Wow, absolutely magnificient! I have never seen anything like those before...thanks so much for posting your pictures. Vikki

Oh Dan, your photos are always absolutely breathtaking. I
can only imagine what your gardens look like in person!
I live in NW Indiana...also in Zone 5. I am looking for
a nice Conifer for my extra lot which is right behind my
fenced in back yard. I want something interesting as it
will be part of my "backdrop" view from inside the house
as well as my patio. First, where do you find these unique
specimens and what would you suggest for one, stand-alone
focal point Conifer?

shadyindylady, It would be a tough pick to say which conifer is my favorite.I have about 200. Compared to some of the conifer enthusiasts I'm just a beginner though. How much space do you have for this conifer? Do you like green,blue, gold or variegated foliage or are you looking for a spring show that will serve as a backdrop for the rest of the year? Or do you want it to have impressive cones?
I get alot of my conifers mail order. (check out Ceonosium Gardens, Porterhouse Nursery, Gee Nursery to name a few). Locally I've aquired quite a few plants from Rich's Foxwillow Pines in Woodstock Illinois. I'd check out every local nursery in your area though and see what they have. Chances are if they carry plants from Iseli Nursery they'll have a couple of cool things. They are a wholesale nursery that supply a lot of local nuseries. Their 2005 catalog is online with alot of pictures to give you some ideas. Hope this helps. If you give me some more specifics I'll do my best to give you some recommendations. Thanks for the compliments and glad you liked the photos. Dan