glad you finally sucked it up ...and stopped in to say hi ...

any chance you will post some pix of your garden???

welcome

ken

Thanks Ken for the welcome to this group; I will try to post some photos of the garden, after I master how to appropriately do so. My second addiction is japanese maples; so among the hundreds of dwarf and miniature conifers you'll see lots of them too, I drive to seven of the major nurseries in the puget sound area (all a bit more hoity toity). I've established really good relations with the buyers and owners in the last 30 years since I moved yere to Seattle from Illinois.

One of these owners of a nursery that I'm friends with and his manager talked me into allowing them to write about my garden in the local paper (which was their largest annual advertising budget of the year); that caused those numerous robberies from my garden keeps me a bit guarded, my husband Wayne is in IT/IS -- installed video surveillance afer the 5th time it happened, they even looted the back yard which is fenced and gated.

So, thank you for kind word, welcome, and encouragement. I got hit up by the Treasurer/Vice President of the West Seattle garden tour again yesterday afternoon for next year --- I was picking up two new conifers for the garden (CEDRUS BREVIFOLIS "KENWITH" and PICEA ORIENTALIS "SHADOW'S BROOM"). It's difficult for me to say no to charities; since I'm involved with so many, my huband has to keep in check about me stetching myself so thin.

I will post some prize speciman for you Ken; but bear with me on my inexperience of maneuvering around on this site, still learning --- don't want do it incorrectly. This time of year is the time to see Pinus Sylvestris "Chief Joseph" and Pinus Sylvestris "Gold Coin" at their best of the season.

Cheers,

Midnightsummerdream

if your pix on your hard drive.... just below the box where you type ... there is a camera icon ... and the word PHOTO ... practice makes perfect ...

if you could add info to your acct name.. like i did... it will forestall being asked where you are all the time ... especially when you ask advice ...

ken

Chief Joseph to the right, with pinus ucinata "silver candle" potted to the left

Pinus sylvestris "Gold Coin" in next photo, just starting color change

Picea omorika "Peve Tyjn" in front pot! Next pix is Picea "Gelbrunt"

Cedrus "Blue Nymph", next pix in large pot has picea omorika "de ruyter", picea pugen "ruby tears", and picea abies "pusch", next pix is pinus "go-jin between acer palmatum "ukigamo" and "bloodgood", and more pix

I hope this is a good start for you to see just a few of my collection of conifers

wow.. what a collection ... i guess i presume.. when new peeps pop in here ... they are newbs ... you arent ...

what do you use for potting media???

pots are tough in MI ... mostly a winter issue .. do you need to do anything for winter.. in the PNW?

ken

Ron; they actually took three Grecian pots that were planted up (each pot without dirt and soil alone were 60lbs each) in with plants, hand hammered copper birdbath gift for wedding gift from the Central Bank head of New Zealand --- when I was doing international commercial lending --- just to name a few items. Other object of arts; as well as plants pulled right out of the grown, rare and had to find or even get one's hand on --- unless you know someone that is willing to pay, ship, and clear thru customs for you. I have friends and professional colleagues around the world; that are very generous and know my likes and passions very well, as I know them. If you haven't notice the price of our hobby of gardening has gone way up; then you might want to look into your past spending for similar plants, arts, pottery, etc. for this expense hobby we all call gardening. I now refer to it as a competitive sport (luxury) that we challenge ourselves, others, and the retailer --- another note might look into is a lot of growers have gone out of business, only a handful has retired from the business. Other suppliers/vendors (i.e.: fertilizer, going green in pesticide, etc. --- increase about 500% in the last 8 years since the crash of 2008). I use my hobby as a platform to decompress; but it also makes me a better financial analyst and Gardner, beside --- creating that outdoor retreat to entertain, relax, decompress. Let's just say the artistry of just the hand hammered copper bird bath wasn't a cheap item; one of kind, but the sentimentality of the gift from a good friend and professional colleague is priceless.

