You've got some very nice plants there... especially like the P.p. 'Glauca Globosa'.

Regarding the mulching -- do you do any soil preparation before dumping the mulch on top ? (Thnx)

Nice work! Thanks for the tour.

Coming along nicely, Will.

tj

Cool plants!

That looks really nice. Well thought out, well executed, well spaced. You've done a really nice job.

Now let's see it in a couple of years as you fight off the urge to plant 5-10 more plants inbetween each of those current trees....haha. That was always my problem.

mark

Will, really nice and big plants you put in the ground. I wish I had these fields to plant. I especially like the organised plan you made. Hope it turns out beautifuly for you. Very nice house as well.

The spruce tree you had in front of the garage in the first-before image, is gone now? Didn't you like it?

Fotis

Wow, nice selections of trees and holy cow, they're huge. You did well just to find so many rare conifers/trees of that size in the first place. Your generous spacement and current size of the trees will both allow you decades of enjoyment before they ever begin to grow near eachother. What a house too, btw, holy cow lol(that house would be $3.5 mill in california).

Take a cold one Will and relax in a chair - boy that's a lot of big holes dug and a lot of big trees moved around. Well done.

-the other Will

How wonderful it must be to be able to develop your garden from a blank slate! And you actually made a plan and stuck to it! Certainly nothing like my hodge podge non-method...

You have some very nice trees; your landscaping will be stunning in a few years and already looks very nice.

I bet it is no fun to have to mow all of that lawn area, though - you definitely need to add more stuff to cut down on the lawn acreage!! :-D Any excuse to add more plants....

Holly

Looks like you have a great plan that you're putting into action. Things are looking terrific already and I can't wait to see what things looks like in about five years. It's going to be really fun to watch all of your new additions mature. Exciting stuff!

Dan

Thanks for all the positive comments...I have to say you all helped build the small collection so far!

I need to show off to someone. People around here think I'm strange once I started planting tree #32. Neighbor even asked me if I was done yet. Of course I said, "NEVER!"

A few more pics...

Pinus parviflora 'Glauca'
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Picea abies 'Wingle's Weeper'
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Ms. show-off
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Wow, my eyes are just seeing dollar signs and "cha-ching!" is ringing in my ears LOL! Beautiful. That is going to be one very private yard one day! Hope whoever gets your yard when you are long gone appreciates conifers ha ha.

You must be proud of all that work - I can't imagine how backbreaking it would have been and you managed to keep your lawn looking nice!

What a lot of work! I'm loving the shape of the flower beds and the selection of plants. That's a lot of good sized conifers! I saw you were looking at Cornus a. 'Golden Shadows' and Fothergilla m. 'Blue Shadow' did you end up getting either of those? I was wondering if you had any experience with those in our area.

I LOVE Fothergilla 'Blue Shadow'. Give it east to southeast sun, some moisture retentive soil and it will reward you. Plant with Heuchera Georgia Peach for nice color contrast.

I only took a pic a few months after planting. I want to go back and tour my old home!

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I probably spent more time shopping then planning and planting, lol. I searched and searched and searched for deals, mistagged product and best selection EARLY. I had to go to every Steins in SE WI to select the very best specimans of the very limited offering of hard to find conifers in the area. Alot of work, but alot of fun. I just wish there was more available around here.

Next spring I plan to go to Stonewall Nursery in Oregon, WI. I didn't go this year because spring was so far behind I almost had everything planted before he opened!

Whaas-

How close to the lake are you? (I'm assuming your in SE Wisconsin/MKE area?)

Very nice. That looks like it was a LOT of digging. Too much driveway there... You could rip some of that out and put more trees in down the road :)

I still think I have more trees then you and I have half the yard space, if that :) :)

frank, I'm just getting started! I'll update with tree pics soon. I was only able to get a few pics as most weren't leafed out.

I'm maybe 25 miles from the lake.

Hey Whaas

I read this forum on a daily basis and glad to see there is someone just as interested in conifers as I am in SE WI. Your tree selections look identical to mine. I can see were shopping the same stores and cherry picking the same selections. Just thought I would say hi. Your yard is looking good wish I had as much room as you do. I live on a smaller lot in Pewaukee only about a third of an acre. Oh ya my neighbors think I'm nuts for all the trees I bring home, but I too love searching for steels at our local garden centers.
Happy Hunting for those deals
Andy

That's a great spot for that 'Wingle's Weeper'. Congrats to all your laborious efforts.

