A long two years...(OCD meets conifers)

14 years ago

Some original photo's of my place and two years of hard work. Spent more money then I ever imagined, worked harder then I knew I was able to. Somehow still plants in pots all over the place. All downhill from here???

From the street. Planted a few conifers here and there -until I found a chainsaw.

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In my early weeks of gardening.

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The front yard(spent a grand hydroseeding it only to take out the grass slowly over the two years lol...)

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One of the sideyards.

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The backyard. Makes me shudder looking at it - lol.

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And a few random shots from today:

Cedrus deodara 'Emerald Falls' Grows fast, weeps hard.

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Acer japonicum 'Rising Sun' - Enormous, almost tropic-sized foliage. Fall should be fun!

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Sneaking conifers and maples into the smaller places.

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Japanese maples - indespensible for three season color:

My island keeps growing and the grass keeps disappearing.

-Will

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Comments (13)

Cher
14 years ago
Will this really looks wonderful this year. I bet you are tired but it sure has paid off.
Cher
toucanjoe
14 years ago
Will,you have got to be the talk of the town.You have turned an ordinary yard into a fantastic mini arboretum. Joe
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elkka
14 years ago
Awesome work. You should be proud!
taxo_man
14 years ago
THIS IS AWESOME!!! Well done sir.

J
dcsteg
14 years ago
Since you came on the forum +/- two years ago I have watched your grounds develop at an alarming rate.

You have really done a nice job in your design. Those rocks can really be a challenge but necessary to complete the big picture.

Well done my friend. Some day I plan to visit the Northwest. When I do be prepared to give the wife and I a tour.

Dave
gardener365
14 years ago
Yeah, you've done amazing work! It doesn't look crowded at all. Fantastic sir.

Dax
davidrt28 (zone 7)
14 years ago
Very very impressive. I know the amount of work this takes is tremendous. I'm curious do you intend to reposition things as they grow bigger and/or closer together? I ask not to imply that I think things look "jumbled" or for any particularly aesthetic reason at all, other than perhaps whether the form and/or overall health of certain specimens will decline with them being so close together.
I face a similar issue with rhodies and azaleas I'm collecting. I only have limited high evergreen shade so for at least the first decade things will not be positioned in a way that would allow them to develop their best potential form. Unlike you I'm cramming them in with no particular regard as to appearance. The goal is just maximum packing efficiency, taking into account how fast certain varieties well grow.
firefightergardener
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you for all the compliments, it helps keep me going when I'd rather be sitting on my butt watching baseball.

"" Unlike you I'm cramming them in with no particular regard as to appearance. The goal is just maximum packing efficiency, taking into account how fast certain varieties well grow""

In certain regards, I am doing this right now. I'm a collector first and amatuer landscaper second. You don't have to imply that some parts are jumbled, they ARE jumbled lol.

I 'try' to make proper planting decisions based on future growth, color/textures/sun needs/etc. but in many cases I have intentionally planted things closer then most would suggest for two reasons.

One, I prefer plants 'snuggled up' against each other. This is how they usually appear in nature and to my own eyes at least, is much more appealing then lone conifer specimens surrounded by 10' of bark or grass. Of all the photo's I have shot at Coenosium Gardens, the one that usually had the most positive remarks was a cluster planting with precisely my intended 'final product'.
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Also, over the years some plants look better then others. I am hoping that I can simply 'move' or remove the ugliest/malformed plants and make space for the plants that I'd prefer to keep in place. I am now working part-time with a local nursery owner who owns and is creating an enormous botanical garden - hopefully some of my 'too-big' plants can end up there.

I do intend on shaping and training whichever plants will look best with it(weepers/irregular plants) as well as blending in as best I can the hundreds of young Japanese maples that have found a home.

Ultimately ALL plants will outgrow their spot eventually, even miniatures turn into huge specimens over 50-60 years.

I guess I'll cross those bridges when I come to them.

-Will
caliloo
14 years ago
WOW! All that in only a couple of years?!?!?!? That is inspiring!

Alexa
nwconifergarden
14 years ago
Makes my back hurt just looking at these pics! I look forward to watching your incredible collection grow!
botann
14 years ago
You have acquired more varieties of plants in two years than I have in thirty. Amazing!
in ny zone5
14 years ago
Will,
It is amazing how well you have developed those originally wild woods with choice dwarf conifers.

Though I wonder if you have problems with dogs marking your conifers at the street. I do not see any fencing, do you use dog repellents? We have a leash law, but some people do not care.

Bernd
firefightergardener
Original Author
14 years ago
Bermd, there are dogs in our neighborhood, but never without their owners and always on a leash. At least up until now I haven't had any problems with dogs/cats at all. I actually have a few cats of my own and they keep the mole population down quite well.

The most daunting task now is watering this Summer. In the Pacific Northwest, we have notoriously dry summers - less then an inch of rain usually in July/August and September. I've done all I can with sprinkler systems and drip lines, the rest will have to be hand watered!

-Will