Very nice, Fotis. It's a really nice collection you are developing, and it is beautiful in all seasons!

In fact, all five of the plants you plan to put in the grouping are among my favorites!
They are all good dwarfs with beautiful colors.

-Sam

I'm amazed! So much in such a short time, and all done in the rockiest soil of any member on this Forum. Just digging the holes to plant is quite an achievement.
I'll bet your friends and neighbors are as impressed as the members on this forum.
Good thing you're not growing potatoes and carrots!
Mike

Gorgeous Fotis. Your garden has really come far in growth, your combinations are fantastic and I love the other plants you have put in for balance. Of course the rock work is spectacular!
Cher

Fotis.

You have come a long way since you posted your first photos several years ago.

I love what you have done with design and color balance.

Truly a gift.

Nature has provided the perfect back drop to tie it all together.

The blue upright 4th photo down. Name please.

Dave

The topography and views are stunning. Great work with the plants and design.

Thats a place many work all their life to retire at.

Wow, Fotis, your grounds are stunning. Truly a work of art in the way it's all tied together. What really catches my eye is how garden is integrated with the house, which draws the house into the garden and also into the mountainside beyond. Oh yeah, and all the amazing plants grown well and coordinated with style.

I agree with all the others!

Great work in such a short time and wonderful contrasts with the stones.

Wolfgang

Very nice!!

Autumn has come and past, now - It's been in the 20's at night regularly, and we are supposed to get snow tomorrow.

Fotis, I'm not sure if you bought the "right" Pinus longaeva 'Sherwood Compact' from the Kohout Nursery.
To me it looks more like one of his Pinus koraiensis witches' brooms.
Can you make a good detail pic for clearification?

Pinus mugo 'Orange Glow' doesn't exist, it has be changed in 'Golden Glow'...

Please also change 'Blauer Escimo' into 'Blauer Eskimo'
It's hard to believe for me that you received it from Clement under the wrong mentioned name :0)

Cedrus libani ssp atlantica 'Compacta' is right.

Thanks for your nice pics!

The 'early morning' picture does it for me ... the pleasure principle...isn't that what it's all about!!!
Glad you too are getting a kick out of gardening - and it isn't always easy in southern climes ;the sun can also be a challenge, as I'm sure you know !
I presume you are on limestone,judging by the rocks ? Any idea on your soil pH and do you do any amending ? Your plants certainly look happy enough . Congratulations!T.

Edwin, I had the same thought about the alleged Pinus longaeva, only I wasn't courageous enough to say anything.

I felt that it resembled Pinus parviflora...

-Sam

Thank you all! I feel inadequate in english to express the feelings I got from your comments. Mike talked about friends and neighbors. No, they don't understand and they can't share the importance. Only you, who have been doing that for years can understand and vision the future of it all. This kind of gardening doesn't exist here, yet. I learned everything here, from your gardens and conversations and I'm trying to adapt them to my land. For example, I saw few days ago Ken's panorama and thought of making an island of deciduous trees behind this garden and then again an evergreen hedge of conifer species I like, behind this. I wouldn't be able to do so without Ken's image.

Will be careful what you wish for cause I might take you up on that! lol! me in PNW-US where everything grows ideally, between 4000 cultivars and you here, in Greece? You have to wait a few decades for crisis-calm down... :)

Sam, I know. I've been watching your selections closely!

Dave, you know how much your words mean to me. The tree is the common blue atlas cedar, the faster growing thus more open crowned version of your 'Horstmann'. In front of it there is a Picea pungens 'Glauca Globosa'.

Alex I hadn't noticed before, but you seem quite right. That's because I used the same rocks for my beds as the houses stairs, that were excavated during building the house... maybe?

Damn Edwin! you seem right about Pinus longaeva... It deviates from Dave's image and others I saw online. Here is the best close up I have.

Of course Abies koreana 'Blauer Eskimo' was my fault, quick typing. I had found your previous conversation about 'Golden Glow' but forgot to change it while uploading this thread...

Thank you for the corrections!

Tunilla, my girl liked the morning image better as well. I haven't measured the pH of my red clay but I remember older talks from vegetable growers that it was medium acidic. I ammend in most cases at 20% more or less, using forest top soil (mostly Abies cephalonica needles and cone pieces in different states of decomposition) to better the drainage and airation. Earlier I was using pine bark pieces and compost but now I'm definate that topsoil is perfect. Even for my potted seedlings. Drainage is super fast and moist retention perfect.

