hardy plants can be used as companions. If one desires, and has the space large enough, intermediate or even large trees can be planted in some of the huge clay pots that are available today.

Amazing dwarf and miniature conifers, in high quality pots, create an inviting space on the patio.

The pot lady told me that her pots are a much higher quality than the typical terra cotta pots we often find on the shelves of the big box store. Her pots can withstand much colder temperatures without being destroyed by cold snaps in winter (at least in our area).

As I wandered through her large display area I found many “family” groupings of pots. These families would all have similar color, shape and style characteristics within the broad range of sizes from small single plant pots, to shallow bowls (great for miniature gardens), to larger bowls and pots (that might  accommodate  small street trees).  When you choose pots of varying size within a family group and plant them with dwarf and miniature conifers and then place them together on the deck or patio, you are treated with a year-round display that looks like you may have paid a professional designer to create it for you.

I love container gardening with conifers and now I’ve found a great source to supply all my pot needs. Thank you pot lady!

Ed-
Conifer Lover

I have a confession to make. My eyes have been wandering. There are some pretty young things in town and they’ve been tempting me away from my true love.

This time of year can be a real challenge for the devoted cone-head. Ordinarily it is a very rare instance when my eyes can be drawn away from my true love of conifers. This time of year though, when the Japanese maples dress themselves in their delicious hot red and orange and yellow foliage – sigh – even the most loyal can be drawn to their seductive beauty.

Autumn foliage of Acer japonicum 'Vitifolium'

Acer japonicum ‘Vitifolium’ is one of those beauties that is the most difficult to
resist in my garden right now. This shapely small tree does tempt me in the spring with its bright green fresh new foliage and tiny white flowers surrounded by red bracts. During the summer months, ‘Vitifolium’ is easier to resist as she makes a nicely textured filler in the garden. But, in the midst of autumn, she becomes a stunning beacon of seduction that I simply cannot take my eyes off of.

The autumn colors of ‘Vitifolium’ begin with golden tones that quickly brighten to yellow. Then, seemingly overnight, her intense scarlet tones will appear making her absolutely irresistible! Placed near dark green, blue or golden conifers she will boldly cry out, “Look at me!”

Yes, I feel as though I have betrayed my love because I know that ‘Vitifolium’ will not be the only seductress to tempt me away from my conifers this autumn. I will enjoy the show knowing that in just a few weeks, those beautiful colors will all be blown away or swept into the compost pile, while my conifers, my true love, will be waiting for me to return my adoration to them.

Ed-
Conifer Lover

I have a friend who loves to tinker – I think of him as a scientist and inventor. Last week he told me that he was working on a time machine.

“Seriously?” I asked.

“Yup.”

“So how does this thing work?” I asked looking at a small, odd-looking jumble of circuit boards, wires and – well, I’m not sure what.

“Don’t know yet.” he responded, his mind deep into some kind of mathematical calculations that would likely cause my brain to explode if I somehow managed to find those same thoughts in my head.

“Keep me informed on your progress, will ya?” I asked as I left his shop.

“Yup.”

During the fifteen minute walk home I let my imagination drift to where in time I might like to visit should my friend actually become successful in his latest endeavor. The future would be interesting, but that might be like peeking at the birthday presents a week before the party. No, I think past history would be fascinating to explore. Like, for example, I’d love to go back in time to the Phanerzoic Eon. You know, that span of time from 245 to 65 million years ago when dinosaurs walked the earth. I think it would be fascinating to find a forest of the amazing conifer, that until the early 1940s, was presumed to be extinct.

'Miss Grace' stands proudly before her ancient ancestor, Metasequoia glyptostroboides in the garden at Iseli Nursery.

Metasequoia glyptostroboides (the Dawn Redwood) is a giant deciduous conifer that dates back many millions of years ago and was rediscovered growing in China in 1944. Since that time it has been propagated and grown throughout the world. A new slower growing form as been discovered as a witches’ broom and is called ‘Miss Grace.’ This exciting new form should fit in most any garden and may allow some a sense of travelling back in time millions of years.

Great in the garden landscape and suitable for container gardening, this Zone 5 plant could be grown as a larger specimen on the patio or deck for a number of years. It’s yellowish to gray/green foliage turns into tones of orange and red in autumn. As it drops its foliage, the color and texture of its bark continues the show through winter.

Yes, I’d like to visit the past and observe history in the making, but while I wait for my friend to achieve success with his latest invention, I’ll be satisfied making my own history while relaxing in my conifer garden.

Ed-
Conifer Lover