It isn't just the price of gas to move the goods to us, it's the numbers of suppliers going out of business (economic 101). I'm one of those people that would give the shirt off my back if someone told me they like it; it's the theft and invasion of privacy that upset me, I tell my husband that they must have needed it more than I do.

Maybe soon; I'll be able to say yes to the Pacific Northwest Garden tour and West Seattle Garden tour, but for now our garden is for friends, family, and neighbors --- and thanks to Ken's encouragement this forum/think tank of passionate and knowledge sharing group.

Cheers, midnightsummerdream

p.s.: 7 months after we got hit about a dozen of our other neighbors got robbed out of their garden as well (benches, birdbaths, plants ribbed out of the ground, etc.) I formed a neighborhood watch. Not paranoid, just annoyed!

Hey Ken,

Thanks for the compliment (I'm honored); sorry about not clarifying that I am not an inexperience Gardner, just inexperience in the social protocol of this site/forum. I also would like to apologize to everyone for some typos; pecking with a stylist of my Samsung tablet was a pain to post the pics, and add info. (social protocol --- will have to get more tutorial from you Ken) in the posting. Plus it was rather wet from the rain; I took the pics in, after your last instructive comments "How to Post Pics". Highly collectible or prized specimens; I like to pot up, until I'm willing to set into the soil.

I will send you a separate e-mail for the potting media; I'll share all my secret with you of container gardening, won't be as elaborate as your numerous and impressive tutorials that I have viewed in the past that you have created for others. We get numerous deep cold winters too (i.e.: winter of 1990 and 1991 -- Alaskan cold freeze that came down); but my secrets was taught to me by my mother who still lives in SW Suburbs of Chicago, growing up and gardening in Illinois (prior to that in France from my great aunt and England from my god-father). Container gardening is an art I had to master; because the first 12 years of living in Washington, my condo had a huge, lengthy deck --- which I used as a yard -- blocking off the million dollar view of the Olympics and Cascades with my "jungle" container garden (on Alki Beach of Seattle, WA). I was working for Mitsubishi (international trade --- pulp & paper, log & lumber business) all those years. I traveled allot for work; so I had to really experiment and actually create my own potting median and techniques, with what was provided from garden center and hardware stores for my containers to thrive and grow from the element and lack of care/attention --- due to constant traveling for work about 3 weeks a month out of Seattle.

Thanks again for your compliments; I think you're certified Master Gardner, or I'll have to have the state of Washington Master Gardner send you a certification.

Still having trouble in some areas on site to add more info. to profile Ken, did some updates, other areas it tells me I can't change to add zone next to midnightsummerdream --- suggestion??

Cheers, midnightsummerdream

Welcome midnightsummer dream to the conifer forum!

You mentioned you lived in West Seattle. I lived there twice back in the 60s. One place was up on the hill by the water tanks off 35th on 37th. The other was out on a pier around the corner from the lighthouse on Beach Drive SW. I could fish for saltwater fish right off the deck and dig clams when the tide was out. That was before I got into gardening.

Maple Valley is my home now and has been since 1979.

You have an impressive collection, despite the thieves. I hope they get caught. I'll bet West Seattle Nursery has seen them and might have their suspicions....Surely plant nuts haunt the local nurseries.

I did a landscape for a church in West Seattle once. Over 20 azaleas were stolen before I could complete the job. I found that strange in that West Seattle is a nice part of town for the most part. I never lost any plants in jobs I did in South Park, White Center, (Rat City) and Skyway where more modest homes are found and where I also used to live.

I hope to see more of you on this Forum.

Mike

Thanks for the welcome Mike; all the places you mentioned are still here, West Seattle Nursery almost went belly up --- due to no renewal of lease. Mark (owner) has put himself in debt to the hilt (Chase Bank) to buy out the property and his house next to it has been demolished for construction of Green house retail space. Articles up in West Seattle blog; they almost wouldn't open their doors next spring, Chase Bank came back two months before the end of the lease. West Seattle property has skyrocketed in the last 5 years; I had suggest 10-12 years ago to the Manager (Carol) and Mark to buy out the property then, they had trouble with the renewal of the lease back then with the owner's son.

