Thanks! I thought that maybe was the one. Beautiful large specimen @ Klehms in Rockford il but no plate for some reason. Z3 tree according to arborday? hmmm. :-) might look into that one.

Anderson's Japanese Gardens was certainly worth it. There were many large native oak trees present but nice collection of JM's, Hemlocks, Junipers, Metasequoia, etc. I'll post some more pics when I get home. Thanks again!

if you could have crushed a needle.. it would have smelled like grapefruit ... ken

"Z3 tree according to arborday? "

I can PM you a photo of a mature one in Edmonton, Alberta?

Yeah, who am I kidding. Too big for my available space. And I just picked up a pocketful of thornless honey locust seeds. Looks like I'm going to be a grower, for other people. :-)

Thanks anyways!

Bill, Abies concolor and Tsuga Canadensis are nice companions. East meets west in Minnesota. :)

We visited the arboretum and Japanese garden in Rockford a couple of years ago. Very nice and well worth the stops.

Yes they tell me the most colorful time of the year is September. There was not much for anything flowering and the candle were nipped for the cloud pruning but we had the chance and it was still quite beautiful even though their growing season was late getting started.

There were flowing streams and waterfalls all along the pathways. Too many breathtaking views to post all the pictures.

History: It was a private yard and the owner hired a real Japanese gardener to design and plant. Now a non profit organization for the community.

There is an organization that evaluates and classifies Japanese gardens. The Anderson Garden was — and may still be — the 2nd ranked garden behind Portland’s, which I hope to see in a few weeks. These gardens are incredibly beautiful, but I’ll still take a view of old and healthy specimen trees any day, which is why Mount Auburn Cemetery is one of my very favorite places to visit.

There were nice large specimens at Klehms arboretum but we got there late in the day so didn't have time to see everything. It's all on foot with 155 acres and my older BIL wasn't as enthused as I was so we cut it a little short.

We did get to see large Umbrella Magnolias, huge Sugar maples, white fir and even a large weeping chamaecyparis nootkatensis.

They had their open house that weekend with numerous vendors set up on the sidewalk. Packed house around the visitor center.

The town of Rochelle where the BIL lives is infested with huge silver maples and they are still being planted in the new additions. :?

I did see many Thornless Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos inermis ?) around town with huge specimens at the cemetery north of town. I took this ones picture at a park in town that was probably half the size of the ones at the cemetery.

Also saw very large Hackberry around town. And large plots of stone dead Ash trees. :(

Here's a few more of the JG.

From the bridge:

One of the two larger ponds:

Just inside one of the large wooden gates (that I didn't get a picture of).

Thanks, Bill, very nice pics....

Yes Bill. Very incredible. Very beautiful.

Dax

When we started through the garden, I was discussing a cloud pruned tree with my brother in law. A middle aged Japanese women stopped and explained that "cloud pruning" was the correct term for that tree (most of which were Scots pine). She went on to say that the reason for cloud pruning was, so when you look at the tree, you see the tree but you also see beyond and parts of the other plants in the background. Otherwise the tree would simply block your vision. :)