Thank you again, sincerelly.
Fotis

Yes Pinus mugo 'Golden Glow' is correct Fotis, no idea why I listed it as Orange Glow .. my mistake...

Stephen, any idea about Pinus longaeva 'Sherwood's Compact'?

Fabulously, Fotis!!

Your garden so quickly become soooooo beautiful!!!:))) The stones are all around you. And you use them in the garden. It is a very natural and beautiful. A truly admire. Definitely look forward to more pictures. It's so different from my country gardens ... Where is just hills and round boulders.

Ireena

You've done well sir!
I think Pinus parviflora......

Dax

For me, it's possible Pinus longaeva "Sherwood Compact"
Only the form are not right, but maybe by accident or a cut the head, by this way he became globose ?? why not ?
'In fine' he look a nice plant.
Clement

"why not?"

Because as a good and famous nurseryman you wouldn't sell such a plant which is out of shape.
It will take years to bring it to it's original shape.

For me only a good shaped plant will leave my nursery...
Quality is all that matters!

Fotis, did you receive it in this globose shape?

Not only the shape but also the needle color indicate it is something else.
Pinus longaeva is much darker green. The needles on Fotis's plant are of a silver-blue color which indicates Pinus parviflora...

-Sam

Sam, the buds are not typical for Pinus parviflora, they're way to big...

Certainly not parviflora.
The colour depend from the ground,the meat ... the time when you make the photo,the camera ...
Clement

Perhaps it is not Pinus parviflora, but I don't think it could be longaeva 'Sherwood Compact': There are too many differences.

Pinus longaeva 'Sherwood Compact'
{{gwi:661830}}

-Sam

Edwin I received exactly as is. At first I was sortly puzzled as to where the leader is, but soon I forgot since this is a very beautiful globose pine. What if it lacks the correct shape? It suits me. I wish I new what the name was for sure though.

It surely doesn't look like Sam's specimen, for now.

I'll make a follow up in spring so you can discuss candles and maybe some pollen cones for a definite answer.

P.S. buds look exactly the same as Pinus aristata 'Silver Boy' I purchased from you Edwin.

"P.S. buds look exactly the same as Pinus aristata 'Silver Boy' I purchased from you Edwin."

Then it's the P. longaeva 'Sherwood Compact' after all.
Only it's shape isn't correct.
I would never sell a plant like this without mentioning that it's shape isn't correct.

Fotis, sooner or later it will develop a leader which you can let grow or you can cut it away every time it will appaer.

You can also "help" it to create a leader if you cut some of it's strong growing sidebranches away...which I can use for grafting :0)

Sam's photo is the correct 'Sherwood Compact' ... I would be very surprised if Fotis's is the same plant.

Yes, Sam show the "normal" form, but if you would, or by accident the form are different.
But it's the right cultivar.
My Pinus parviflora "Tanima no uki" are columnar and some are globose, it's always the same plant.
Sometime dependind from the scion used.
Good Edwin's comments.
Clement

If it is the same plant, then sooner or later it will grow away to be the normal form as in Sam's photo.

For me I say it's Pinus longaeva.

Dave

Foliage from my Pinus longaeva 'Sherwood Compact'.

{{gwi:842073}}

Dave, thank you for the close up. I see the similarities but there are differences as well. I'll bring this up in May to see candles and new growth. Maybe a new leader will arise by then.

However distorted, I like it's current shape and love it's uniqueness (if it ends up as 'Sherwood's Compact')

Thank you all again! Best regards,
Fotis

fotisr, just trying to be helpful, and I love the plants. But the color effect of the pathway gravel bordors on garish IMHO. It should be toned down. A unobtrusive medium gray would be much better, and allow more attention to the plants.

Again, IMHO. :)

Beng, thank you for your input. I agree with you 100%. My experience with that gravel is that it washes out soon and becomes darker within a month. The images were taken as it was freshly aplied. I'd like that to be darker as well, maybe the same as Will's (firefighter) boulders colour, which is dark grey, but no way I can find so dark grey gravel here.

Best regards,
Fotis

Fotis, how about a pic of your 'Pervana'?
I'm very curious how it looks like at this moment...

Fotis,

The Pinus longaeva is special just the way it is.

A very fitting cultivar for your garden.

Dave

Thank you Dave. Your opinion is reassuring!

