When things work out.

Sometimes you have a garden plan and surprise, suprise, the plan works. This is one corner of a mixed conifer garden that I'm really happy with. I'm sure the rest of you have garden scenes that are just what you'd hoped for. Share them here.

Beautiful foliage color, texture and shape combination.

Thanks!

Snapple45,
That is a truly lovely scene. It looks like a magazine shot.
Sarah

Now if only it could stay that way, just like a photo. Nice specimens.

Excellent ! VERY nice.

Thanks again - but come on gardener guys & gals. I'll bet each of you has a garden shot that everybody would love to see. Get out those cameras!

I love how yours looks, Snapple. Very, very soothing.

I like how this came out in the front. It took a few years for things to fill in but it was worth that wait.

Nice color combinations. It gives you a finished look and doesn't impede the view from the porch. Classy.

Thank you. ^_^

I like this misty looking photo in our garden from 2008.

2009, same area

That's what I'm talking about! Keep 'em coming people. Wow! That's a stunner. What's the name of the dominant conifer in the 2009 pic?

That is so great, QC!!!

Thanks kwanjin & Snapple 45! The conifer is a weeping spruce. Picea Glauca " Pendula" There are other forms of it, but only room for the narrow one, in that area. There is another kind of prostrate version in another part of the garden. I have noticed that at the public parks and gardens we go to, the prostrate one is usually in a rock garden/pond situation. In a garden in Wisconsin, a part of it grows over the pond. Because of the odd form the spruce, and it's strong branches it is able to hang out over the pond. It looks like it's looking at it's own reflection in the water.

That look you've created is my all time favorite and you've done it superbly, to say the least. Bravo !

JasperDale,
I'm so glad you like it.With us, I am sort of the main plant 'chooser', and DH is the 'mostly' arranger. This is what he calls his "woodland" area. He had none to very little interest in plants at all until the late nineties. Now it's his favorite pastime.

quaintcharm I have one of those weeping spruce, too, I love it!
All those pics are beautiful.

Thanks, Lynnie :-)

I'd post a pic of mine,but the shrubs I put around it are as small as oranges right now lol

We've had so much cool weather and rain this summer, things have grown much faster than usual. The other day I was looking at pics from 2001 & 2002 They were viewed from the top of the carport. The plants then looked like small oranges, too. I didn't think they would ever get going. During those years, I would wait till October and get in on the sales at Lowes. The various types of ground covers Junipers were $1.00-$2.00 for gallon plants. In three years, the Junipers had grown like crazy. One of the blue rugs is now at least 10X10 feet! The tiny chamaecyparis we planted are now way taller than us. I thought it would take 20 years for that to happen, but it goes faster than you think :-)

Which goes faster? Time or getting old? ;)

lol yes unfortunately as the trees & shrubs grow taller I grow older! I want THEM to age as I stay young (ish).

Hi Snapple & Lynnie 6868,
I think time and getting old are in general like cassette tapes unwinding. When it gets to the point where it has unwound past the middle, there is a speed up factor, since the amount on the unwind side becomes smaller LOL
Sarah

Yep - But as time goes by my middle is getting larger.

lol Snapple it's a curse.

Come to think of it, my middle getting bigger thing is where my time theory fails me LOL ! I'm sure we are all still holding our own tossing mulch bags around. I have the counter weight for that :-)

I won't blow over in a wind easily either. Birds could take shelter behind me.

ROTFLOL

Thank you for posting your lovely pictures and the inspiration. As someone who is new to gardening with trees, shrubs and conifers, I'm certainly finding plenty of info on individual plants but little in the way of combining them for a lovely effect! I'm struggling with how to arrange what I've purchased this year and they're still sitting in their pots! I look at them, they look at me and we're all getting no where,lol.
I hope other members will add photos to this thread because the visuals certainly help!

Thank you! :o)

Erynne you can move the pots around and see what happens. What do you have so far?

Lynnie6868, yes I have been moving pots around and leaving them to get an idea of how they would look. Problem is, they are small right now but how will they combine with each other say in 10 yrs time? I admit, I lack foresight. With Hostas, I can envision the outcome but not so with the bones of the garden. I saw these pics somewhere on one of the gardening sites where someone had new gardens and all these baby conifers were put in place. While it looked beautifully laid out, I wondered how they could know how it would all look in the future and wouldn't they be crowding each other? I don't want to make that mistake but nor do I want the naked look while waiting.
Anyway, in pots at this time is: Cotinus coggygria 'Golden Spirit', Juniperus chinensis 'Old Gold', Picea abies 'Nidiformis', Pinus mugo and two dwarf Alberta Spruce. In addition I have four beautiful boxwoods (no idea which type they are this point) that I feel were very badly placed by the previous owners that need to be relocated. I took cuttings and rooted them just in case I kill them by moving,lol.
So for now, that's what I have and space is not an issue. I have a 15ft bed ready to receive them so I'm pondering the order of things.

