Dansgrdn's Outbox

Hi Bluespruce. This photo was from about a month ago. They look pretty beat up as of today. Slugs haven't been too bad, but heat and drought over last month have left them a bit crispy in spots. I'm having fun with them though. I've been doing some hybridizing and am going to grow hosta seeds again inside over the winter to keep me occupied. Don't worry though, conifers are still my first love :-) Dan

Amazing specimen Bluespruce! Was doing a search for something else and stumbled upon this gorgeous photo. All I can say is WOW! Dan

Very serene. Nicely composed photo!

Very nice. Every year I mean to set one of these up and then I get side tracked with other projects. Your pic makes me want to put it at the top of my priority list for next Spring. Thanks for the inspiration. Dan

Hi Gillian, no it's actually a tree in the Black locust family with wisteria like flowers. This Spring it had hundreds of these blooms. Unfortunately this tree is prone to borers in my USDA Zone 5 and a bad wind storm cracked it in half and I had to cut it down. Serious bummer , but on the bright side, now I have more space for a new garden project this fall. Dan

The shadow against the wall adds to the beauty of this photo.

Very Nice !!!

Hi Flcrazy, thanks for the nice comments. I got the H. m. 'All Gold' early Spring '07 for $14.99 USD. They came in "trade gallon" containers which are actually .74 gallons or 3.36 liters. They were small when I got them but they increased surprisingly quickly. I find that 'All Gold' grows faster and breaks dormancy more quickly in the Spring than 'Aureola' which is the more commonly seen golden striped cultivar. There is also a newer cultivar that I'm trying this year called 'Stripe it Rich' which looks like 'All Gold' but has a white stripe down the center. We'll see how it performs. Thanks, Dan

Gillian, mine is in mostly shade , though most of my hostas get a fair amount of sun. I think if placed in more sun it would retain its Spring coloration for a shorter time and the center would turn parchment white more quickly. Thanks, Dan

Yes, it is the back of my home. Thanks for the positive comments. Dan

Yep, moved every stone myself. Dan

More knockout combinations, love it! Dan

Love the texture, colors and foliage combos! Dan

Gorgeous garden! Things look perfect! Dan

Sorry it took me so long to answer your question. The "tall skinny" conifer is Picea glauca 'Pendula'. It grows this way and does not require pruning. Thanks, Dan

Gillian, It turns from chartreuse in the Spring to a bright lime green in the Summer. Dan

After seeing your photo of 'Iona' I added it to my list of conifers ordered from Bethlehem Nursery. Dan

Bluespruce, this photo simply blows me away! I'm sure you'll win some conifer converts with this one. Dan

Beautiful Acers! I have a thing for these beautiful trees as well. Dan

Love the foliage on this plant. I don't have any Hebes yet, but this beautiful photo makes a convincing argument for adding some. Dan

Hi all, thanks for all of the nice comments.
Jacque and Buzzbee, I just take a lot of pictures, and a few of them will catch plants at their peek, so that they look their best in pictures.
Maple,sounds like you know what I'm talking about. I can't put my finger on it but there's something that bugs me about it. It usually takes a while before I get an area looking the way I want it, but I guess that's part of the fun :). Thanks again to everyone for the positive comments, I appreciate it. Dan

Hi Bluespruce, Yeah, I realize this is going to get big. I 've already moved the Picea engelmannii 'Bush's Lace' behind it in this picture. I haven't decided yet whether I'm going to move the things around it or move it to a different location. Probably the latter. Dan

I wish I could grow Cedrus deodara. They have a graceful elegance. Beautiful photo.

Jacque, Roses are what got me into gardening fifteen years ago. This picture reminds me of why I was so enamoured with them. Thanks for posting the photo. Dan

Maple, beautiful pictures. I especially like the pictures of your Acer palmatum 'Garnet' . Thanks for the quick and warm welcome as well.

Dan.

P.S. I think you need a few more new acer palmatums :).