Month: April 2015

Creating Spring Color and Texture With Conifers and Japanese Maples….in my garden…

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I’m all about color.  In my garden that is. Anyone who has visited my garden knows that between all the roses, hydrangeas, peonies, bulbs, perennials, and annuals that color always makes a statement every spring and summer in my garden. However, for the last several years my spring garden has been displaying a different type of explosion of color and texture — one that involves an obsession of mine–  collecting conifers and Japanese Maples. I have been avidly collecting both for over 6 years now and there seems to be no stopping me. That is until I run out of space which I am precariously approaching ( I garden on about one acre) and when that happens I’m convinced I’ll start redesigning my landscape to justify my need (obsession) for the latest cool new conifer or alluring Japanese maple.

One thing is for sure, this obsession of mine gives me a spectacular display of color and texture and that is something I cherish each spring….

 

 

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Far left: Acer palm. ‘Koto no ito’

 

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Large Dissectum JapMaple, ‘All Gold’ juniper, weeping Alaskan cedar.

 

 

 

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Acer palm.’Ornatum’, ‘Saligna Aurea’ Monterey cypress

 

 

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‘Saligna Aurea’ monterey cypress, ‘ Acer palm. ‘Beni otake’, Acer Murasaki Kiyohime

 

 

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Acer palm. ‘Watnog’, weeping Alaskan cedars, ‘Daubs Frosted’ juniper, ‘Crimson Queen’ large Dissectum, Cupressus glabra ‘Raywoods Weeping’, Picea orientalis ‘Firefly’.

 

 

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Picea orientalis ‘Firefly’

 

 

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Acer palm. ‘Hana Matoi, Acer palm. ‘Baldsmith’.

 

 

 

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For short video of the conifers and JapMaples in my garden click here:  https://www.facebook.com/TheGracefulGardener/videos/898986936789709/

 

 

‘Spring Fling’….in my Garden…

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It’s that time of year again. Time to share the tulips and other spring bulbs that are in full bloom in my garden.

Every fall I judiciously plant (even though last fall I planted far less) more than a thousand tulips and other bulbs in my garden. All my hard work and sore muscles are then rewarded with the beautiful blossoms that emerge this time of year. I planted a lot more daffodils this time around since the deer stay away from them.  It’s always a ‘touch and go’ scenario with my tulips since the deer tend to eat them. This year was one of my ‘fortunate’ years since they spared my tulips (all 1,000 of them).

Here’s a glimpse of whats blooming in my garden now.  For more photos and inspiration check out my previous posts about bulbs in my garden here:  https://www.thegracefulgardener.com/?p=1694  and  here: https://www.thegracefulgardener.com/?p=4651.

 

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Tulip ‘Queen of Night”

 

 

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Tulip ‘ Maureen’

 

 

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Daffodil ‘Pipit’

 

 

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Daffodil ‘Hawera’

 

 

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Tulip “Queen of Night and ‘Maureen’

 

 

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Snowflake “Gravetye Giant’

 

 

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