Read more on West Seattle Nursery on the West Seattle Blog site or Herald. Lots of changes in the last 12 years in West Seattle.

Cheers, Midnightsummerdream

Mike,

Love Maple Valley; have lots of friends that live there, trying to convince us to move to Maple Valley-- including the owner of Stevenson Roofing (former West Seattle - born and raised) that we had re-roof our house last summer. Small world; his father was my dentist for 8 years when I moved here in the mid 80's, have been property hunting in North Bend, WA. Want acreages; West Seattle has grown way too much, lots of new money from all over the country has all put themselves in West Seattle. We have a lot of developers pounding on our door constantly with offers; we have a bungalow that sits on one of West Seattle larger lots, lot and half wide -- double deep.

Hope to see some of your posting or guide me to past posting to see your garden and treasurers.

Cheers, midnightsummerdream

I know Stevenson roofing. He bid on my roof the last time I had it done.

Ask him about the Red Dog ;-)

I was told once a long time ago that I had a relative working at the West Seattle Nursery.

Pictures of my garden can be seen at;

photobucket.com/user/Botann/library/?sort=3&page=1

Mike

Mike,

try searching for photobucket.com/user/Botann/library/?sort=3&page=1; can't find, tried several time, does not come up.

Cheers, midnightsummerdream

Try this.

http://s75.photobucket.com/user/Botann/library/?sort=3&page=1

Mike

Will give a look; my girlfriend Bonnie and her husband (some others friends that wants us to move to Maple Valley)--- that lives in Maple Valley, have a spectacular garden. Probably one of your neighbor too --- since you know John Stevenson; got me curious, will ask about the Red Dog.

Cheers, midnightsummerdream

Midnightsummerdream, your garden is really impressive. Any other photos you want to post, I'd be thrilled to look at! Nice job with your first photo posting. My sympathies on the thefts - I've had folks dig up plants I put in along the road, even in my very rural area, so I guess there are just some folks out there with no sense of ethics.

To add zone and location info to your profile:

Go to Your Houzz in upper right of every page, click Edit Profile, and on the left side click advanced settings. Well down the advanced settings page is a blank labeled Climate Zone for Garden Forums.

If you add that you are from Seattle, that will save folks asking since zone only relates to average coldest winter temperatures and doesn't include any other climate info.

Then return to the top of the page and click Done Editing.

Thank you for the compliments of the garden; and the tutorial, I was able to put it in the profile -- but not next to my forum name. Any guidance on the ideabook to put photos? I spent an hour putting one picture at a time; until it told me I reached the maximum, then dumped out all the pictures but four. They were the pictures that I didn't post yet; so it would be easier for those interested could view more easily I thought, than loading up on the posting. Thanks again.

Cheers, midnightsummerdreams

Are you sure that you went to the advanced settings page (there's a place on your profile page on the left side that you have to click to get to advanced settings), and down near the bottom added your zone where there is a labeled space for it? If you did that, it will automatically show up next to your name. The place to put in "Seattle" would be on your regular profile page as part of your publicly displayed name.

Sorry I can't help with ideabooks. I just upload into threads directly from my harddrive for any photos I want to use.

NHBabs, thanks --- will try again. Created separate idea books next to the ones they provided; still trying to maneuver around with the site, appreciate yours and Ken's help with this site. Really like the forum and the knowledgeable group of people on the site; actually, as I told Ken --- reviewed it for a couple of years before recent joining. Ken looks like a long time member and advisor on the site (full of encouragement and lots of passion and knowledge of floral and fawna). Cheers and many thanks again; appreciate any other advice about the site, and would love to see some of your garden pics too.

Thanks NHBabs; it is now showing the zone and Seattle, WA which I have edit/modified in profile in the advance settings.

My greetings to Mike and Midnight. I want to make you aware the the American Conifer Society (Western Region) will be holding its 2016 conference in the Seattle area. I'm the chair of the conference committee and I'm actively searching for a couple of private gardens to tour our guests around. Are either of you game?