Dax

how did i miss this...

be honest.. what took more work

posting all these pix.. or actually planting the plants.. lol ...

keep up God's work

ken

You need to get down to Rich's Fox Willow Pines, it is not likely to be far from you. I live SW of Rockford, IL, and my mom lives in Oregon, WI. I know some places where they sell some pretty cool specimen-quality plants. J. Carlson Growers in Rockford is another one, although he is a little pricey on some things. I have a wish list from John that is as long as my arm, lol! I have plant lists here at home in case you are thinking about something specific. I would be happy to look it up for you! That goes for anyone else who is in this general area. There seems to be several of us.

You did a great job on your bed lines and plant selection, I am jealous! I am dying to get started designing here at our new place but I am so busybusybusy working and then am so tired.

I know you will enjoy your plants; congratualtions!

Whaas, you say you're just getting started. I know the feeling. I'm just getting started and I've been at it for a long time. Little do they know. I think your neighbors don't realize how much a yard can be changed and improved. Most people just try to maintain their yards status quo.
It's going to be fun watching your progress over the years.
Keep up the good work.
Mike

34 yards of mulch, 32 trees, 28 conifers and 7 shrubs later I'm all done for the year!

Jaro,
I really like the 'Glauca Globosa' stunning blue buds as well. No soil prep. I always spray paint the lines, mow low and dump. You HAVE to use a fine shred with plenty of bark as eliminates the light for the grass to grow back. For the actual plant location I do remove ~6 diameter of grass.

Sluice,
Anytime. I love sharing pics and love to look at everyone's as well. They always say a pic is worth 1000 words.

TJ,
You bet. I appreciate your help through the winter!

Dax,
Some cool, some utility. I can't believe the sky is the limit with all the conifers out there. Same to you, thanks for all your help throughout the winter!

Mark,
Its too late! I've already got a Ginkgo 'Princeton Sentry', few roses, and doublefile viburnum stuck in there. I'm going to be hunting for room for the next years, lol.

Fotis,
It was nice to work off a plan this time. I still had to deviate quite a bit based on plant availability, quality of specimens, and new stuff that grabbed my attention while visiting the nurseries. The conifer in the front was a native Picea glauca. It was actually a nice tree but in the end too big for the location and would end up blocking the house.

Will,
I feel like I'm getting impatient already and wanted to fill those spaces. I don't know if I'm going to be able to resist. It's a modest house but nothing too crazy. There is a smaller lake a mile away that has AMAZING homes but they sure could use some conifers!lol! I surely do enjoy your photo galleries. Keep posting away!

Holly,
The blank slate is one of the reasons I chose this house! Not at the top but surely one of the reasons. I can't believe I already went through 34 yards of mulch, holy jeez! Little by little I start connecting the circles and creating the swoops as I fill in the beds.

Dan,
Its been a lot of fun so far and hard labor intensive work. I've been a gardening hobbyist for 5 years now and can't say I've planted a just a few conifers. Seeing gardens like yours inspired my interest in conifers. Keep sharing pics of your garden for inspiration to folks like myself.

Weeper,
Its called many many sacrifices throughout the winter! Some of these plants where purchased at a bargain. Take the Acer palmatum which was mislabeled as a $22 redbud at Lowes!

Franktank,
I only had a chance to post some of the trees. I'm going to have to give a few away if they all survive and put on good growth! You should post some pics of your forest!

Andy,
My better half has been giving me a hard time that I visit several stores to find the best specimen. Its always worth it to me! You should throw a couple pics online to share what you have!

Ken,
I was waiting for you to pipe in! Your part of the Midwest crew that made my winter go a little quicker by giving me plenty of info to work with! I've learned to build the post in word document, so much easier!

Greenhaven,
My energy levels in April have been exhausting. The mulching was by far the most difficult. Any places in particular that should be on the hitlist? Tj gave me a couple. Rich's is definitely next!

Mike,
I think it's the refining that elevates a nice garden to an inspiring garden. You surely have one of those types. I'll continue learn from those that have so many years of experience to share with the next generation of gardeners.

"Greenhaven,
My energy levels in April have been exhausting. The mulching was by far the most difficult. Any places in particular that should be on the hitlist? Tj gave me a couple. Rich's is definitely next!"

Really, Rich's and J Carlson Growers that I already mentioned are the main two. For some reason I am thinking there is another, but I might be thinking of Hornbaker's in Princeton which is likely too far for you to drive.

I am a horticulturalist and landscaper for my work, so I feel your pain! Throwing mulch is not fun, but the designing and shopping is. Good with the bad and all that!

