Usually by this time in the winter much of the garden is buried under snow. This year the garden has been mostly bare of the white stuff. So lots of foliage — evergreen or otherwise — has been visible. These are a few of my favorite evergreens that I can see from inside the house as they are growing right off of the deck within a few feet of each other.
. . .
Tsuga canadensis 'Gentsch White' (Gentsch White Hemlock). The best white color comes from new growth after pruning. This is a small tree and is over my head by a couple of feet.
Picea abies 'Nidiformis' (Bird's Nest Spruce). This has a flat top and a circular spreading habit. It's almost 20 years old and has definitely passed its ten-year-width of 3 feet.
Chamaecyaris obtusa 'Chabo Yadori' (Dwarf Hinoki Cyprus 'Chabo Yadori'). We bought this from the old Heronswood Nursery for $6.00 in 2002, so you can imagine the tiny size of it at that price. The catalog described it as "very compressed blue green foliage on tight upright growth to 5' over many years." It's not at 5' yet but it is a big, beautiful shrub. The underside is blue-gray.
Juniperus squamata 'Holger' (Holger Juniper). I did not record when we planted this, but it is well beyond the size given for 10 years. This has blue needles with lovely yellow new growth in the spring but is a prickly plant. It is large enough that it gets serious pruning most years so it doesn't obscure our view of the pond.
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What a difference a day makes!
It started lightly snowing Sunday afternoon right after I took the above photos and continued right on into Monday night. This is what those evergreens looked like Monday morning, shooting through the living room window. Bird's Nest Spruce is the low shrub with the flat top on the right of the tree trunk. Holger Juniper is directly behind it and Dwarf Hinoki Cyprus 'Chabo Yadori' is to the right and back a bit. The Cyprus is a bit difficult to distinguish from the large Hemlock behind it across the pond.
Thanks to Pam Penick at Digging for hosting this monthly meme and giving us foliage fanciers a spot to show off our favorites.
Sweet evergreens, so varied in color and foliage. They even look great with white frosting.
Posted by: Peter/Outlaw | Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 09:08 AM
It does look nice with that coating of white. The evergreens look even more comforting. Smart of you to go with a few special ones to grow on over the years.
Were the honey locusts there when you moved in? I remember reading about your prior gardens, but don't remember what you started with here.
Posted by: Frank | Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 10:57 AM
Your snowy scene is picture postcard perfect!
Posted by: rusty duck | Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 11:06 AM
We have the receipt and planting plan from the landscaper for the original owners of the house. So we know what they planted. When the house was built in 1955 the only tree already here was a Bur Oak which is at the end of our driveway. At least 150 years old or so. They planted locusts, maples, spruces, pines, full size Macintosh apples, lilacs, arborvitae. Most were still here when we bought the house in 1994. Some are reaching their age limit and are dying like Austrian pines. The locust that is right off our deck is so big that most people don't even recognize it as a locust!
Posted by: Linda Brazill | Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 11:12 AM
I'm over in Whitewater with my folks this week. I think Madison got more snow that Whitewater. But Milwaukee sure had a dumping, as did Door County. It's a marshmallow world...
Posted by: Beth @ PlantPostings | Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 04:42 PM
I just love the evergreens. We have an OLD birds nest spruce. It is on the side of the house we rarely look at (North). It is quite big. I wish it was around back where I could see it. I might have to plant another back here just so I can enjoy it. I love Hemlocks. I have tried several but they just don't like the heat and drought of summer here. Yours is so pretty. I don't think I have even seen this on offered around here. Stay warm.
Posted by: Lisa at Greenbow | Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 07:14 PM
I adore all your conifers. If I ever lived in the cooler half of the country, I'd probably go crazy planting as many as I could get my hands on.
Posted by: Pam/Digging | Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at 12:40 AM
Your evergreens are wonderful. I love conifers but they're not particularly happy in my area (and ravages by pine bark beetles haven't helped.)
What a swift change in your weather! I hope you're enjoying some warm quality time inside.
Posted by: Kris P | Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at 10:40 AM