Another question for Midnight — is your landscaper a guy named Tom K? He reached out to me today and seems highly motivated about your space.

Hi glaciers_end,

I have no landscaper; I don't know this Tom K, or why he reached out to you and seems highly motivated about my space. My husband Wayne and I have lived here for almost 24 years at this property; I have redesigned the garden three times, both to the front and backyard myself. I allowed a write up to be done on the yard by West Seattle Nursery to help out Mark (owner) and his manager Carol prior to now being Marcia that runs it for Mark; we got robbed 7 times in less than three months after the article in the Herald, my husband talked me into video surveillance cameras. I got hit to be in the West Seattle Garden Tour; which I have turned down for years from previous and current chairs, come to find out that the Master Gardner's was holding classes in our garden without permission. My husband and I work from home 98% of the time; he called me while I was out when they caught them once, thinking it was just delivery people for things I arranged --- he told them to leave after I told him I did not have any delivery or give permission to anyone to tour the garden (let alone hold classes). Found out from my elderly neighbor that he had been chasing them out numerous times; prior to us being aware of this goings on, so it was the last straw when the President of the Pacific Northwest Garden Tour hitting me up to be a part of that for fundraising.

I did a favor for a girlfriend who was an interior decorator on the eastside; I design the exterior (garden) to transition to her design, and the owners lifestyle. It got written up in Seattle Better Homes/Seattle Architect Mag.; she didn't check with me if it was o.k. to use my name and contact information, assuming that I would appreciate the acknowledgements. By the time I found out; I was getting request to design people's gardens from Texas, California, Oregon, Vancouver, B.C. to Montreal, Canada. I did International Commercial Lending/Trade Finance; this was just a favor to her to get her more clients for her line of work (interior designer and decorator), not add to a new career on top of my already 18 hrs./day -- 7/days a week job (which I also traveled 2-3 weeks a month).

In regards to this Tom K.; I hope he is not using my name to engage with you, this is really unsettling. I went and talk with Bill Hibler at West Seattle Nursery today (Tree/Shrub Buyer); I trust him and have build a relationship with him in the last three years, like honest and direct people like him. I told him yes last week; when he made the request on your behalf for Sept. 2016 to me, subject to a discussion with my husband Wayne. Please contact Bill Hibler for my personal e-mail; I can better talk with you about this, not on this forum. I want to be considerate to the forum; my experience so far on the forums group of people is enjoyable, and love all the knowledgeable people on it.

Tell Bill you have my permission to get my e-mail to contact me.

Cheers,

midnightsummerdream

No worries. Tom didn't mention anybody by name (I have no idea who you are in real life LOL). He only mentioned a client of his who lives close to West Seattle Nursery. There must be yet another great conifer garden in west Seattle.

Bill at WSN is a good friend. I'll be in touch.

It looks as if there are problems being on a tour. I've done a few, mostly just local garden clubs. It's a bit stressful in preparation and on the day of the tour. Despite all the pictures I post of my garden, I'm a very private person and a hermit by nature. I don't need the stress so I will have to respectfully decline.

They say you learn by your mistakes. Looking at my garden up close, you can see I've learned a lot, despite my best efforts to conceal or rectify them. ;-)

Mike

It's all good, Mike. I'm wishing you all the peace and serenity a great garden can bring.

glaciers_end,

If you don't know my garden space; how did you know to approach me, to make this request out of the blue? Do you know Mike's garden space and style to approach him? After sleeping on this; I'm just amazed that you would make a request to total strangers on this forum, as the chair of Regional ACS -- I find this rather suspicious.

It was indeed an out-of-blue contact, a cold call as such.

I've never been to Mike's place, but he's posted pics on this forum for years and I met him in person at Coenosium Gardens several years ago.

If you are uncomfortable with all of this, forget the whole thing. I humbly apologize for engaging with you. One just never knows. Peace.

I consider it a compliment.

Thank you, Dave.

Mike