Whaas -I LOVE Fothergilla 'Blue Shadow'.

Me too!

Fothergilla 'Blue Shadow'

Don't forget the fall color!

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Or the flowers, although this is simply gardenii.

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tj

Nice pic! Its almost like the flowers are the choir!

I had a little one hiding in the bottom left pic with the Blue Shadow.

The flowers are definitely the choir; there's a subtle honey fragrance too. In this picture there's a tall straight sucker growing to the back right, it's a green reversion which I'm now layering it to see if I can get a full green one.

whaas,

I have been watching this this whole thing develop since you posted many months ago with your first question. I believe it was October of last year.

It's been a long haul with many questions, changes, additions having taken place setting the stage for final design and plant acquisitions.

If you do it right, you did, this garden will blossom into a show place where you will spend many hours relaxing giving it the attention that it needs.

This forum is a wonderful place to come for ideas and advice. Thanks for showing up and being a key player.

Dave

Dave, you bet. I definitely appreciate the patience and time all you folks have given me. It'll be fun to see what it looks like in a couple years. I barely put a dent in my actual plan this year, lol. The small and intermediate stuff is what's really going to set the landscape off with all the various colors and textures at our disposal. Till then keep posting pics!

And speaking of pics...here are the rest of the (mainly) deciduous plants. I finally got a new camera!

Gingko 'Autumn Gold'
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Malus 'Coralburst'
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Nyssa syvatica
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Quercus x 'Long'
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Ginkgo 'Princeton Sentry'
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Aesculus pavia
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Cercidiphyllum japonicum (the best free tree I've recieved ,lol)
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Cornus mas
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Acer saccharum 'Fall Fiesta'
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Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum
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Liriodendron tulipifera (small rootball)
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Metasequoia glyptostroboides (small rootball)
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Ginkgo 'Jade Butterflies'
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Chionanthus virginicus
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Cercis Canadensis
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Cercidiphyllum japonicum
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Nyssa syvatica 'Sheri's Cloud'
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Platanus x acerifolia 'Morton Circle'
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Taxodium distichum
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Carpinus caroliniana
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Magnolia 'Jane'
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Picea engelmannii 'Blue magoo'
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Ginkgo 'Pete's Dwarf'
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Cotinus 'Grace'
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Ostrya virginiana
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Heptacodium miconioides (rigid stems @ 90 degrees so I had to angle the rootball and the plant is not happy, we'll see if it adjusts)
{{gwi:731707}}

Acer griseum
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Cornus kousa 'Milky Way'
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Cornus alternifolia
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Ginkgo 'Princeton Sentry'
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Ginkgo 'Saratoga'
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Fabulous! The house is beautiful to begin w/ and WOW, what a tree selection! Can't wait to see it as it matures!

you did a fantastic job.

...tired yet? lol

You're a big-time selector of fantastic woody plants. Time for some rhodies and deciduous azaleas.

Dax

OK now I for sure need to get a Fothergilla 'Blue Shadow'! What a beautiful plant. I just need to find a place to get one.

Last plant of the year...

Acer dissectum 'Red Dragon'
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Wow! is all i can say!
What a big difference after the flower beds/mulch and trees were put in!
Great job!
You have a very beautiful yard and house!

WOW!

Glad to see your Acer griseum made the journey well.

Dax

Thanks everyone!

Dax, I was so happy when I saw buds on it this spring. I dug it up, threw it in a wheelbarrow and planted the first week of November last year. I left a Tarvida Hydrangea in its place for the new owner, lol.

Only one conifer to show...'Silberlocke' finally woke up last week!

The midseason update involves hardscaping, not conifers, but still part of the big picture. I did the design, concrete base and wall. I farmed out the forming and pour as a side job.

Next step is additional grading, mulching, planting, etc.

White Lightening seems to get in at least 1 pic!

{{gwi:655227}}

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That is a "smooth" pour. I love fresh concrete like the next guy.

Dax

just dont let your lawn company spray imprelis...

stupendous ....

ken

Thanks guys, turned out good for the tight budget I was on.

No herbicides for me. I take care of my lawn on my own with pure sweat equity. I used to work for one of the largest lawn and garden companies in the world so I learned a few tricks.

Beautiful job. Dax if you love new concrete you are welcome to come over when I replace my driveway. LOL
Cher

Coming along very nice, Will. Great curves. Good to see your 'Silberlocke' coming along nicely too.

tj

Wonderful! The 'Red Dragon' seems like a great way to cap things off.