Edwin here is the best image of Picea engelmanii ssp mexicana 'Pervana' I had from two weeks ago. Unfortunately the plant is 'tired'.
Here is what happened. I planted 'Pervana' quite higher than other conifers. I thought being naturally in the rockies, great drainage would be a must have. So it is planted 6-7 cm higher. Although this sounds good, during this VERY dry spring and summer the plant suffered from lack of water. While the new growth was hardening it had no water to flow and support it in it's correct position. So I installed a drip irrigation to the plant. By autumn some branch tips arose to correct position but most of them are still droopy. I staked the leader for 3 weeks to straiten it up for next season, in mid-summer. If that wasn't enough, 'Pervana' was struck by aphids in late winter, so old needles were affected.

Nevertheless, new growth is beautiful now (although my branches will be a little 'wavy' next spring) and the plant looks great!

Thank you Edwin for this awesome plant!
Fotis

fotisr, thanks for not taking my comment as an insult -- it wasn't. It's an obviously beautiful garden.

Looks like a classic southern European landscape (assuming that's where you're at).

Fotis, your 'Pervana' looks pretty well.
Now it's established and will grow happy in next year.

For clarity, the one we're talking about is not the silvery blue spruce in front, but the upright dark blue coloured spruce in the centre...

Thank you beng. Yes I'm in Greece. Ever been in southern Europe?

Edwin I worry no more for this plant now you told me it looks well! I'll keep it on irrigation for one more year or more though. Looking forward to these pink cones as well!!

Best regards,
Fotis

Just an update 3 years later. Images are taken in a way that hides the unfinished or not so organised parts of the garden. About 100 conifers later...

Best regards,

Fotis

Welcome back. Very nice progress, thank you.

Has that hose moved at all in the last three years? lol

tj

Great colors and color combos, rockwork, and setting. You've got some awesome trees and shrubs. What fun it would be to watch those all grow!

Oh wow, I would love to walk those stairs every day and pass by all of those those beauties. I've been wondering about how your garden has progressed. What a wonderful update. Thank you!! You have a gorgeous place.

I really do like the rocks. It gives the garden a different dimension. Thanks for posting an update I enjoyed this post. I wish more people would update on this site. Most of the post is people starting projects but I love to see the end result.

Happy to see your garden, nice.

Thank you guys for your comments! I'm very far from the end result. I'm just starting developing the last part of my garden (not seen in these images. I'm standing in it when I take the photo with the DIY stone stairs) trying to decide on the foundation plantings and the overall shape. I've done all the stone work of the garden by myself. Some rocks were more than 100kg (220lb) heavy and I still have some more than 200kg that I break down slowly to more self managing sizes. Unfortunately I'm quite low on budget for new trees, to plant the backbone or replace the losses. So I'm concetrated on rock stairs, rock walls (more than 3 feet tall) and pathways as long with pruning and moving plants.

Thank you,

Fotis

"I'm sorry for the long post... (trying to compete with Will's chaos, Dave's pristine garden". Fotis, Good to here from you. There is no competition from me. You have surpassed me in every aspect in conifer gardening. All the pieces are in place. I enjoyed all your photos very much. Thanks again.

Fantastic, your conifers look really, really happy in your climate. It must be extremely satisfying to live in such a horticultural paradise of your own design. Nice work!!! And thanks for coming back to post the update.

Fotis, really like the green "cypress" in the third-to-last pic -- nice texture. What is it -- Mediterranean cypress?

Edit: I see your response below, Garen, and it does indeed look like giant Sequoia.

I like guessing. Looks like Sequoia giganteum species or 'Glauca' perhaps. =)

Tj - Great eyes! I was trying to find were did you see that blue hose in the newest images! Not the same one but identical blue one! Lol

Dave - Not even close to your garden! And I'm not kidding. I've placed the camera so that it hides all the weeds and grass, the dead plants, the small unintresting ones and the unfinished parts (which is the majority of the islands). Thank you for your words, always meaning a lot coming from you.

Thank you Ron and Alex!

Beng- As Gared said, this is Sequiadendron but not 'Glaucum'. It's the species, an aproximately 15 year old tree that spent 10 years in a pot and I've got it for 5 years in the ground, finally getting fully established and without irrigation (for 2 years now) it gave me more than 2 feet of growth this season. Looking at 3.5 m tall (11 feet). Fun fact, next to it I have a 5 year old I've grown from seed and it has quite glaucus foliage very similar to my 'Glaucum', at 7 feet tall. And behind this Sequiadendron (and a bit to the right) you can see my 5 year old Sequoia I've grown from seed peeking now at 4.5 m tall (14 -15 feet).

Best regards,

Fotis