A couple of balsam firs(they smell wonderful when the sun is hot). Under them,when they are providing good shade on the ground,plant some woodland plants like partridge berry,violets,trillium and hepatica and mulch around them with something slightly acidic.

This is not an instant landscape.I'm talking years.But the Adirondack woods weren't built in a day either.

Happy planting.
Nancy

A tamarack tree (or larch) and a hemlock. If you don't have a lot of room, you could go with a weeping hemlock. There are a lot of beech trees in the Adirondack's as well. Paul F B

thanks for the advice. i don't have the space to plant more trees. the area i will be working with currently has some tall pine trees --- i'm not sure of exactly what kind of trees they are, but i will be working with the existing trees. i'm more concerned with the plants (such as those that cazy suggested). but i did enjoy looking up all the trees that you have recommended.

for some reason my web searches on adirondack plantlife are primarily returning images of alpine-type plants that grow in this type of environment of the mountains. i think i'm more interested in the wooded areas. i'm thinking along the lines of indian lake/blue mountain lake/lake george areas. the types of native plants that grow in these areas, in the shaded areas. not necessarily ornamental garden-types... but the general feeling that is created by the grouping of these types of plants.

thanks!!
--robbie--

Hi Robbie,
If you have never visited the botanic garden, Garden in the Woods, in Massachusettes it would be worth the trip to do this project. The place is amazing .If you go to their website and check out "whats in bloom" you may find the plants you are searching for. Good luck and please keep us posted on your progress. Kareen

Here is a link that might be useful: Our pond and gardens

I posted the link below on the woodlands forum but I'll repost it here. It's a list of Adirondack natives along with some basic growing condition requirements.

Even though you can't add more trees, you might consider a couple of small white birches just to add that bit of white bark against the dark green of the pines. You could even cut them down periodically so you never have them getting too tall for your area. (They will grow like weeds.) Our cleared areas and shorelines up here in the Adirondacks are usually lined with these and they really pop out, especially in the fall.

Other plants that should do well down by you are mountain laurel and native ferns.

Here is a link that might be useful: Native Plant List for the Adirondack Park

thanks, mountain_curmudgeon on the tip for the white birch trees --- that's a really good idea. i prolly should try to make room for some white birches.

and that's a great list! i'm gonna research these plants. thanks so much!

--robbie--

The baby christmas trees you mentioned sound like a kind of tall moss that grows on the forest floor.

Oh, missed the "baby christmas trees." I agree with Susanzone5, you are probably thinking of Tree Clubmoss, also known as Ground Pine (Lycopodium obscurum.)

I had a patch of these thriving at my camp and now there is a tiny patch taking hold on my cliffside garden of native Adirondack plants.

thanks susanzone5 and mountain_curmudgeon --- i just looked it up on google, and this is _exactly_ the plant that i was remembering.

thanks so much!
--robbie--

Replicating any environ isn't easy. It took eons and several ice ages create the Adirondacks.Most ares or the Adirondack are granite ,a thin cove of sand and gravel and lots of water.While some of the native Adk. plants will grow else where not all will survive without the perfect conditions they've evolved to live in.Also keep in mind that it's against the law to take any plants from state owned land. If you choose to use native plants get them from a private land owner.Good luck