Erynne

Take into account their growth rates and expected size in 10 years. As a precaution don't assume the plant tag that came with the plant has the right information. Look them up here in the PlantFiles. Once you have that information they should arrange themselves. Taller to the back, and possibly the sides, of course. But bring something slightly taller to the front in a spot, or maybe two, so it doesn't looked staged like a row of soldiers. Decide how you plan to maintain the boxwoods, trimmed regularly or left to their own devices. Take into account complimentary and contrasting colors as well as foliage texture. Two different plants, but with similar texture or color will look like one uneven blob. Keep them apart. Will you coppice the Cotinus or let it achieve it's full growth potential? That's an interesting mix of plants and it should be fun to put them together. Almost forgot. What is the background or backdrop for the bed? That's a design element that can have a profound effect on the whole bed. Out in the open? Up against a wall or a fence ? Or "borrowed scenery" such as a neighbor's yard? Remember to leave plenty of room for air circualtion and access for paint or repairs behind plants that are against a wall or fence. Keep in mind views form inside house windows too. See. It's simple.

Thanks snapple45! I'm going to go over the info in the PF one more time and see if I can nail this. This is my goal for this long weekend.
My backdrop is shown here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=6599232. It can be seen from my living room window so I think I have picked a good spot.
I don't like the idea of shrubs being trimmed positively neat and tidy with the exception of boxwoods. I couldn't stomach the idea of having a bunch of balls or squares or even the topiary look for that matter. It would remind me of my grandmothers front yard garden from the 70's. Plus, it wouldn't suit my country property to have a formal look and I'm inclined to let most things grow as they want to so the Cotinus will be allowed to do it's thing.
Thanks again, and hopefully I'll be able to say that "things worked out" and show a pic of what I did here. I might be going shopping for more conifers this weekend but I'm hoping to find something a little out of the ordinary and possibly with the pendulous look. Not a lot nearby but we'll see.

Many thanks.

snapple, I'm completely jealous b/c I can't grow much blue foliage in my area. your first pic of gorgeous,very soothing.

Lovely garden scenes everyone. I'm trying but I don't have anything that has really come together yet. Maybe next year :-)
Great idea for a thread snapple45

Erynne - That's a backdrop to end all backdrops. And the room you have!!! Oh My Goodness. I see you've already determined the shape of the beds. To tie them together try flanking the garden arch with an identical pair of plants on each side. Something low and shrubby just outside the arch and then something taller slightly behind and beside the low shrub. Four plants total, two of each kind, in case I'm not explaining it right. Perhaps the Dwarf Albertas and the boxwoods, depending on the type of boxwoods. You know you can easily keep a boxwood pruned to a certain size without it looking like a tightly clipped topiary. No matter what - Have fun!

Erynne that is a beautiful beginning! I LOVE the roof on that structure! I prefer to let things take their natural shape too...don't like things pruned into shapes nature didn't intend. I have a mugo, it's the size of my hand right now but it will be huge someday...I have a smoketree shrub too, it's the burgundy one.
Snapple that's a LOT of info in one post lol holy moly I should print it & put it on my fridge...

Thanks! I like the living hedge because it's super private and more importantly, there are many birds that make it their home. It's a little unruly in sections but it's too old to be doing any drastic trimming.
Right now, there are hostas planted in these gardens because I needed somewhere to put them for the time being when I moved in last year. I've been slowly taking them out this year and putting them elsewhere because making new beds is tedious to say the least. The left side is near empty now so I'm beginning there and the right side will be next. The left gets more sun than the right so if I have to mind that.
I really like your idea there, snapple45 about creating a sense of symmetry in the way you described. Omg, that is such a good idea!! And yes, I have printed this out as well!
Lynnie68, I too have a purple smoketree that I put in last year....very vigorous and I just love it! My mugo is about the size of a basketball.

This is the other side of the yard that I'm trying to deal with albeit at a much slower pace. There is an oak which is probably still young because no acorns yet, a tiny Tsuga canadensis (planted this yr), Xanthocyparis nootkatensis 'Aurea' (planted this yr), Tilia americana (planted this yr) and in the distance, a large spruce and even further are Jack Pines. I hope that what I've planted so far on this side will work and I think I'm going to need a second job to support this new fascination. In 10 yrs time, much of this lawn will be gone if I have my way! ;)

I hear ya about the second job thing. Also the disappearing grass phenomena. You have a ton of room there. I envy you that. It's like painting a big, big picture but with plants. Throw in some hardscape and some garden art along the way and, well, you've got yourself 'gardens'. Be sure to shop for statuary, etc. at ebay or other places regularly. You can get some great pieces for cheap(er) and siting them early in the design process is easier than squeezing them in later. Everybody has a certain 'feel' they want to bring into the landscape. I go for tranquility.