Well, I think it's a nice idea, done all the time all over Japan and to some extent anywhere else, but it's important to first learn something about what you're planting and how it grows, regardless of whether you're styling it or not. Were you planning on growing evergreens from seed indoors, or what (with regards to 'transplanting in spring')? Seed growing will take years to achieve the overall bulk you need to work with, and you wouldn't start by planting indoors but outdoors, letting nature (and winter) do that job. If not from seed, then if you can still plant anything where you are and have the material, it can be done now from nursery stock without disturbing the rootballs at all, watering until the ground freezes. As far as styling goes, you could do some in the spring (tho' mugos should wait til early July), but you'd be better off to wait til next late fall for any real pruning, etc. You also need to learn about pinching candles, etc. to direct growth where you want it, and there's definitely more to it than I can tell you about here. Go to www.evergreengardenworks.com/articles and you can learn all the basics there, at least it's the best online place I know of to start with. There's no reason the trees shouldn't survive if things are done properly (certainly not if they can do it in little pots vs inground!), but you should spend a lot of time learning (measure twice, cut once :-) before proceeding. The fact the roots will be in the ground vs a pot makes your job easier, not harder, because you won't have to really do anything with the roots once the trees are established, only the above ground tree.

Thanks Lucy--what a great link. I have several bonsai books from philosophy through techniques. Time to dust them off and use the link you sent.

I would use nursery stock (sorry, not familiar with all the right terms) At least I could see my project right away. My wife is a pretty accomplished gardner and quite artistic so maybe the two of us will have success.

I once tried an Alberta spruce fresh from Home Depot, trimmed it to look more like a Norway pine but did too much too fast at the wrong time of year. I liked the cedar description on the link and maybe can find one.

You say late fall is a good time to work on the tree. This is late fall--if I find a couple of likely candidates could I start now in pots and then plant in the spring?

I obviously need to read and give a lot of thought to this. Your encouragement that it is not an unusual goal to have planted "bonsai" is great.

Thanks. I'll post more questions as they might arise.

Mike

Hi, you have to plant now. Where would you keep the trees til spring otherwise? Oh, in pots someplace at home? Inside? On the deck? Protected in some way for winter?

We have a "potting" room in the basement. Cooler room, stone foundation walls on two sides. Probably store in there. Depends on completion of the pond work and the selection of plant locations. Perhaps that will come too late. Any reason why I can't buy plants in the spring, put in the ground and begin work in the fall? Or why I shouldn't buy now and keep inside (only if I find something nice)?

The more I learn the less I know! Hope that will stop soon.
Mike

Mike. You cannoT keep evergreens in the house over winter. That's the point. They need to go dormant in the cold outside, get buried in snow, have the ground freeze around them, etc. and need to acclimatize to it all having already been out since summer, and the reverse in spring. A cold (very relatively) bsmt won't do it. You can shop and plant in spring, then work in the late fall, early winter. Yes.

I came across an earlier post that reminded me bonsai is growing in a container and what I am interested in is closer to Japanese gardening--wrong forum I guess. Semi-bonsai is what, half-crocked? I do believe much of the technique can apply to what I hope to do--which I never intended to call bonsai anyway out of respect for the philosophy.

So I'll put my plants out and bring myself in and sit by the fire with good references for the spring.
Mike

There is actually a name for a tree treated like Bonsai but grown in the ground, unfortunatly I can't remember it. I have a maple that I could never make happy in a pot so I planted at the enterance of my garden. I keep it trimed to about 30 inches and it gets better every year.

Topiary